Eradicating asbestos exposure across Europe

The World Health Organisation estimates that each year 125 million people worldwide are exposed to asbestos in the workplace, with 107,000 of those workers dying from asbestos related diseases. A large proportion of the 47,000 European Union citizens dying from asbestos cancers come from the UK, with exposure to asbestos occurring most frequently when disturbed, with it still being present in many buildings and industrial sites.

In 2006, teaming up with the EU Senior Labour Inspector Committee, IOM created a European guide focused on asbestos for employers, employees and labour inspectors. The guide defined a set of practices to eradicate exposure within the workplace, by focusing on identifying asbestos-contaminating materials, and engaging specialists to remove it.