Occupational Diseases: Message: Don't Gamble With Asbestos

Ireland's Government News Network reports that to help raise awareness of the dangers of asbestos, the Health and Safety Executive has begun a "Don't take a gamble campaign." Steve Coldrick, Director of the Health and Safety Executive's Disease Reduction Program in Ireland has a message for workers everywhere: "Don't take a gamble with your life."

More than half a million buildings in Ireland still contain some form of asbestos. Workers are at risk because they may drill or cut into structural components containing asbestos and breathe in the material. Coldrick added, "exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and an early death. There are around 1.8 million maintenance workers in Great Britain, many of whom don't realise that asbestos could be present and therefore a threat. While current deaths are due to asbestos exposure that happened many years ago, we need to make today's workers aware that they are at risk.. This campaign focuses on how important it is for those working with asbestos not to gamble with their lives."