DOZENS of local authority buildings in Barrow still contain asbestos, according to new research.

Asbestos is still the 'biggest workplace killer' according to the Health and Safety Executive, and Britain has the highest rates of mesothelioma cases in the world.

But a survey, sent to 41 local authorities by the Labour Research Department (LRD) for the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health, revealed that many local authority buildings – including town halls, libraries and leisure centres – still contain asbestos more than 22 years since it was banned in new buildings.

And according to the survey, 39 out of 43 buildings owned by Barrow Borough Council still contained the hazardous material.

A spokesman from Barrow Borough Council said it had ‘recently’ updated its asbestos policy and is ‘actively’ managing its assets.

"The council has recently updated its Asbestos Policy and Procedure (April 2022) and is actively managing all its assets containing asbestos in line with its legal duties as defined in the 2012 Asbestos Regulations," they said.

The report published summarised the response from each of the local authorities who completed the survey.

Freedom of information requests were sent to 41 local authorities.

31 usable responses were received and used in the analysis.

In Barrow, it said that out of 43 premises -excluding housing and schools - asbestos was found in 39.

The TUC is calling for new legislation requiring the removal of all asbestos from public buildings, rather than the current policy of “managing” it.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Asbestos exposure at work continues to cause thousands of deaths every year. Yet asbestos is still with us in workplaces and public buildings across the country. As a result, more than 22 years after the use of asbestos was banned, hundreds of thousands of workers are still put at risk of exposure every day.

“The only way to protect today’s workers and future generations is through the safe removal of asbestos from all workplaces and public buildings. We need national government to work with local authorities on a plan to remove it from every last building.”

Ian Lavery MP, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health, said: “Thousands of people are dying every year of asbestos-related illness, with thousands more being diagnosed.

“If asbestos is in a building, it will at some point become dangerous if it's disturbed, so we need plans in place for its removal from all public buildings.

“The government must provide local councils with enough funding, with an aim to make all public buildings asbestos-free.”