Asbestos workers are at risk due to government proposals to reduce how often employees undergo a medical assessment, according to union Unite.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has consulted on plans to cut down the requirement that workers involved in potentially dangerous licensed asbestos work will only be required to have a medical assessment every three years.

Current regulations state workers must have an assessment every two years, while those undertaking Notifiable Non-Licensed Work (NNLW) are required to have an examination every three years.

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Unite said the four-week consultation was insufficient time for the union to consult the workers directly affected by the proposed changes.

Health and safety advisor, Susan Murray, said the government's obsession with cutting red tape was jeopardising the lives of workers.

"If the government was at all interested in ensuring the safety and health of all workers required to work with asbestos it would be requiring that all such workers had medical examinations at least every two years," she said.

"The fact that the consultation period was so short demonstrates that these changes are in effect a fait accompli. We trust that this is not a sham consultation and that our responses and concerns will be properly addressed."

(LM)