The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will perform checks on how asbestos is managed in buildings to ensure that the right arrangements are in place.
Buildings inspected will include offices, factories, museums, schools, hospitals and places of worship.
HSE this week launched a campaign aimed at improving the understanding of legal duties involved with asbestos management.
Asbestos: Your Duty wants anyone with responsibilities for buildings to do everything they must to comply with the law and prevent exposure to this dangerous substance.
The greatest cause of work-related deaths
Asbestos was widely used in post-war construction before it was completely banned in 1999.
Businesses and organisations responsible for premises built before the turn of the century, and especially those between 1950 and 1980 when the use of asbestos in construction was at its peak, must carry out the necessary checks and understand their legal responsibilities.
Sarah Albon, HSE’s chief executive, said: “To keep people safe from the harms of asbestos, a culture of safely managing asbestos is needed in our building industry and among those responsible for buildings.
“Asbestos exposure in Great Britain is still the single greatest cause of work-related deaths due to exposures decades ago.
“Together, we must protect people in the workplace and reduce future work-related ill health.”
