Asbestos is still responsible for around 5,000 deaths in the UK every year. More than any other single workplace hazard.
Not historically. Now.
That figure surprises people. Most assume asbestos is a problem we solved decades ago. It isn't. The exposure happened decades ago — but the disease is still arriving, and the risk of new exposure is still very much alive.
Why Is It Still a Problem?
Asbestos was widely used in building materials throughout the twentieth century. It was cheap, durable, and an effective insulator. It went into floor tiles, ceiling tiles, pipe lagging, roof panels, textured coatings, and more.
The UK banned all use of asbestos in 1999. But the buildings it was installed in are still standing. Offices, schools, hospitals, residential flats, commercial units — millions of them, built before 2000, still contain asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in some form.
Those buildings are still being worked in every day.
Who Is Most at Risk?
The trades that regularly work inside older buildings carry the highest risk — often without knowing exactly what they're working next to.
That includes:
- Painters and decorators — drilling, sanding, and cutting through surfaces that may contain textured coatings or insulating board
- Plumbers — working around pipe lagging and floor tiles
- Roofers — handling older roof sheets and panels
- Heating engineers — disturbing insulation and boiler casings
- Kitchen and bathroom fitters — cutting into walls and floors of older properties
The problem is not that these trades are careless. It's that asbestos is often invisible, unlabelled, and impossible to identify by sight. Without a survey or prior knowledge of the building, workers can disturb ACMs without ever realising it.
What Does the Law Require?
The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 set out the legal duties for managing and working with asbestos in Great Britain. They apply to employers, the self-employed, and those who control premises.
Key duties under the Regulations include:
Before any work that might disturb ACMs, you are required to identify what's present, assess the risk, and ensure the right controls are in place. This applies whether the work is licensed or non-licensed — the Regulations make clear that even lower-risk activities require assessment and planning.
The duty to manage (Regulation 4) applies to anyone who has maintenance or repair responsibilities for non-domestic premises. That includes landlords, facilities managers, and business owners. If you're responsible for a building, you are required to find out whether ACMs are present, assess their condition, and manage the risk — not wait until work begins.
Many smaller businesses don't realise this duty applies to them. It does.
The Disease Is a Long Game
Mesothelioma. Asbestosis. Asbestos-related lung cancer. These diseases can take 20, 30, even 40 years to develop from the point of exposure. By the time symptoms appear, the damage is already done. There is no cure for mesothelioma.
That lag is part of why the problem persists. The consequences of today's exposure won't be visible for a generation. It makes the risk easy to underestimate, and easy to deprioritise.
What HSE Has Said
HSE has been clear that occupational lung disease is a priority for 2025 and 2026. Asbestos is a significant part of that. Enforcement activity in this area is ongoing, and the regulator has signalled continued focus on trades and sectors where ACM exposure risk is highest.
What Businesses Need to Do
If your workers enter buildings built before 2000 — to paint, plumb, tile, reroute pipes, or fit kitchens — this is not background noise. It is an active, legally relevant risk that needs to be present in your risk assessments and managed accordingly.
At a minimum:
- Know whether the buildings your workers enter have had an asbestos survey
- Ensure your risk assessments address the possibility of ACMs
- Make sure workers know how to recognise potential ACMs and what to do if they encounter them
- Understand the difference between licensed and non-licensed work, and your duties under each
If you're not sure whether your current documentation covers this adequately, that's worth checking before HSE does it for you.
For practical support with risk assessments, health and safety documentation, and compliance across your business, visit www.safecompli.co.uk.