Asbestos Watchdog's campaigning saves householders £20 billion

This is the latest Press Release from the UK's Asbestos Watchdog about asbestos science and ensuring the regulations fit the risk:

Asbestos-containing textured coatings such as Artex have been used in households across the country, often in decorative plasters or paints on walls and ceilings. Current asbestos regulations state that only specially licensed contractors can handle these textured coatings.

On March 13th, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published new research showing that potential risks from these asbestos-containing textured coatings are much lower than previously thought. This new research is being used to support the proposal that working with such coatings should no longer require a special license. This is the breakthrough Asbestos Watchdog (http://www.asbestoswatchdog.co.uk) has been campaigning for since starting in November 2003.

After receiving advice from Asbestos Watchdog on asbestos-containing textured coatings, the HSE commissioned the Health and Safety Laboratories (HSL) to explore the matter further. Coatings were found to contain only small amounts of asbestos, bound so tightly in a matrix that the fibres could not be readily released; any risk from these was comparable to asbestos cement products, which currently do not require a license to remove.

The HSE will make a final recommendation to the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) in May with a view to de-licensing asbestos-containing textured coatings later in the year. This does not mean textured coatings have been judged ‘no-risk’; they would still be handled within controlled limits and concern for the worker would remain paramount. Instead this would illustrate that regulations are capable of reflecting changing knowledge about risks and appropriating the correct procedures.

The aim is to prevent householders paying for unnecessarily expensive work such as licensed removal of textured coatings when the health risks associated with the material prove to be of no measurable level. Should de-licensing occur, savings to householders could be in the region of £20 billion.

If anyone has any questions about asbestos-containing textured coatings, needs advice on complying with regulations, or is just worried about asbestos in general, please contact Asbestos Watchdog on mail@asbestoswatchdog.co.uk.