Global Asbestos Awareness Week aims to raise awareness around the dangers of asbestos and is dedicated to educating people about both the risk of asbestos and how to manage it to prevent asbestos-related diseases.
Although banned in the UK in 1999, asbestos can still be found in buildings and was used in more than 4,000 household products, mixed with other materials, making it extremely difficult to detect.
Common products that contain asbestos includes sprayed coatings on ceilings and walls, asbestos insulating board, vinyl floor tiles, loose fill insulation, textured decorative coatings and pipe insulation.
Statistics published by HSE in 2020 show that there are over 5,000 asbestos-related deaths every year in the UK, making it the single biggest cause of work-related deaths.
