Recommendations & Conclusions
27 items
1
Conclusion
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
Asbestos-related illness is one of the great workplace tragedies of modern times. Extensive use of asbestos in the twentieth century accounts for many thousands of deaths. The extreme exposures of the mid- to late twentieth century may be behind us, but its legacy lives on. Asbestos remains in many of …
Government response. HSE’s Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR) Post Implementation Review (PIR) will be published later this year. HSE has considered whether any of the inquiry findings are relevant to the scope and evidence which was gathered as part of the …
Department for Work and Pensions
2
Recommendation
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
We recommend that HSE and Government use the conclusions and recommendations from our report to inform both its immediate post implementation review of the asbestos regulations and its longer-term approach to asbestos management. (Paragraph 15) The asbestos risk today
Government response. HSE’s Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR) Post Implementation Review (PIR) will be published later this year. HSE has considered whether any of the inquiry findings are relevant to the scope and evidence which was gathered as part of the …
Department for Work and Pensions
3
Conclusion
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
Progress made since the gradual imposition of restrictions on the use of asbestos and its eventual ban in 1999 are no reason for complacency. Understanding the extent to which asbestos fibres are still being released from the fabric of buildings remains vital and requires different methods of analysis. Past measurement …
Government response. HSE has a comprehensive published Science and Evidence Strategy and an associated Science and Evidence Delivery Plan which set out HSE’s planned science and research activity to underpin its regulatory activity. This includes commitments during 2020–2023 relating to ergonomics and …
Department for Work and Pensions
4
Conclusion
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
Recent HSE data on the relative risk of mesothelioma deaths shows elevated rates for women whose last occupation was education and teaching. However, limitations in death certificate information means that the earlier occupational history of these people—which may be key to understanding the cause of their disease—is not known. Moreover, …
Government response. Death certificates only record the last occupation of the deceased, which places limitations on producing mortality statistics on conditions with long latency periods such as mesothelioma. To obtain a fuller or even complete occupational history for the deceased would require …
Department for Work and Pensions
5
Recommendation
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
We recommend that HSE develops and implements a robust research framework for the systematic measurement of current asbestos exposures in non-domestic buildings, using a range of measurement and sampling techniques and informed by international experiences and approaches. It should ensure that adequate consideration is given to exposure measurement in schools …
Government response. HSE has a comprehensive published Science and Evidence Strategy and an associated Science and Evidence Delivery Plan which set out HSE’s planned science and research activity to underpin its regulatory activity. This includes commitments during 2020–2023 relating to ergonomics and …
Department for Work and Pensions
6
Conclusion
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
We also recommend that the Government investigates opportunities to improve the occupational information recorded on death certificates. (Paragraph 32) A strategic approach to asbestos management
Government response. Death certificates only record the last occupation of the deceased, which places limitations on producing mortality statistics on conditions with long latency periods such as mesothelioma. To obtain a fuller or even complete occupational history for the deceased would require …
Department for Work and Pensions
7
Conclusion
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, asbestos-containing materials that are in good condition and are unlikely to be disturbed can be left in place by building dutyholders. Buildings containing asbestos will not last forever and, as HSE acknowledges, we do not know how long some of these materials, left …
Government response. The Government agrees that addressing Great Britain’s (GB) asbestos legacy – particularly in public buildings – remains a key issue, and that continuing to improve and build on the evidence base around safe management and disposal of asbestos is fundamental. …
Department for Work and Pensions
8
Conclusion
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
Wholesale removal is not, however, without its own risk and uncertainty. Despite this, HSE has been slow to invest in research to better understand the costs and benefits of removal and to evaluate options for safer removal. This is becoming a more urgent task. The likely dramatic increase in retrofitting …
Government response. The Government agrees that addressing Great Britain’s (GB) asbestos legacy – particularly in public buildings – remains a key issue, and that continuing to improve and build on the evidence base around safe management and disposal of asbestos is fundamental. …
Department for Work and Pensions
9
Conclusion
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
The Minister and HSE told us that their goal was to see asbestos gradually and safely removed from GB’s buildings. We agree with its ambition but greatly regret that neither HSE nor the Government has articulated a clear and comprehensive strategy for achieving this. There is no written down, fully …
Government response. The Government agrees that addressing Great Britain’s (GB) asbestos legacy – particularly in public buildings – remains a key issue, and that continuing to improve and build on the evidence base around safe management and disposal of asbestos is fundamental. …
Department for Work and Pensions
10
Recommendation
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
We recommend that a deadline now be set for the removal of asbestos from non- domestic buildings, within 40 years. The Government and HSE should develop and publish a strategic plan to achieve this, focusing on removing the highest risk asbestos first, and the early removal from the highest risk …
Government response. The Government agrees that addressing Great Britain’s (GB) asbestos legacy – particularly in public buildings – remains a key issue, and that continuing to improve and build on the evidence base around safe management and disposal of asbestos is fundamental. …
Department for Work and Pensions
11
Conclusion
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
We are unconvinced that a significant further expansion in the use of air monitoring for the routine measurement of asbestos fibres is needed. Clearly, such monitoring is an important component both in assessing sites following asbestos removal work The Health and Safety Executive’s approach to asbestos management 49 and, potentially, …
Government response. HSE has a comprehensive published Science and Evidence Strategy and an associated Science and Evidence Delivery Plan which set out HSE’s planned science and research activity to underpin its regulatory activity. This includes commitments during 2020–2023 relating to ergonomics and …
Department for Work and Pensions
12
Recommendation
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
We recommend HSE work with others in the UK and devolved governments to continue to review and share the evidence relating to routine, environmental, air monitoring of asbestos fibres. We ask that HSE writes to us in 12 months’ time with an update on Government’s latest assessment of these developments.
