§ Mr. Kilfedderasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the incidence of lung abnormalities and cancer among workers in the asbestos industry; what checks have been made among workers' relatives; and what are the hazards facing the general public in the handling of asbestos fibres and in the uses to which asbestos is put in the home, factories, office blocks and in motor cars.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerFollowing a growing awareness of the dangers of asbestos an Advisory Panel on Problems arising from the Use of Asbestos was set up in 1965 to advise the Senior Medical Inspector of Factories on the implications. The panel recommended in 1968 that a long-term prospective study should be undertaken to establish the incidence of damage to the health of asbestos workers, and this study is being undertaken by my Department's Employment Medical Advisory Service. Its objective is to evaluate the results of medical surveillance by means of epidemiological research into the medical effects of asbestos exposure and to measure the effectiveness of dust control methods. It will be some time before the findings of the study become available, but interim reports will be published as it takes its course.
408WThe Asbestos Regulations 1969 apply to all factories, construction and demolition operations where people might be exposed to asbestos dust, and require employers to take stringent precautions to safeguard their workpeople. These regulations require strict control of cleaning of protective clothing, thus reducing the possibility of contamination of the home environment.
The new Health and Safety at Work etc. Act imposes obligations on employers not to endanger the health of the public. Local authorities, which have the primary responsibility for preventing the unrestricted emission of asbestos particles to the atmosphere from dust collecting systems, are assisted, on request, by my Department's factory inspectors.
Exposure of the general public to asbestos can be minimised by careful attention to good hygiene principles. In the past sprayed asbestos was used for insulating buildings and if the protective sealant is maintained, dust and fibres do not enter the atmosphere. Increasing emphasis on careful handling of asbestos sheeting has reduced the risk to users. I am advised by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services that the small amount of asbestos fibre to which the general public is exposed is not considered to be a hazard to health. Nevertheless, it is a matter which my right hon. Friend's medical advisers keep under constant review.