Electrician training students need to be aware of asbestos dangers

A widow of an electrician who died due to exposure to asbestos has called for young electrician training students to never forget the dangers asbestos poses.

Electrician Mick Adkins died from mesothelioma in 2007 – 40 years after coming into contact with asbestos as an electrical apprentice. His widow, Judy Adkins has now joined forces with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to raise awareness of asbestos and campaign to keep young trades people safe from the harmful substance.

Ms Adkins said: “Those he was working for should have warned him there was a risk and given him and the others he worked with training. Even now, tradesmen need to be warned of the dangers of asbestos.”

The Health and Safety Executive regularly prosecutes companies and employers for exposing their workers to asbestos, and describes the harmful substance as ‘The single greatest cause of work-related deaths in the UK’. In a bid to combat cases of asbestos exposure they have launched the ‘Hidden Killer’ campaign – providing tradespeople like electricians and plumbers with information and resources regarding asbestos.

Asbestos is a big concern for those currently undertaking electrical courses as it is commonly found in areas that electricians work in. Asbestos is considered to be an old problem, but the truth is it can be found in any house built before the year 2000 – meaning those taking electrician training courses today are likely to encounter it during their careers.

It is important, then, to take the necessary precautions when dealing with asbestos, like:

• Using hand tools rather than power tools to avoid disturbing it
• Wear a mask – and always remove your overalls before your mask
• Keep the materials damp
• Always double-bag any asbestos waste materials
• Wear boots without laces or with disposable boot covers over the top

At Options Skills, all of our electrician training courses cover all the necessary safety guidelines to make sure our students are fully prepared for every eventuality in their future careers.