Government response. HSE has a comprehensive published Science and Evidence Strategy and an associated Science and Evidence Delivery Plan which set out HSE’s planned science and research activity to underpin its regulatory activity. This includes commitments during 2020–2023 relating to ergonomics and …
Department for Work and Pensions
13
Conclusion
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
Information about asbestos within buildings is often poorly communicated to users and contractors by dutyholders. Surveys and management plans which include critical information on asbestos are not always maintained as living and accessible documents. Opportunities to exploit digital technologies to improve communications on asbestos risks are being missed.
Government response. Ensuring that duty holders are aware of the asbestos legacy in their buildings and actively complying with the law is key to managing the exposure risk to workers. HSE recognises the importance of duty holders actively managing this information and …
Department for Work and Pensions
14
Recommendation
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
We recommend that HSE strengthens its work with, and guidance to, dutyholders to make clear their obligations to communicate asbestos information and risks to building contractors and users. We also recommend that HSE works with others in Government to sponsor improvements in how information on asbestos in buildings is communicated …
Government response. Ensuring that duty holders are aware of the asbestos legacy in their buildings and actively complying with the law is key to managing the exposure risk to workers. HSE recognises the importance of duty holders actively managing this information and …
Department for Work and Pensions
15
Conclusion
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
Whether building dutyholders are complying with the requirements of the Control of Asbestos Regulations is largely unknown. HSE collects some data from its programme of inspections, but these cover a tiny fraction of the non- domestic premises that contain asbestos. HSE doubts whether a central register of information on asbestos …
Government response. HSE provided evidence to the committee that the existing legal requirement set out in the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 12) requires duty holders to identify and locate asbestos within their premises and share this information with everyone who …
Department for Work and Pensions
16
Recommendation
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
We recommend that HSE works with others in government to develop a central digital register of asbestos in non-domestic buildings, describing its location and type. In the first instance, the concept of a central register could be tested using asbestos data from public buildings such as schools and hospitals. In …
Government response. HSE provided evidence to the committee that the existing legal requirement set out in the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 12) requires duty holders to identify and locate asbestos within their premises and share this information with everyone who …
Department for Work and Pensions
17
Conclusion
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
HSE has experienced significant cuts in government funding. Lower grant funding has been partly mitigated by the introduction of its fee for intervention ‘cost recovery’ model but this cannot be used to target inspections of licensed asbestos removal work. It is not surprising, therefore, that HSE’s asbestos enforcement activity has …
Government response. DWP approves HSE’s business plan which includes details of how HSE’s activities are funded. The plan sets out how HSE will deliver a range of different regulatory interventions and activities based on intelligence, targeting the most serious risks. This includes …
Department for Work and Pensions
18
Recommendation
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
We recommend that HSE commits to a sustained increase in inspection and enforcement activity targeting compliance with the Control of Asbestos Regulations. Repeating our recommendation from June 2020, the Government and DWP should ensure that it provides adequate funding to HSE to support this increased programme of work over the …
Government response. DWP approves HSE’s business plan which includes details of how HSE’s activities are funded. The plan sets out how HSE will deliver a range of different regulatory interventions and activities based on intelligence, targeting the most serious risks. This includes …
Department for Work and Pensions
19
Conclusion
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
HSE promotes understanding of the dangers of asbestos, technical knowledge exchange and compliance with the asbestos regulations through its participation in domestic and international networks. HSE has also previously invested in significant campaigns targeting those occupations most likely to be exposed to asbestos. Campaigns such as ‘Hidden Killer’ were widely …
Government response. HSE strives to ensure that legal compliance and safety is enabled through the provision of clear and accessible guidance. As part of this, HSE will always look to improve how they engage and welcomes any ideas on how they can …
Department for Work and Pensions
20
Conclusion
