BRISTOL, UK. September 23rd, 2026 – The UK may have banned asbestos more than 25 years ago, but the health consequences of historic exposure continue to emerge. Shield Services Group is warning that the presence of asbestos in older buildings means businesses and property owners must continue to take the material seriously.
Around 5,000 people die from asbestos-related diseases every year in Great Britain, according to HSE estimates. In comparison, 126 workers were killed in work-related accidents in 2025/26. The figures show how occupational disease can represent a substantial but less immediately visible workplace threat. 2,146 people died from mesothelioma in 2024 alone, with the cancer strongly associated with asbestos exposure that often occurred many decades before diagnosis.
The UK banned asbestos in 1999, but asbestos-containing materials remain in a wide range of older commercial, industrial and public buildings. These materials can become dangerous when they are damaged or disturbed during maintenance, refurbishment or demolition.
Although the figures cover different categories and periods, the scale of the difference illustrates the continuing impact of asbestos exposure and its long-term legacy.
Paul Lillis, Asbestos Managing Director at Shield Services Group, said: “The fact that thousands of people continue to lose their lives to asbestos-related disease every year shows why we cannot afford to become complacent. Asbestos may have been banned decades ago, but it remains within buildings across the country and must continue to be identified and managed properly.”
HSE figures demonstrate how dramatically Britain has improved its record on fatal workplace accidents over the longer term. The 126 worker deaths recorded in 2025/26 compared with 217 twenty years earlier and 495 in 1981. However, occupational diseases caused by historic exposure remain a major challenge.
Asbestos is a particularly difficult legacy because diseases associated with exposure typically take many years to develop. HSE says widespread historical use of asbestos-containing products, particularly within the post-war building industry, contributed to the substantial number of asbestos-related disease deaths seen in Britain today.
