LONDON, April 21 (Xinhua) -- The British Parliament on Thursday called for all asbestos to be removed from public and commercial buildings across the country within 40 years.
According to a report published by the Work and Pensions Committee in the Parliament's House of Commons, despite being banned more than 20 years ago, asbestos remains the single greatest cause of work-related fatalities in Britain. More than 5,000 deaths were attributed to asbestos in 2019.
"Asbestos-related illness is one of the great workplace tragedies of modern times, with thousands of deaths each year from past exposures," said the report.
Asbestos remains present in around 300,000 non-domestic buildings, the committee said. Meanwhile, an increase in retro-fitting of buildings, in response to net zero ambitions, means more asbestos-containing materials will be disturbed in the coming decades.
Current asbestos regulations are insufficient, said the committee, adding that a cross-governmental, system-wide strategy for the long-term removal of asbestos is required.
"The risk from asbestos remains real," said Stephen Timms, chair of the committee. "Setting a clear deadline of 40 years for the removal of asbestos from non-domestic buildings will help to focus minds. The clock is ticking and the government and Health and Safety Executive must now come up with a strategic plan."
This plan must focus on safer removal, and prioritize higher-risk settings such as schools, he added. ■