Mick Dawson

Sep 5, 2024 | britsafe.org | Francesca Ledwith |Pinsent Masons |Mick Dawson |Charles Pickles

Asbestos: Your Duty On 15 January 2024, HSE launched its ‘Asbestos: Your Duty’ campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of asbestos and to improve understanding of what the legal duty to manage asbestos in buildings involves. This campaign ran alongside HSE’s ‘Asbestos and You’ campaign, which was launched in 2023 and which provides a quick guide to tradespeople about the personal risks from asbestos that still exist across the country today, as well as their legal responsibilities.

Sep 5, 2024 | britsafe.org | Mick Dawson |Faye Law |Mike Robinson FCA |Charlotte O'Kane

Three years ago, the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee instigated an inquiry into the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE’s) approach to asbestos management in the UK. In this article, we revisit the findings of the inquiry¹ and also examine the progress made since the Government, via HSE, published its response² to the inquiry report in 2022.

Sep 4, 2024 | britsafe.org | Kevin Bampton |Francesca Ledwith |Pinsent Masons |Mick Dawson

We have long known that respirable crystalline silica (RCS) exposure leads to respiratory disease and that very high exposures accelerates that process to months rather than decades. We also know that SMEs routinely fail to put into place even rudimentary controls to prevent exposure for their workers and we see the huge burden of disease that this causes.

Sep 4, 2024 | britsafe.org | Jim Shannon MP |Francesca Ledwith |Pinsent Masons |Mick Dawson

Engineered stone has increased in popularity in recent years and has been accompanied by the emergence of a severe and rapidly progressive form of silicosis, largely driven by its high (more than 90 per cent) silica content compared with marble (three per cent) and granite (30 per cent), and the fine dust it generates when cut. This has led to a ban on engineered stone in California and Australia and has led to wider calls for a ban in the UK.

Aug 30, 2024 | britsafe.org | Francesca Ledwith |Pinsent Masons |Mick Dawson |Charles Pickles

This month (September), health and safety rules controlling work on engineered stone came into effect also. The Australian government acted quickly after Safe Work Australia published an impact statement last October recommending a ban, with the regulations passed in December. The move followed work by unions and safety campaigners, highlighting cases such as that of 22-year-old Queenslander Connor Downes, diagnosed with silicosis after three years as a stonemason.