Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking with businesses to prevent employee's exposure to (a) asbestos and (b) carcinogens in the workplace.

All businesses must prevent, or if this is not reasonably practicable minimise, exposure of employees to carcinogens, including asbestos, in the workplace. Businesses must comply with the requirements of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, both of which are regulated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). HSE also produces free guidance to assist businesses to comply with their legal duties: http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/index.htm & http://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/.

HSE also works in partnership with businesses and others to raise awareness of workplace ill health. For example, occupational lung disease, including that caused by exposure to carcinogens, is one of three health priorities that form HSE’s Health and Work strategy to prevent workplace ill health. This work includes the national campaign ‘Go Home Healthy’ to promote HSE’s commitment to tackling ill health.