During that time, one thing has remained constant: the gap between what we know about the dangers of asbestos and the action taken to prevent exposure.

Over the past three months, that gap has become even more stark.

At the recent All-Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health, where I spoke alongside colleagues from across the sector, the scale of the UK’s asbestos crisis was laid bare once again. Despite the ban on asbestos almost three decades ago, it remains the leading cause of workplace death in Britain, with more than 5,000 lives lost every year.

But even that devastating figure may not tell the full story. Early indications from emerging research, including work by Professor Daniel Murphy, University of Glasgow, School of Cancer Sciences point to the likelihood that asbestos-related deaths, particularly from lung cancer, are significantly higher than previously thought. If that is borne out, then the true toll of asbestos exposure is even more alarming. The reality is this: what we already understood to be unacceptable may, in fact, be considerably worse.

The latest HSE statistics underline the continuing human cost of asbestos exposure. 2,218 people still died from mesothelioma alone in Great Britain in 2023. These figures should not encourage complacency. Rather, they demonstrate the enduring legacy of past failures to control asbestos and the urgent need to prevent future exposure

At the same time, we are seeing a clear shift in the profile of risk. Increasingly, cases are arising from low-level exposure in everyday environments; schools, hospitals and offices, where workers and pupils would never have expected to be at risk. These cases are not rare; they are growing, and they are a direct consequence of the continued presence of asbestos in our buildings.

For decades, the UK has relied on a “manage in situ” approach. That approach is now being tested as never before. The decision by the Health and Safety Executive not to reduce UK workplace exposure limits means we continue to lag behind the European Union who look to continue to move towards to significantly lower thresholds.[1] This reflects a continued reliance on existing frameworks rather than a willingness to confront emerging evidence.

This is not good enough.

Thompsons has been at the forefront of asbestos litigation for generations, driving accountability, securing justice for victims, and using the law as a lever for change. But litigation can only ever deal with the consequences of exposure. Our minds must also be on prevention.

That is why the growing momentum behind calls for national action is so important. The establishment of the National Asbestos Taskforce and the TUC’s call for a “national mission” to remove asbestos from workplaces reflect a broad and unified recognition that the current approach is failing. The TUC is right to say that prevention must mean elimination of risk, not simply its management.

But let us be clear: the creation of a taskforce, however welcome, is not enough.

Workers and pupils are continuing to pay the ultimate price for inaction. Every case I have ever handled represents a life cut short, a family devastated, and a failure that could and should have been prevented. We cannot stand by and allow this to continue.

What is needed now is decisive, government-led action. We need a clear national strategy for asbestos, backed by proper funding and political will. At its heart must be a phased programme of removal, prioritising high-risk settings such as schools and hospitals, and setting a clear pathway to eradicate asbestos from all workplaces.

The evidence is mounting, the voices calling for change are growing louder and the consequences of delay are measured in lives lost.

I am clear: we know enough to act. The only question now is whether we have the courage to do so before more lives are needlessly taken.

 

By Amanda Jones, Head of Asbestos, Thompsons Solicitors

 

 

[1] At present, the control limit for occupational asbestos exposure in Great Britain remains set at 0.1 fibres per cubic centimetre (f/cm³) measured as a 4‑hour time‑weighted average under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. By contrast, under Directive (EU) 2023/2668, the European Union has committed to a tenfold reduction in the occupational exposure limit to 0.01 f/cm³, with a further reduction to as low as 0.002 f/cm³ anticipated following the introduction of more sensitive measurement techniques, including electron microscopy. While these limits are introduced on a phased basis, they reflect a markedly more precautionary approach to the risks posed by asbestos exposure.