Asbestos is the biggest occupational cancer killer, claiming at least 107,000 lives a year worldwide – probably many, many more. In Britain alone around 5,000 people die from work-related asbestos exposure.

The risk from asbestos is considered to be so serious that 62 countries, including the UK and those in the European Union, have banned its use and have specific laws to protect workers and others who may be exposed to it.

However, asbestos is still used and imported into many countries, and there are still many thousands of tonnes of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in buildings, and in industrial plant and equipment, all over the world. Workers could be at risk from breathing in asbestos fibres.

The IOSH has a fantastic range of free resources to help both the public and professionals find out more about asbestos and how to manage it.

There are a range of Fast Fact Sheets, Pocket Cards and Posters available. Click here for a taster of what’s in store when you register to their resource library.