The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) has launched its new

asbestos awareness campaign, warning hidden traces could prove fatal.

The campaign, which is targeted at the province's 40,000 tradesmen, aims to remind them of the dangers of breathing in asbestos dust.

HSENI urged workers to take sensible and simple precautions to protect themselves and

others.

Plumbers, joiners, and electricians undertaking refurbishment work may unwittingly encounter and disturb asbestos, which can still be present in any building constructed before the year 2000.

Professor Peter McKie, HSENI Chairman, said that although it is widely recognised that asbestos is a killer, it is less well known is that asbestos is present in many of the buildings in which we live and work.

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"Generally this is not a problem provided it is not disturbed," he said.

"Therefore through this campaign we want to reach all those tradesmen who are about to undertake maintenance or refurbishment work on any pre 2000 building and ask them to stop and think about the possibility of asbestos being present."

He said the first thing contractors need to do is ask to see the building's asbestos register. Only then can they plan their work so that they can be properly protected.

Carl Stuart, from HSENI’s Asbestos Advisory Service, said startling research found contractors rarely ask if a building had been surveyed for asbestos.

The report also found than half would continue to work unprotected even though they knew

there was asbestos present.

"These worrying findings point to the importance of a campaign such as this," he said.

"A campaign that not only sends out simple and clear messages about the serious health implications of continued exposure to potentially deadly asbestos dust but gives workers the knowledge they need to protect themselves and others."

Dr Delia Skan, HSENI's Senior Employment Medical Adviser, said scores die from past exposure to asbestos dust in Northern Ireland every year.

"So I would call on the tradesmen being targeted by this campaign to take heed of the messages and protect themselves and others," Dr Skan said.

When dealing with asbestos the most important thing to remember is not to work with it, unless you have been trained and have the suitable equipment with which to deal with it safely.

(PR/BMcC)