Asbestos exposure is one of the leading causes of work-related fatalities in the industrialized world, and deaths linked to asbestos exposure continue to rise globally. In the United States alone, asbestos-related deaths have increased 400 percent in the past 20 years. In response to this alarming trend, several organizations have in recent years launched asbestos and mesothelioma awareness campaigns to educate people about the catastrophic effects of asbestos exposure and provide them with ways to reduce their risk of developing mesothelioma.
These programs play an extremely important role because usually mesothelioma symptoms first appear many years after the exposure took place.The Hidden Killer Campaign
In October 2008, the United Kingdom’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched a national campaign, "Asbestos: The Hidden Killer," in an attempt to increase public awareness of asbestos exposure and malignant mesothelioma. The campaign, which lasts through November, is a multimedia program that will educate tradesmen about the prevalence of asbestos in construction jobs, as well as its adverse health effects. It is fully mesothelioma supported by the Federation of Master Builders, who is hosting its own educational workshops for workers at risk for exposure. Renowned soccer player Ian Wright will serve as the spokesman for The Hidden Killer campaign.
Almost 4,000 people die each year in the U.K. due to asbestos-related diseases. This accounts for almost 20 tradesmen deaths each week. Many of these fatalities are attributable to insufficient education about asbestos exposure, a mesothelioma problem highlighted by the fact that only 10 percent of tradesmen are aware of asbestos’ deadly effects. Even those who know of the dangers often underestimate the pervasiveness of asbestos in their environments. Because asbestos was not banned in the U.K. until 1999, buildings constructed or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos, leaving an estimated 500,000 non-domestic buildings at risk.
No comments:
Post a Comment