Thousands of people die in the UK every year because of asbestos exposure, making asbestos the number one cause of work-related deaths in the UK. To raise awareness about asbestos as an ongoing threat in many trades, the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a video on its website titled “Asbestos: the hidden killer.”
The HSE’s own research has shown that young workers in the construction trades, such as plumbers, electricians and carpenters, understand that asbestos exposure is dangerous, but they don’t see that they are personally at risk for dangerous exposures. The video, as part of the entire awareness campaign, is intended to encourage tradesmen to take precautions to prevent asbestos exposure. Judith Hackitt, Chair of the Health and Safety Commission, blames the lack of concern among tradesmen with the belief that asbestos is a problem of the past.
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