The asbestos removal industry is finally making progress towards protecting female workers from predatory behaviour, campaigners have said.
Asbestos analysts, whose job is to independently check the substance has been removed properly from buildings, have warned for years that industry and regulator policies are leaving them at risk of sexual assault.
Analysts’ work often involves going into a decontamination unit to shower, or to remove their overalls and put their clothes back on. Standard decontamination units (DCUs) are unlocked with a keypad from the outside, meaning external access is easy.
One experienced analyst said that in her earlier career, “I was sexually abused and raped on numerous occasions but did not have the ability to say anything because I was quite consistently told by him, ‘Nobody’s going to believe you. You’re 23/24 years old, I’m a middle-aged man. I’m well respected, you were just asking for it.’”
A group called the Female Analyst Working Group was set up in 2022 to campaign for asbestos removal contractors to upgrade the decontamination units used on sites to make sure they can be locked from the inside.
It is also calling on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to make it a requirement and also to allow regular clothes to be worn under overalls in more situations than it currently permits.
In recent weeks, three DCU manufacturers have spoken to the group about updating their designs. One is working on a prototype that allows the DCU to be locked from the inside.
Colette Willoughby, chair of the Female Analyst Working Group and the National Organisation of Asbestos Consultants, said: “While progress may not have been as quick in some areas, it is great to see a number of the equipment manufacturers now getting on board.
“Some of the decontamination unit manufacturers are now appreciating the problems out there and huge risks being faced by female analysts. As a result, the safety of the individuals while showering and getting dressed/undressed is now being addressed.”
HSE principal specialist inspector Sam Lord said the watchdog “understands the issues raised, but does not intend to revise its rules for safe working.
“We have a representative on the Female Analyst Working Group and are working with them on their guidance for female analysts in this area.”
