Specialist workplace illness lawyers at Irwin Mitchell welcome efforts but renew call for government to do more and write to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions demanding a rethink of its approach to asbestos in public buildings

Specialist lawyers are calling for action to rid public buildings of fatal asbestos after only seven Birmingham Council sites had the hazardous material removed in the last year.

Legal experts at Irwin Mitchell have revealed the findings of research which highlights the pace at which asbestos is being removed from buildings in local authority areas.

The law firm, which represent clients affected by exposure to asbestos, previously published data from the councils confirming the number of public buildings containing the hazardous substance.

The total number at the time was 4,533. The data was obtained by Irwin Mitchell under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) for the financial years 2017/18 to 2021/22. It was released last April after the Government rejected a 40-year deadline recommended by MPs and the Work and Pensions Select Committee for the removal of asbestos from the estimated 300,000 public and commercial buildings which still contain it.

Now, one year on, updated information requested by the law firm from the same 20 councils reveals that 258 public buildings had asbestos removed in the last 12 months. This compares to 291 removals undertaken in the five previous years.

The data includes a large number of schools, as well as museums, community centres, leisure facilities and libraries, among others.

Expert asbestos-related disease lawyers at Irwin Mitchell have cautiously welcomed the development. However, they are calling for more to be done to further eradicate the dangerous material, which can lead to those exposed developing mesothelioma, an incurable cancer of the lining of the lungs or abdomen, or chronic and progressive lung diseases such as asbestosis.

Despite last year's campaign activity leading to a Parliamentary debate and commendation from the Trades Union Congress, the Government has yet to respond with any proposed action. As a result, as part of its ongoing campaign, Irwin Mitchell is also writing to the Rt Hon Mel Stride MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, calling on the Government to rethink its previous rejection of the 40-year deadline proposed by the Work and Pensions Committee.

Iain Shoolbred, an asbestos and occupational disease lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: “Our research last year highlighted how asbestos continues to pose a very real risk across the UK, not only to those working in industrial settings, but also in buildings used regularly by members of the public and public sector employees.

“Through our work, we’re sadly all too familiar with the devastating impact that asbestos can have. We remain deeply concerned that enough isn’t being done to eradicate the harmful substance from these buildings.

“Schools continue to be one of the main areas affected, and it’s incredibly worrying that children may be coming into contact with asbestos as they are particularly susceptible. Whilst we welcome the councils’ recent efforts, with a large percentage of last year’s removals involving schools, there are still far too many buildings containing the material which, once disturbed or requiring reparatory work, can become highly dangerous.

“We’re therefore renewing our call to the Government to do more to keep people safe.”

Out of the 258 sites to have asbestos removed in the past financial year, only seven were confirmed to be under Birmingham City Council. These were Handsworth and Kingstanding Wellbeing Centres, Balsall Heath Library, Kings Norton Library, South Yardley Library, Harborne Day Centre and Northbrook Homeless Centre, incorporating only remedial works identified during asbestos surveys and didn’t include schools.

Further information obtained by Irwin Mitchell also reveals that the total cost of removing asbestos from the 20 councils in question was around £1,111,000. Birmingham City Council confirmed a spend of around £16,400..

Liz Darlison, CEO at Mesothelioma UK, said: “The ongoing presents of asbestos in UK public buildings is a huge concern; the number of education and health workers diagnosed with mesothelioma is unforgivable. No one should be living with an avoidable occupational cancer in today’s UK. The current approach to managing asbestos has to be updated; so many lives could be saved.”