Actioning a National Asbestos Strategy

On Wednesday 18th June, a Westminster Hall Debate is scheduled to debate the “Removal of Asbestos From Non-Domestic Buildings”. As such it is timely to dust off some strategic thinking about removing asbestos. Strategy is vital to curtail risk, target finite financial and human resources and most importantly progress towards an asbestos free UK.

A Change in Policy to Eradicate Asbestos:

 In February this year, the Chair of HSE, Sarah Albon talked of a change to policy towards asbestos, from “management in-situ” to asbestos eradication.  The relevant Minister, Sir Stephen Timms reiterated this position at an HSE Research Event in Manchester in May.  

This was great news because all asbestos is dangerous, with the highest risk materials being unmanageable and dangerous in certain buildings, such as system built schools. The policy of “Management in-situ” rested on the premise that well managed asbestos materials presented “zero risk” and that removing them would result in elevated risk. Wouldn't it be nice if that were true! Actually, the opposite is true. 

The Duty to Manage is a “Straw Man”! 

A recent presentation by Emeritus Professor John Cherrie, to the FAAM conference talked of the risk weighting between the normal occupants of buildings (eg: teachers) and those who occasionally work in or on such buildings (eg: maintenance contractors such as plumbers). As a function of the far greater numbers of people and much greater exposure time, the normal occupants were seen to carry a risk fifteen times greater than those who work in buildings periodically, despite significantly lower exposures. The fibre concentrations assumed were 0.00005 f/ml for normal occupation and 0.005 f/ml for maintenance workers respectively. The “Duty to Manage Asbestos” implies all we need to do is protect maintenance workers as there is zero risk to the usual occupants. The “Duty to Manage” identifies the wrong target. It is a “Straw-Man” of a policy, with the emphasis on the small risk to maintenance workers, whilst distracting attention from the real risk of asbestos in buildings, which is exposing society at large to this zero-threshold carcinogen. Field data backs this up: The ATAC/NORAC report entitled, the “Review of UK asbestos management 2022” gathered and reported on data saying, “this analysis indicates that there is currently a high proportion of asbestos materials in UK buildings that could present a potential risk to public health, and which need remediation or removal.” So clearly we need to remove asbestos from buildings.

That old maxim that “asbestos is safe if left undisturbed” is not true and never was true: it is however, the biggest lie in public life in Britain today! The pertinent question is, how do we tackle our asbestos legacy? We need a plan.

A National Asbestos Strategy Will Save Money:

Asbestos costs arise from four facets: asbestos related disease, ongoing asbestos materials management in buildings, asbestos removal and asbestos disposal.  Let us consider each of these in turn.

Costs From Asbestos Related Disease: 

Last year Mesothelioma UK published a report, sponsored by partners in industry, unions and Airtight on Asbestos. “Clearing the Air” stating the financial benefits of strategic asbestos removal to reduce the costs associated with asbestos disease.

Costs From Ongoing Asbestos Material Management: 

If asbestos materials were to be removed with high risk materials prioritised, the costs associated with their maintenance would diminish over time. 

Costs From Asbestos Removal and Disposal: 

The costs of removing asbestos and its disposal from the public realm will not be increased by having a plan. On the contrary, a data-lead plan would enable improved control and management of costs resulting in significant savings. Last year's Big Nasties Report by the Public Accounts Committee listed asbestos as a big “known-unknown” liabilities on the public ledger, stating, “problems with RAAC and asbestos have shown that, without a long-term plan, there is a huge impact when a problem crystalises” (page 9).  A National Asbestos Database,  would elucidate the size and scope and price tag associated with asbestos within UK public buildings, enabling improved planning and resource allocation. Continuing to remain ignorant about the prevalence of the UK’s number one occupational killer is not acceptable policy: it is called, “sticking your head in the sand!”

Let's Talk About Specific Budgets:  

Planned capital spending for 2024-25 is around £6.1 billion” (ref:School and School Building Capital Funding). Schools are apportioned funds according to the condition of their building (ref CDC2) , yet asbestos is excluded from the decision making criteria. Clearly this is not compatible with broader government policy or common sense. By incorporating asbestos as a criteria considered for allocating existing funds, a National Asbestos Strategy could be delivered within existing budgets. 

We Start Now: 

The government changed policy in February, however without strategy the policy is adrift. In 2022 The Work and Pensions Select Committee, recommended a 40 year asbestos plan. By announcing the change of policy in February 2025, that clock has started counting down!  We need to start the plan to eradicate asbestos now so that we are asbestos-safe by 2065.

We Need A National Asbestos Database:

You can not fulfill a plan without data to inform and guide projects and enable accountability. Data coupled to  strategy enables Government to set budgets and to plan. Businesses can then allocate long term resources. Objectives will be achieved. 

It all starts with quality, timely data.

Prioritise Schools: 

We need to start with schools where children spend the most time, because children are roughly five times more susceptible to asbestos disease. As a function of their young age mesothelioma and lung cancer have longer to manifest themselves. The same logic applies to Social Housing, however legislation may need to be amended to specifically include such abodes. Asbestos in schools and social housing are the priority, with schools the clear obvious sector to prioritise.

Prioritise Amosite:

All asbestos is dangerous but amosite (brown asbestos) more so than chrysotile (white asbestos). Amosite is more likely to become airborne and has greater bio-persistence in the lung. It has a potency for mesothelioma roughly 100 times that of chrysotile! Amosite imports accounted for less than 12% of total asbestos imports into the UK, yet it causes the vast majority of mesotheliomas. Amosite should be removed urgently. System-built schools riddled with amosite are our public-health enemy number one.

Age Profile:

Due to the asbestos prohibition regulations all amosite materials are at least 40 years old and all chrysotile materials at least 25 years old. Given the declining importation rates in the respective decades prior to the two bans, the majority of amosite materials are more than 50 years old, with the majority of chrysotile materials being more than 35 years old. All UK asbestos materials are by definition aged, with much past or near their lifespan. The nation needs to plan to deal with this issue of material and building demography. We can not kick the can down the road any longer. 

Disposal or Denaturation:

The UK has one of the highest landfill tax rates in the world. This means that the costs of denaturing asbestos are now on a par to burying the materials. Asbestos materials can be denatured, removing the risk, whilst retaining the embedded carbon dioxide within the cementitious material matrices. With Government commitment to an Asbestos Strategy, the UK should not bury the last generation's asbestos, for the next generation to have to deal with in the future. Asbestos denaturation ticks many strategic boxes.

Calls to Action:

It is time to call time on the UK’s institutional omerta over asbestos!

The biggest lie in British public life is that, “asbestos in-situ is safe”. It is not and never will be. At AirtightonAsbestos.uk we call for a:

• National Asbestos Database 

• 40-Year National Asbestos Strategy 

It will save British lives.

• It will save Britains’ taxes

• It will enhance and enable broader policy goals.

We can have an asbestos free UK by 2065.