Brexit Law Lifts and Asbestos

Exclusive new research has revealed that as many as 212 ‘safety regulations’ will be set to lapse, for the UK government to draw a line under Brexit. 

These safety rules cover areas such as:

• Child seat belt regulations
• Health and safety regulations regarding children’s toys
• Protection measures to help prevent accidents in the workplace
• Prevention measures related to asbestos exposure

One lawyer from Turnstone Law, a company that specialises in health and safety law, has urged the Conservative party to recognise the threats posed, before scrapping the ‘EU derived red tape’ that keeps some of these rules and regulations in place.

Furthermore, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has pointed out the dangers of removing these rules, some of which have helped cut annual workplace fatalities from 495 in 19881 to 123 in 2021/2022. 

The head of RoSPA policy believes axing these laws would massively reduce safety standards both at home and in the workplace. Whilst there has been a steady fall in workplace deaths over the last 20 years, lifting these protection measures could see figures rising all over again.

Whilst the government aims to draw a line under Brexit, many of the public are left wondering about where they stand when it comes to worker’s rights, consumer standards and environmental protection. Now, fears over safety standards are also coming into play. 

Some of the regulations that are at risk of being lifted are:

• The 2011 Toy Safety Regulation which dictates how toys are labelled to signal potential choking hazards or loose parts. 
• The 2012 Control of Asbestos regulation which requires all building owners maintain accurate registers of asbestos-containing materials, to help prevent accidental exposure.
• The 2011 food regulations that stipulate how food must be labelled, to alert customers to potentially deadly allergens.

Ministers have so far refused to set out which regulations will be allowed to lapse from the 23d December 2023, and which of those will be replaced with “less burdensome” rules.

The Importance of Asbestos Management

Asbestos is a carcinogenic material which is made up of flexible fibres that are resistant to heat, electricity and corrosion. Because of these properties, asbestos is useful in many situations, so it was once used in construction.

The flexible fibres that make asbestos a great building material, also make them extremely dangerous to human health. Inhaling or ingesting asbestos can cause the fibres to become trapped in the body. As time goes on, these trapped fibres can cause inflammation, scarring and in some cases, even cancer.

If you believe there might be asbestos in your home/workplace, you must arrange an asbestos survey.

An asbestos management survey is the standard survey, it is designed to locate asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in the building, which could potentially pose risk if damaged/disturbed during occupancy. An asbestos management survey will entail some intrusive work, the extent of which will depend on the individual property. This assessment will give a good initial guide, helping to decide how to manage the ACMs, to protect those in your home or workplace.

Need to arrange an asbestos survey? We can let you know what type of survey you need, and we can book you in for a consultation to chat more about what is entailed. Just get in touch to find out more.