The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a new campaign targeting joiners, plumbers and electricians who are not aware of how to deal with asbestos.
Karen Clayton, a representative from the industry body, described how the key is to minimise the risk to workers, particularly younger tradesmen who may not be aware of the lethal effects of the substance, reported the Mirror.
She said: "We want to help tradesmen understand the life-saving fact that asbestos exposure is not just a historical problem. Our initiative is about tradesmen finding out exactly what they need to do to protect themselves by taking advantage of free training."
Ms Clayton pointed out that there is little that can be done for those who have already suffered from the effects of asbestos, but a series of free classroom-based training sessions should help prevent problems in the future.
The HSE training will be available in October and November, according to gazettelive.co.uk. Bob Stephenson, co-ordinator of the Northeast Asbestos and Support Awareness Group, told the publication the scheme must be given a high priority.
He noted that even short periods of exposure can lead to mesothelioma, which is the asbestos-related cancer that has claimed so many lives over the years. In the north east alone, 1,446 people died of the disease from 1998 to 2008.
Karen Clayton, a representative from the industry body, described how the key is to minimise the risk to workers, particularly younger tradesmen who may not be aware of the lethal effects of the substance, reported the Mirror.
She said: "We want to help tradesmen understand the life-saving fact that asbestos exposure is not just a historical problem. Our initiative is about tradesmen finding out exactly what they need to do to protect themselves by taking advantage of free training."
Ms Clayton pointed out that there is little that can be done for those who have already suffered from the effects of asbestos, but a series of free classroom-based training sessions should help prevent problems in the future.
The HSE training will be available in October and November, according to gazettelive.co.uk. Bob Stephenson, co-ordinator of the Northeast Asbestos and Support Awareness Group, told the publication the scheme must be given a high priority.
He noted that even short periods of exposure can lead to mesothelioma, which is the asbestos-related cancer that has claimed so many lives over the years. In the north east alone, 1,446 people died of the disease from 1998 to 2008.
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