OHSS Safety Consultants - Asbestos in the Spotlight

7 Oct 2019

At OHSS Safety Consultants, we have been assisting Irish businesses to safely deal with asbestos removal and disposal since 2001. Whilst much has been done in Ireland to tackle asbestos exposure and the deadly effects it can have, there are still far too many people being affected by asbestos-related mesothelioma to this day.

On a global scale, there is even more work to do address the preventable deaths that are occurring as a result of asbestos, which led to the USA-based Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation to declare September 26th as Mesothelioma Awareness Day back in 2004. Their job is a large one and it will take a herculean effort to get the world to fall into line.

Still Much to Do - Even in Ireland
It might be easy to assume that the problem is not an Irish one and that asbestos companies in Ireland have little to do, with the hazardous substance being banned some two decades ago. However, asbestos abatement is still a major undertaking here, as asbestos still lurks in wait in many building built before the ban came into force. This was highlighted back in June 2012 in East Belfast when crocidolite asbestos was found at Bloomfield Collegiate and then in up to 900 separate schools across Ireland.

Schools are just one of the many potential locations for asbestos surveyors to concentrate on, as many buildings created between the 1940s and the end of the 20th century have the substance housed inside. Asbestos is a very tough substance which is why it was so widely used, meaning that it’s ubiquitous in properties in Ireland.

Our Work Goes On
The job of safe asbestos management goes on and it will likely still be going on years into the future, as there is so much asbestos in existence in Ireland and even more so across the globe. 

Another part of the work we do in asbestos abatement management  relates to educating the public on the inherent dangers that exist to health and if there’s one thing that you can take from this blog, it should be that asbestos could exist in your property if it was built before the ban came into force. And if you suspect that is the case, the first thing you should do is call the experts.

If you would like to know more about asbestos and what to do if you encounter it, please visit our website www.ohss.ie and take a look around. Alternatively, if you would like to talk to us about your needs, please give our team a call on (01) 6905907 and they’ll be able to answer any questions you might have.

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