Tradespersons affected by asbestos 'need to be compensated'

Plumbers, electricians and other industry professionals who have fallen ill as a result of exposure to asbestos deserve compensation from the government according to the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT).

In a statement released yesterday (December 7th), UCATT called for more priority to be given to helping pleural plaques sufferers at the expense of the proposed ID card scheme.

General secretary of UCATT Alan Ritchie commented: "Working class communities have been devastated by exposure to asbestos. The victims of asbestos and their families deserve compensation."

He then questioned the judgement of the government to fund the ID card scheme, which "virtually no one wants" instead of paying a smaller amount of money to help those exposed to asbestos.

The Health and Safety Executive states that asbestos can cause conditions such as fatal mesothelioma, lung cancer, pleural thickening and asbestosis.

Workers could find that electrician or plumber training courses sufficiently highlight the dangers of asbestos and how to best protect themselves against it.

Check out the plumbing qualifications courses we have on offer.