The ‘Watch out for asbestos’ campaign highlights the health risks of exposure to asbestos fibres released into the air. At the same time, it shows that asbestos removal does not have to be hazardous if asbestos-containing materials are handled correctly.

In Belgium, an estimated 4 million tonnes of asbestos are still present in buildings. Exposure to asbestos fibres released into the air involves health risks, especially in the long term. The consequences of such exposure – serious lung diseases, for instance – usually only manifest themselves 25 to 40 years later.

This is why Fedris, Belgium’s federal agency for occupational risks, and Constructiv, the service organisation of and for the construction sector, launched the ‘Watch out for asbestos’ campaign. It advocates a strong prevention policy with regard to:

• the risk of exposure to asbestos fibres;
• the safe removal of asbestos-containing materials.

Having accurate information should not be reserved to people working in construction or even those who are renovating their home. As an employer you are also legally obliged to draw up an asbestos inventory of the company buildings. Read our blog to find out what such an inventory implies.