Health Care Services : Workforce Health Risks And Reputation Damage Linked To Asbestos In Company Buildings
Abstract
For decades, products of asbestos were used throughout the manufacturing and building industry in an extensive form. Today, asbestos has been the single most material responsible for work related deaths in UK. Buildings built before 2000 are likely to have asbestos containing materials in premises in any form. It is necessary to identify if the company building contains any significant amount of ACMs (Asbestos Containing Materials) so that the company can put proper plan and action in place. The paper describes what asbestos is, the risk of getting exposed to the material, health risks associated along-with reputational damage with the help of illustrating three examples that are associated with work related deaths due to exposure to asbestos fibres at the workplace. In the last, the measures that are needed to fix the problem are discussed, so that the health risks could be minimized and appropriate protection steps could be taken.
Contents
Abstract 2
Introduction. 4
Asbestos at the workplace: health risks. 4
Reputational damage. 7
Managing working with asbestos. 7
Routine steps to fix the problem.. 9
Conclusion. 10
References. 11
Introduction
The briefing paper highlights the health risks for the workforce associated with the use of asbestos in the company buildings along-with the reputational damage linked. Millions of people go to a workplace where they face an exposure to significant amount of asbestos. There has been a well established link between asbestos and serious health problems for decades, but most of the people going at a workplace including employers do not know what is asbestos, how are they most likely to get an exposure to asbestos and what essential steps should be taken to protect the employees from the serious health problems related to the exposure to asbestos (Learning the lessons of asbestos as death toll continues to rise 2012). There is description and analysis of the implications and aspects of the problem along-with the evaluation of the steps needed to fix it.
Asbestos at the workplace: health risks
Asbestos is a fibrous material that is naturally occurring. The characteristic of asbestos that has made its use large and wide in various industries is its durability as well as strong resistance to heat and flame. But, before the popularity of the material could be reached to its peak, it was discovered that the use of asbestos is linked with serious health risks, such as developing mesothelioma, a form of cancer (Hammar and Dodson 2011). Inhalation of asbestos fibres even for short term exposure at the workplace can lead to several health problems, such as breathing problems, shortness of breath, coughing, etc. Asbestos comes in the category of carcinogen i.e. a cancer causing substance. The most serious health risks arise from the long term exposure to asbestos at the workplace specifically for older people who have spent decades doing their job and getting exposed to the material before the development of suitable protection measures (Bartrip 2006). An example in the concern is of Helene Todd case in which wife of John Tedd, a former army mechanic from UK died due to dutifully cleaning the overalls of John Tedd when he returned from work where he worked on military vehicles and used asbestos for protection from heat in 1970s.The dust from those overalls killed her nearly four decades later as she was suffering from asbestos related disease i.e. malignant mesothelioma. John Tedd was awarded £110,000 as compensation (Helene Todd asbestos case: ‘My wife died keeping me clean’ 2012). Another case is of Miltiades Charalambous who died because of asbestos related disease. The reason for getting the exposure to the material was his job which was sorting the dirty linen in the basement of the restaurant in which he worked which was close to the boiler and pipes that were lagged with the materials which had asbestos in significant amount. The atmosphere in the basement was dusty and was contaminated with the fibres of asbestos. The person was a long serving waiter of the restaurant between the period of 1967 and 1996, and died in 2010 at the age of 70. The company had to pay £70,790 as settlement of the case to the family of the deceased (Case settled over asbestos-related death of former waiter at Bloom’s 2012). The third case is related to a daughter named Amanda Satterfield developing the asbestos related disease and dying at the young age of 25 due to development of fatal cancer. Father of Amanda worked in Alcoa plant since the time when Amanda was a little child. Returning from work, he was always covered with the dust and fibres of asbestos, which took a toll on his daughter who was diagnosed with lung cancer in her early 20’s. The company had to give the settlement money to the family of Amanda (Family’s Case Is Settled After Six Year Battle Over Asbestos-related Death 2009).The properties of asbestos have made its use in building materials, often in the form of insulation and fireproofing. It is also used as a general building material. The use of asbestos in buildings was at all time high in 1960s and continued until 1980s. However, today it is illegal to use asbestos in the construction work of buildings or any type of refurbishment of the premises, but there are thousands of tonnes of asbestos that had been used in the past and are still in place today. Any building that is built or is furbished before 2000 has the possibility of containing asbestos. If the asbestos containing material is in good condition, and is not damaged or disturbed, the health risk is negligible. However, if it is damaged or disturbed, the health risk is higher, as people working in the building can easily breathe the asbestos fibre released in the air (Managing asbestos in buildings: A brief guide 2012). If the asbestos that is present in the company building is in poor condition, can be disturbed readily and is not managed in a proper manner, it can put the people working in the premises at health risks related with asbestos. The material can be found in many parts of the building as the products of asbestos can be used for various purposes, such as fire protection in ducts, thermal insulation of boilers and pipes, partitions of wall, protection from fire, in ceilings and wall panels, decorative paints and plasters, rainwater pipes, tiles of ceiling and floor, and so on. Generally, materials that have the high percentage of asbestos are the one that are easily damaged (Managing asbestos in buildings: A brief guide 2012).The asbestos fibres are dangerous because they can cause serious diseases. The main diseases are lung cancer, mesothelioma, asbestosis and diffuse pleural thickening. Diseases related to asbestos do not have an immediate affect but they show on later in their life. Therefore, it is necessary to protect the workforce from getting exposed to significant amounts of asbestos fibres. Breathing of these fibres increases the chance of getting the health related disease of asbestos (Managing and working with asbestos 2012).
