Member Article

Best Practice construction welfare standards are key to diversifying asbestos industry, says trade body ACAD

Best practice construction welfare standards with lockable, single user Decontamination Units (DCU) are crucial if the asbestos industry is to attract and recruit a more diverse labour pool, says Graham Warren of trade association ACAD.

In November 2022, the HSE published internal operational guidance as a resource for its inspectors and officers visiting UK construction sites.

Welfare expectations have gradually increased over the years and the asbestos industry has innovated, with welfare added to the decontamination unit (DCU), a standard requirement on all HSE Licensed sites.

However, many still feature communal showers and do not possess internal door locks to protect the privacy and security of users. The new HSE guidance reinforces the requirement to have lockable changing areas and highlights the need for privacy, irrespective of gender.

Graham said: “A recent survey among ACAD members found almost all are struggling to recruit, yet few have recruited females, close to single figures out of a national workforce of thousands, so there’s an obvious potential labour pool that we need to encourage.

“Another important reason for single occupancy DCUs is to remove any possible peer pressure for an individual to rush their decontamination, which is a critical safety step.

“By embracing single occupancy DCUs, the industry will remove all potential barriers to employment based on gender or religion, supporting and encouraging diversity in the workforce, and creating a real route to help plug the skills shortage in construction.

“This guidance sets the direction of best practice in terms of welfare over the coming years, something that is supported, encouraged and championed by ACAD.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by News Gathering .