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
HSE should commit to investing more in sustained campaigning work across a range of media, using multiple interventions and synchronising with the development of its wider strategy for asbestos management. It should employ robust evaluation methods to test what messages and which methods achieve the greatest impact on the behaviours …
Government response. HSE strives to ensure that legal compliance and safety is enabled through the provision of clear and accessible guidance. As part of this, HSE will always look to improve how they engage and welcomes any ideas on how they can …
Department for Work and Pensions
21
Conclusion
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
Currently in Great Britain, some asbestos removal work does not need to be undertaken by a licensed contractor but some of this will still need to be notified to HSE before work starts. The three-way categorisation of work is confusing and of questionable value. Reducing the number of categories and …
Government response. As set out, HSE has considered whether any of the inquiry findings are relevant to the scope and evidence which was gathered as part of the PIR. In this instance, evidence was provided as part of the PIR research that …
Department for Work and Pensions
22
Recommendation
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
We recommend that HSE considers how it could consolidate, tighten, and simplify the current categorisation of asbestos works as part of its 2022 statutory review of the Control of Asbestos Regulations. Its review should carefully assess the net behavioural impacts and costs of any changes.
Government response. As set out, HSE has considered whether any of the inquiry findings are relevant to the scope and evidence which was gathered as part of the PIR. In this instance, evidence was provided as part of the PIR research that …
Department for Work and Pensions
23
Conclusion
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
Asbestos surveyors have an important role in helping dutyholders to identify and manage asbestos in premises. We have heard concerns about the variable quality of surveys. It is not clear to us why the regulatory and quality requirements for asbestos surveyors should be less stringent than for analysts who must …
Government response. In GB an asbestos survey (which includes taking material samples) must be undertaken by a person competent to do so as set out in HSG264 Asbestos: The Survey Guide. Whilst the survey guide is goal setting in nature HSE strongly …
Department for Work and Pensions
24
Conclusion
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
Despite their requirement to be accredited, the work of analysts continues to be compromised by regulatory arrangements which allow licensed asbestos contractors to commission their own analysts to check their work. We heard disturbing accounts from several sources that the current model undermines the independence of this critical quality check. …
Government response. In Great Britain it is a legal requirement for every analyst undertaking the certification process, following asbestos removal, to be UKAS accredited, regardless of who they are appointed by. As part of this accreditation the analyst is required to show …
Department for Work and Pensions
25
Recommendation
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
We recommend that HSE makes it mandatory for all people conducting asbestos surveys to be accredited by a recognised accreditation body. We also recommend that HSE assesses the impact of making it a legal requirement for building owners or occupiers to commission accredited asbestos analysts to check asbestos work done …
Government response. In GB an asbestos survey (which includes taking material samples) must be undertaken by a person competent to do so as set out in HSG264 Asbestos: The Survey Guide. Whilst the survey guide is goal setting in nature HSE strongly …
Department for Work and Pensions
26
Conclusion
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
HSE has an important role in monitoring international developments in approaches to managing asbestos risk, assessing the balance of evidence, and commissioning its own research to understand workplace patterns of asbestos exposure and behaviour. The direction of travel in Europe is towards tighter regulation of asbestos and lower exposure limits …
Government response. HSE recognise the need to ensure that exposure limits are based on the best available science and should be linked to strong evidence of the realisation of tangible health benefits. HSE will review any robust, peer reviewed evidence on exposure …
Department for Work and Pensions
27
Recommendation
Sixth Report - The Health and Safety Ex…
We recommend HSE ensures its current review of the Control of Asbestos Regulations includes a thorough written assessment of moves towards more stringent asbestos 52 The Health and Safety Executive’s approach to asbestos management occupational exposure limits in Europe. It should carefully consider their application to the GB context, taking …
Government response. HSE recognise the need to ensure that exposure limits are based on the best available science and should be linked to strong evidence of the realisation of tangible health benefits. HSE will review any robust, peer reviewed evidence on exposure …
Department for Work and Pensions