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Introduction

We face a massive and totally preventable epidemic of early, painful death and suffering caused by asbestos. Its evil effects have been known for nearly 100 years, yet in the next 30 years 150-250,000 UK citizens will die of lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis.

In the last 20 Years, action by trade unions and tenants' groups has saved lives. Inspired by campaigners like Dick Jackson, the Hazards Campaign did not swallow the myths that blue asbestos was the only real killer, that fibres in cement were 'locked in', that non-occupational exposures were not sufficiently high to cause disease, or that the relatively rare mesothelioma was the only cancer to worry about. Ahead of decent legal controls, many workers refused to work with any asbestos, insisted that substitutes be found, developed safe procedures for removing asbestos from buildings, fought for the law to be toughened, and tried to get adequate compensation for the victims.

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