§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many prohibition notices served under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 have been issued against British Rail in respect of railway installations where stripping of asbestos from locomotives or other equipment occurs; what action has been taken by factory inspectors to supervise such work involving blue asbestos; what protective clothing and other safeguards are provided to railway staff engaged on this work; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John Grant,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 29th November 1976; Vol. 921, c. 56], gave the following information:
During the period 1st January 1975 to 30th November 1975 inclusive, my information is that eight prohibition notices under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 were issued by HMFI against British Rail. Of these one was in connection with the Asbestos Regulations 1969, but did not deal with the stripping of asbestos In addition, 783W HMFI issued one notice against contractors working on British Rail premises which dealt with asbestos stripping. However, the figures given above are incomplete because full statistics are not available in several areas, due to industrial action by the Civil and Public Services Association.
Under an agency agreement with HSE the responsibility for the enforcement of the HSW Act 1974 and associated legislation, including the Factories Act 1961 and the Asbestos Regulations 1969, in all premises occupied by British Rail was taken over earlier this year by the Railways Inspectorate of the Department of Transport. In the first three-quarters of this year it had issued three prohibition notices against British Rail, none of which was connected with the use of asbestos.
Factory inspectors have had as one of their high priorities in 1976 the inspection of premises to which the Asbestos Regulations 1969 was known to apply, and they adopt similar standards to those of the regulations for work elsewhere involving a similar risk from asbestos, even if that work does not attract the requirements of the regulations. Such premises, including those occupied by British Rail Engineering Ltd., whose premises continue to be the responsibility of HMFI, will be, or have been, visited and the regulations rigidly enforced, not only for work involving blue asbestos, but for all forms of asbestos. Inspectors would satisfy themselves that the protective clothing, and other safeguards to the standards required by the regulations, were provided for railway staff, in common with other workers.
The Advisory Committee on Asbestos, whose establishment and terms of reference were announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 30th March 1976, is issuing an interim statement to put the risks from asbestos in perspective. The document is with the printers, and publication is expected in January.