Trade Asbestos Report: 2022

Despite all supply and use being banned since 1999, asbestos still presents a huge problem for the UK trade industry.

The Leadership Factor, on behalf of Electrical Direct, recently surveyed 500 tradespeople to get a greater understanding of the impact that asbestos still has on their work, and the results are shocking.

The long lasting effects of asbestos

The majority of people in the UK, especially those working in a trade profession, should be aware of asbestos. However, many may not realise how much of a prevalent issue it still is to this day, despite not being used in over 20 years.

The issue is twofold.

Firstly, many older buildings still have asbestos features – everything from water tanks to toilet seats that are from before 1999 may contain asbestos. This means tradespeople are still coming into contact with asbestos on a regular basis.

Secondly, people who have worked with asbestos in the past (especially from the ’70s to the ‘90s) may only now be experiencing symptoms of their exposure. Previous asbestos exposure still kills 20 UK tradespeople every week, with over 5,000 people dying yearly from asbestos-related diseases.

Likelihood of exposure in 2022

The people surveyed painted a shocking picture of how common asbestos exposure is to this day.

• 72% of tradespeople have encountered asbestos at some point in their career
• 60% find it every year
• 25% find it every week
• 8% have to deal with asbestos every day

This is unfortunately especially true for people newly entering the industry, with 86% of 18-24s stating that they had already been exposed to asbestos.

Who is most at risk?

While most trades may unfortunately experience asbestos exposure, there are some trades that encounter the material more often.

What are the risks of asbestos exposure?

When asbestos becomes damaged, it releases tiny fibres into the air which are like glass. These fibres are breathed in and become embedded in the lungs where they will stay for the rest of your life.

There are 4 main asbestos related diseases that you should look out for: Asbestosis, Pleural disease, Mesothelioma, and Lung cancer.

Asbestosis is probably the most well-known asbestos related disease. It is caused by breathing in large amounts of asbestos fibres over an extended period, causing scarring in the lungs which means oxygen can’t reach the bloodstream as easily. This scarring also causes the soft muscle of the lungs to become hard, which makes it more difficult to breathe.

Pleural disease is where the thin membrane covering the lungs becomes thicker than it should be, making it harder to breathe and causing pain in the chest.

Mesothelioma is a type of incurable cancer that affects the lining of the lungs or the stomach.

What are the symptoms of asbestosis?

Despite asbestos exposure still being such a widespread problem, many people in the industry don’t know what symptoms to look out for regarding asbestos-related diseases.

When asked about the signs of asbestosis specifically, 64% of people failed to select a persistent cough, and 55% didn’t mention shortness of breath.

So what are the symptoms?

The symptoms of asbestosis include:

• Persistent cough
• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• Pain in the chest or shoulder
• Tiredness
• Swollen or clubbed fingertips

The symptoms of Pleural disease include:

• Chest pain
• Dry, unproductive cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Inability to breathe unless you are sitting up straight or standing

The symptoms of Mesothelioma need to be split in two because it can affect the lungs and the stomach.

In the lungs:

• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Tiredness
• A high temperature and sweating, particularly at night
• A persistent cough
• Loss of appetite and unexplained weight loss
• Swollen or clubbed fingertips

In the stomach:

• Stomach pain or swelling
• Feeling or being sick
• Loss of appetite and unexplained weight loss
• Diarrhoea or constipation

The main symptoms of lung cancer include:

• A cough that does not go away after 3 weeks
• A long-standing cough that gets worse
• Chest infections that keep coming back
• Coughing up blood
• An ache or pain when breathing or coughing
• Persistent breathlessness
• Persistent tiredness or lack of energy
• Loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss

If you experience any of these symptoms, especially if you think (or know) you’ve been exposed to asbestos, you should book in to see your GP immediately.