 |
 |
FAQHas it Been Regulated?The British Asbestos Regulations of 1931 constituted the first attempt by a national government to minimise the harmful effects of asbestos and were aimed at limiting occupational exposure within the asbestos industry. Although these regulations governed the British asbestos industry from 1931 until 1970, they failed to prevent the deaths of thousands of British workers from asbestos-related diseases. The main flaw in the 1931 regulations was that they were industry specific. The fact that these regulations did not apply outside the asbestos industry prolonged the period during which insulators, plumbers, boilermakers, shipyard workers and others were exposed to asbestos. The Asbestos Regulations (1969) revoked the 1931 regulations and expanded the statutory duty of employers to ensure that all staff in factories, power stations, warehouses, institutions and other premises were protected from the dangers of working with asbestos. The 1969 regulations applied to every process which used either asbestos or any article that contained asbestos and sought to minimise exposure to asbestos dust through the use of exhaust ventilation, protective equipment and clothing, the cleaning at regular intervals of machinery, plants and interior surfaces by dustless methods and the introduction of improved handling procedures. Despite the introduction of these controls, the occurrence of asbestos-related occupational disease amongst those working in the premises covered by the 1969 regulations was not eliminated.
|