Mesothelioma Awareness

Inhaling asbestos fibres is known to be associated with cancers such as mesothelioma and lung cancer, and other serious lung diseases such as asbestosis and pleural thickening. Mesothelioma is almost exclusively associated with exposure to asbestos and is estimated to be responsible for 20% of deaths in the UK related to occupational lung disease. A further 20% of deaths are estimated to involve asbestos-related lung cancer. The latest figures show that there were 2,218 mesothelioma deaths in Great Britain in 2023.

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that mainly affects the external lining of the lung (the pleura) but which can also affect the lower lining of the digestive tract (the peritoneum).

Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include shortness of breath, chest pain, coughing, sweating, loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue and lethargy.

Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include pain in the abdomen, swollen abdomen, diarrhoea or constipation, indigestion, feeling sick, loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue and night sweats.

Because these symptoms can take many years to develop, cases are often only diagnosed at a late stage, and the condition is frequently fatal within 12 months of the onset of symptoms.

If you are responsible for a building where asbestos is present, then you have a duty to protect people from the risks of exposure. The first step is to identify whether asbestos could be present in your building; generally, premises built after 2000 should not contain asbestos, although asbestos could be present in older equipment or machinery that has been brought onto the site. It is generally recommended to assume that asbestos will be present in premises built before then; for most older buildings, an asbestos management survey will be required.

Once a survey has been conducted and any asbestos-containing materials identified, the next step is to create a plan to manage that asbestos. The information in the survey should be used to form an asbestos register, which will be a key part of that management plan.

The asbestos register should contain information about the asbestos-containing materials identified, e.g., where and what they are, what condition they are in, what quantities are present, etc. This register should be updated whenever any work is carried out.

Your management plan will then include details of who is responsible for managing asbestos, a schedule for monitoring asbestos-containing materials that are being left in place, how you will share information with workers or contractors carrying out maintenance work, control arrangements to ensure materials are not disturbed and any emergency arrangements if materials are disturbed.

Any asbestos-containing materials that are damaged must be repaired, protected, sealed or removed depending on the most appropriate course of action.

There are two recognised days for mesothelioma awareness events. In the UK the main date is Action Mesothelioma Day, which takes place on the first Friday in July, while internationally, in particular in the USA, Mesothelioma Awareness Day is held on 26th September.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss management of asbestos on your premises, then please speak to your usual PIB Risk Management contact or get in touch using the form below.

There are a number of organisations who can offer support with information about mesothelioma, including:

• Mesothelioma UK
• NHS
• Cancer research UK
• MacMillan cancer support

If you have any questions or would like support with managing issues at your workplace, please speak to your usual contact or get in touch using the form below.