Opinion

    Baroness Bennett

    It’s time to ban artificial stone worktops over silicosis risk

    If you are in the market for a new kitchen, you will come across engineered stone or ‘quartz’ worktops. Cheap, premium, luxury are words that will be thrown around photos and videos lingering on expanses of shiny, multicoloured stone. But not in Australia, where since July new engineered stone worktops have been banned (although some states allow a six-month transition period).

    By Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle on 01 September 2024

    Danger Asbestos iStock Steve Luker

    Asbestos risk management: why the UK is falling short

    Assessments of background asbestos levels in UK buildings may be providing employers with a false sense of reassurance. The UK also looks set to fall behind Europe in reducing the risks the substance poses to building occupants and workers.

    By Colette Willoughby, Asbestos Compliance Limited on 01 September 2024

    Artificial Intelligence iStock Khanchit Khirisutchalual

    Will we be celebrating AI fifty years from now?

    No doubt you have heard or seen the ads marking the 50th anniversary of that famous fast-food restaurant with the golden arches. Those of you who’ve been paying attention will also be aware that it’s the 50th year since the Health & Safety at Work Act was enacted in the UK. I am sure there is no significance in this. But when I started thinking about it, there are perhaps some parallels we can draw between the success of the aforementioned restaurant chain and the landmark 1974 Act.

    By Mike Robinson FCA, British Safety Council on 01 September 2024

    Jim Shannon MP

    Silicosis – time to wake up

    Clinicians at the Royal Brompton hospital in London have warned about the dangers of silica exposure in a recent study published in Thorax. They are currently treating the first identified cases of silicosis caused by working with engineered stone in the UK and have called for a ban on artificial stone to ward off the potential for an increase in silicosis cases.

    By Jim Shannon MP on 01 September 2024

    Asbestos Tiles iStock SashaFoxWalters

    Asbestos in schools: we need urgent action now to protect teachers and pupils

    Asbestos was widely used in construction throughout the 20th Century, before finally being banned in 2000 – 50 years after the causal link with lung disease was made.

    By Wayne Bates, NASUWT on 01 September 2024

    Engineered Stone Cutting iStock Cagkansayin

    Engineered stone worktops and silicosis: a challenging problem

    The sudden and alarming appearance of silicosis cases among engineered stone workers in the UK, against the backdrop of a ban in Australia and in some US States, has suddenly brought the question of how to regulate for health protection in the workplace to the fore.

    By Kevin Bampton, BOHS on 01 September 2024

    Asbestos Roof Tiles iStock LianeM

    Asbestos: why ‘management in-situ’ is the wrong approach

    The UK has the worst record on mesothelioma deaths (a cancer solely attributed to past asbestos exposure) in the world, primarily because the UK imported more asbestos per capita than any other country.

    By Charles Pickles, Airtight on Asbestos on 01 September 2024

    Asbestos Warning iStock Paul D Wade (1)

    Control of Asbestos Regulations: why it’s now time for a review

    Although the UK has a framework for managing asbestos in buildings, a proposed new Asbestos Information Certificate rating dutyholder compliance with the relevant legal duties would place greater emphasis on ensuring building owners are adequately reducing the risk to occupants and tradespeople.

    By Mick Dawson, ATaC on 01 September 2024

    Asbestos Protection Suit iStock D Keine

    The duty to manage asbestos, the rise in prosecutions and other emerging trends

    In this article, I will explore the impact of the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE’s) public awareness campaigns regarding the duty to manage asbestos and consider the resulting rise in prosecutions.

    By Francesca Ledwith, Pinsent Masons on 01 September 2024

    Health and Safety Book iStock Tatiana Sviridova

    Hazards Campaign – our 2024 manifesto for a health and safety system fit for ALL workers

    With a new Labour Government there is an opportunity for a new direction for occupational health and safety.

    By Janet Newsham, Hazards Campaign on 01 August 2024

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