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The North's first asbestos conference was held in Gateshead, drawing experts and delegates from all over the country.
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TOP asbestos experts from across the country descended on Tyneside recently to attend the North's first major asbestos conference.
The day-long event, which was backed by Gateshead-based asbestos consultant Lucion Environmental, attracted leading medical, legal and legislation experts from as far afield as Northern Ireland.
Delegates at the Asbestos - The Truth event, which was facilitated by former Tyne Tees presenter Kim Inglis and held at the Newcastle Gateshead Hilton, heard from a range of keynote speakers, including one of the country's leading medical experts in Asbestos-related illness.
Leading consultant Dr Chris Warburton, clinical director of the Chest unit at Aintree Hospital, gave attendees graphic illustrations of the risks involved while Jonathan Dunkley from Muckle LLP law firm outlined the legal responsibilities for the millions of businesses affected.
Charles Pickles, financial director at Lucion Environmental, which surveyed and oversaw the removal of the asbestos from Gateshead's Get Carter car park, made famous for its appearance in the 1970s Michael Caine film, before it was demolished, said: "The conference was really well received and we tried to cover a diverse range of relevant topics.
"We wanted to strip back a couple of layers and really get the message across about why asbestos legislation is still relevant and that there are still a lot of risks.
"Our range of speakers managed to hold people's interest throughout the day so we will certainly be considering holding another major asbestos event next year."
Attendees also heard about why accreditation is essential from Jon Murthy at UKAS, about new asbestos regulations from Health and Safety Executive's Dr Martin Gibson and the challenges in building schools from Mel Clements of contractor Carillion.
Sir Robert McAlpine regional asbestos co-ordinator said: "From a personal point of view I found it a very useful reminder of just what a major issue this is and how important it is that we all pull together and continue to fight the good fight."
Thompsons of Prudhoe health and safety manager Chris Dobson said: "I found it very interesting. It was a chance to bring together all parties interested in asbestos, everyone from the Health & Safety Executive to contractors and clients, to dispel some myths and agree standards in the industry."
Lucion Environmental, which is headquartered in Gateshead, near Newcastle, is a leading asbestos consultant with offices in Belfast, Crawley and Wolverhampton. It was founded in 2002 and now employs 42 full time staff.
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