Reputational damage
The occurrence of the asbestos related diseases in the workforce creates damage to the reputation of the company which cannot be repaired. In all the cases mentioned above, there is a reputational damage involved for the companies associated in the cases. The asbestos litigation has bankrupted the reputation scores of various companies. There are adverse effects on the business of the company resulting from reputation damage. The company has to spend a large sum of money on settling the issues, and paying compensation for deaths of the worker or the member of the family who developed the asbestos related disease due to working for that company, and getting exposed to asbestos fibres to a significant level (Mullerat and Brennan 2005).
Managing working with asbestos
It is essential for the employers, asbestos contractors as well as those who have duties that come under the regulations for asbestos, and the workers who are at the greater risk of getting an exposure to the concerned material, to know how to manage working with asbestos (Guidotti 2011). There is absolute ban on importation, supply and any kind of use of the material in any form. However, there are many company buildings that still have ACMs (asbestos containing materials). Any company building that is built or refurbished before the year 2000 should make sure of the following aspects:
Identification of the presence of asbestos determining its condition and type
People who are responsible for maintaining the non domestic premises should provide the workforce with the information of the amount of asbestos present in any part of the building and what is the condition of asbestos in the material it is found. If there is no or limited information, then the concerned area should be surveyed for the presence of asbestos. Alternatively, before working on the area, it is good to take on precautions as if the material is present and there is risk of ACMs being damaged (Managing and working with asbestos 2012).
Carrying risk assessment
Decision should be taken if it is possible to carry out the maintenance or repairing work of the building by avoiding the risk of exposure to asbestos all together. If it is not possible, then the employer and the contractor have to decide who might be at risk due to the work and the possible level of exposure to asbestos fibres. On the basis of the risk assessment, it has to be decided which work methods are best suitable to provide protection against the risk of exposure (Managing and working with asbestos 2012).
Decision on carrying out the work by licensed contractor
Most of the work related to the removal of asbestos requires a contractor that holds the license from HSE. The work that requires the license from HSE include all type of work with coatings of sprayed asbestos, asbestos lagging, and the work involving asbestos insulation and AIB (Asbestos Insulation Board). It is necessary to identify if the work needs the services of a licensed contractor (Managing and working with asbestos 2012).
Not licensable work needs to be notified
If there is no requirement of a licensed contractor, the maintenance work of the company building can be done around ACMs with appropriate protection and control measures in place. However, some non licensed works require notifying the work, keeping medical surveillance and keeping of records. This kind of work is termed as notifiable non licensed work (Managing and working with asbestos 2012).
Ensuring suitable training
Any person in the workforce or any other worker who is liable for disturbing asbestos during their routine work are required to receive proper and suitable training so as to make them able to protect themselves from the hazards related to asbestos fibres (Managing and working with asbestos 2012).
Routine steps to fix the problem
In order to manage the risk from asbestos, it is necessary to keep the records updated by performing the following duties: finding out if there is presence if asbestos in the premises, its location and condition; making a record and keeping it up to date regarding the location and condition of ACMs or the presumed ACMs in the building; assessment of the risk from the ACMs; preparation of the plan which contains the detail on how to manage the risk associated, taking the required steps to put in place, regular review and monitoring of the plan and the related arrangements; and setting up of the system that provides the information on the condition and the location of the ACM to any worker who is laible to work at the concerned place or can disturb it (Managing asbestos in buildings: A brief guide 2012). Wherever possible, the material should be labelled and the contractor or any other worker should be informed. If there is minor damage to the material, it should be encapsulated or repaired, and the condition of the ACM should be regularly monitored. Moreover, the asbestos that is likely to be disturbed or is in poor condition should be removed (Managing asbestos in buildings: A brief guide 2012).
Conclusion
By taking the above mentioned measures, workforce in the company buildings can be protected from the exposure to the hazardous material so that the risk related with the asbestos linked diseases can be minimized along-with reducing the chances of reputational damage.
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