This year’s Global Asbestos Awareness Week was the 1 to 7 April, but the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning that UK residential landlords, as well as building managers and tradespeople across the UK, need to make sure they’re compliant with the law.

UK residential landlords and management companies face heavy fines and prosecution by the HSE if they fail to manage asbestos at their properties, with penalties sometimes exceeding £30,000. Landlords must identify, manage, or remove asbestos-containing materials (ACMs), particularly if damaged or during renovations, to avoid breaching safety regulations.

Asbestos is the greatest cause of work-related deaths in Great Britain. Around 5,000 people die every year from asbestos-related diseases which typically take decades to develop and cannot be cured. It is made up of tiny, invisible fibres that can be breathed in or rest on your clothes.

Asbestos was used in many industries and buildings until it was banned in 1999. However, while asbestos continues to be safely removed, much of this material is still in place. This means people who work in older buildings could still be exposed to asbestos fibres today if asbestos is not managed effectively and is damaged or disturbed, while buildings constructed after 2000 are unlikely to contain asbestos.