Asbestos regulations in the UK are stringent nowadays – the use of asbestos materials was totally banned here in 1985 while second hand reuse, import and sales have been illegal since 1999.

Despite these strict control measures we are still seeing cases of asbestos related disease and these are on the increase as the time between first exposure to asbestos and contraction of the disease can range between 25 and 50 years.  This means that we still have many years to wait before we see the eradication of asbestos related illnesses.

The Daily Mail reported last week that deaths from asbestos are likely to peak in 2015.  It was revealed that senior doctors in the UK have warned that the number of cases of mesothelioma (asbestos related cancer) affecting workers exposed to asbestos before the 1980s has yet to reach a peak.  A report in the British Medical Journal disclosed that a peak in the epidemic was unlikely to happen until 2015 at the earliest.

Recent reports reveal that the chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Margaret Hodge, is urging the Queen’s treasurer to consider the “commercial success” of the Sandringham Estate as it tries to plug a gap in the Royal household’s finances.

During a recent evidence session about the Sovereign Grant (the deal between the Royal family and the taxpayer), it was revealed that during essential maintenance work on the occupied royal palaces asbestos was removed from the basement of Buckingham Palace.

It’s been revealed that a Gloucestershire man recently died as a result of contracting malignant mesothelioma, a fatal cancer that is usually caused by exposure to asbestos fibres.  As we explained in one of our blog posts back in December, mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that is fatal and the average survival rate following diagnosis is only about 9 months.

We’ve had some absolutely dreadful weather in the UK in recent months and it looks likely to continue with more severe weather and flood warnings being posted on a regular basis.  As we reported in a recent blog post, seaside towns were particularly badly affected by high tides and this has led to small businesses all over the UK suffering damaged premises.  This risk is just as likely for business premises in areas that are prone to flooding and weather reports are promising more severe flooding to come in the coming weeks.

The British Safety Council (BSC) is organising a half-day conference in Manchester on February 26th 2014 aimed at employers, directors and managers in organisations and businesses of all types in the north west of England and the surrounding regions.

The event will be held at the Midland Hotel in Manchester’s city centre with expert speakers from the health, safety and legal sectors booked to address delegates on important developments in the UK health and safety legislation, enforcement and practice.

Recent news reports have been featuring the story of a 66 year old Sutton lady who lost her husband to mesothelioma in July 2009.  Monica Haxton’s husband was an electrician who contracted the incurable lung cancer when he was exposed to asbestos dust while dismantling boilers.

A recent news report revealed that Glasgow local authority’s own internal auditors have warned that failure to keep comprehensive records has led to them being unsure that all premises have been checked for the material.  Even more shocking is the revelation that watchdogs consider that the policy on how asbestos is managed in Glasgow is more than a decade out of date!

An astonishing news report this week tells the story of the CEO of a furniture company who exposed his Rochdale factory employees to potentially lethal asbestos for more than five years.  It appears that this irresponsible business owner neglected to carry out asbestos checks at the factory, despite Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 that requires him to carry out these checks as the duty holder.  More than a dozen employees were exposed to the potentially deadly asbestos, many of whom were members of h

The recent floods in the UK resulted in damage and destruction in so many areas.  Heavy and persistent rainfall combined with high tides that saw so many of our seaside towns suffering an insurge of sea water that has not been seen in living memory.  The seaside town where I grew up didn’t escape the storms and videos posted on both Facebook and YouTube amazed local people with the ferocity of the sea.