Posted on March 29, 2024
Each year, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) dedicates April 1-7 to increasing awareness of asbestos and preventing exposure by bringing together experts and victims from around the world to share, learn, and take action. To view all 7 days of Global Asbestos Awareness Week (GAAW) content, please click here. Be sure to follow the online conversation by using #2024GAAW.
Asbestos is a known carcinogen, and there is no safe level of exposure. While promising research continues, prevention remains the only cure.
Day Five of Global Asbestos Awareness Week marks a pivotal shift in our campaign focus towards “Global Action to Ban Asbestos in the USA and Around the World.” Today, we shine a spotlight on the relentless advocacy of Simon Pickvance from the UK, whose tireless efforts to expose the deadly risks of asbestos in the workplace have illuminated our path forward. Dive into Simon’s inspiring saga in “The man who exposed how work can kill,” a gripping account that underscores the urgent need for collective action against asbestos.
Despite asbestos being banned in nearly 70 countries, its extraction and use persist, endangering countless lives, including Simon’s. Rory O’Neill of Hazards Magazine in the UK aptly reflects on Simon’s pivotal role, stating, “Simon was instrumental in revealing how industrial pursuit of profits exacts a steep toll on workers and communities alike. It was seen as ‘ironic’ when he later developed mesothelioma. Yet, there was nothing ironic about it. It was the direct outcome of the cynical promotion and use of asbestos. Simon’s death, like the quarter of a million other asbestos-related fatalities each year, represented yet another preventable tragedy.”
The narrative of Simon’s life and untimely death from mesothelioma serves as a powerful indictment of the human cost of industrial gain. Far from ironic, his diagnosis was a predictable repercussion of his asbestos exposure and led to his courageous fight against its utilization.
As we honor Simon’s legacy and the enduring impact of his work, let’s renew our commitment to driving change. Our collaborative global endeavors aim to forge a future devoid of the scourge of asbestos-related diseases. Simon’s dedication, and the grim circumstances faced by many like him, underscore the urgent need for a cohesive global movement to eradicate asbestos and prevent further loss of life due to this avoidable calamity.
Inspired by Simon’s unwavering commitment and the harrowing stories of numerous others, we press on. Together, we strive for a future where asbestos no longer poses a threat, thereby safeguarding subsequent generations from its deadly legacy.
As we continue our journey, we highlight the video “Аmianto: O assassino que você não pode ver” (Asbestos: The Killer You Can’t See) and our press release, EDIÇÃO ANUAL DA “SEMANA MUNDIAL DE CONSCIENCIALIZAÇÃO SOBRE O AMIANTO”, DE 1 A 7 DE ABRIL DE 2024, LANÇADA PELA ORGANIZAÇÃO DE CONSCIENCIALIZAÇÃO PARA AS DOENÇAS RELACIONADAS COM O AMIANTO, in Portuguese, further expanding our global outreach.
To support Hazards Magazine, the only independent, union-friendly magazine to win major international awards, donate via https://www.hazards.org/friends.
Tomorrow, on Day Six, we delve into “Advancing Asbestos Prevention Through Digital Education and the ‘kNØw Asbestos’ Website.” We’ll share Sara’s powerful story, “Someone Pulled the Emergency Brake!” and feature the PSA “Asbestos: The Killer You Can’t See,” now translated into French. Join us as we continue to enlighten and advocate for a world free from asbestos.
Thank you to our Day Five 2024 Platinum Sponsor: Simmons Hanly Conroy LLP