While asbestos is the single greatest cause of work-related deaths in Britain and Northern Ireland, The Asbestos Removal Contractors Association (Arca) says it difficult for workers to know when they are at risk.

Steve Sadely, a spokesperson for Arca, said: "It is true that in the region of 3,000 people a year die from asbestos-related diseases in the UK. The Health and Safety Executive statisticians have predicted that this number will rise to around 10,000 by 2010."

Solicitors in Belfast and Northern Ireland who are currently seeing clients with asbestos-related diseases are dealing with workers who will have been exposed in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, as these illnesses typically have long latency periods of between 15 and 60 years.

Mr Sadely said: "The group of people most at risk today are the people employed in the construction industry who may unknowingly disturb asbestos. These tradespeople are electricians, plumbers, gas fitters, joiners, demolition workers and shop fitters."

He added: "As the effect of exposure to asbestos is not immediate, people may not appreciate the true risk posed by it. In much the same way, many people smoke when they know it can be harmful in later life and they believe it will never happen to them."
Currently the Control of Asbestos Regulations (2006) state that during the removal of asbestos, contractors are only allowed to be exposed to a maximum of 0.6 fibres per cm3 over a ten-minute period.



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