Lots happening during Global Asbestos Awareness Week (#2025GAAW) including the UK launch of a devastating new report

This week is Global Asbestos Awareness Week (#2025GAAW) - an international initiative designed to raise awareness of asbestos.  Here at Alpha Tracker we support GAAW each year with a variety of initiatives alongside industry organisations such as UKATA, the HSE and UK and international charities.

There have been a number of tragic stories in the press this week that relate to the (lack of) awareness of asbestos and the impact on lives.  Here is one such story - a vintage railway engineer who worked on the iconic Orient Express but wasn't adequately protected:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14558655/Iconic-Orient-Express-gave-incurable-cancer-Vintage-carriage-restorer-line-500-000-damages-exposure-deadly-asbestos-working-luxury-sleeper-train.html

Read more about Malcolm Gelsthorpe's story here

In this internationally important week, a new UK report has been launched by Asbestos Information CIC mapping the presence of asbestos across the UK and comparing risks against more familiar ones (eg the danger of being killed in a road accident).  We'll be offering our full support, giving our Alpha Tracker asbestos consultancy clients the opportunity to extract data in formats suitable for sharing.

The Daily Mail have covered the report's launch - read here

Alpha Tracker has a large number of integrations enabling data sharing including the OpenAsbestos data sharing protocol - read more here: https://alpha-tracker.co.uk/integrations

More good news! The HSE are working with the Government towards a programme of asbestos removal from the UK environment

More good news has emerged about asbestos in the UK.

Sarah Albon, HSE Chief Executive, said at the Work and Pensions Committee last week that there is “agreement between HSE and government to ultimately look to remove asbestos entirely from built environment" and that “this links to the potential for some kind of register”. Parliament Live (minutes 11:12 - 11:16).

This is the type of programme that we have been supporting at asbestos software Alpha Tracker for years with our connection to UKNAR (the fledgling UK National Asbestos Register) and OpenAsbestos, our open asbestos data sharing protocol.  Really promising news - at last. 

Sarah Albon giving evidence at the Work and Pensions Committee

You can read more on UKNAR Andrew Paten's Linked post here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/andrew-paten-1755415a_asbestos-asbestosawarenes-asbestosmanagement-activity-7294705795357655041-Oul0?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=member_desktop_web

Charles Pickles' Airtight on Asbestos campaign has also summarised the situation perfectly, including some important analysis of the relative risks arising from different types of asbestos, especially in children: https://www.airtightonasbestos.uk/post/how-to-deliver-a-uk-national-asbestos-strategy

Good Morning Britain takes up the fight! It really does feel like a change in asbestos policy in coming soon

Today's Good Morning Britain included a segment about Mesothelioma and other asbestos-related disease.  The presenters were visibly moved - and so were we.

Our good friend and campaigner Andrew Paten appeared in support of Mesothelioma sufferer Emily Jane to discuss her diagnosis and the ongoing damage that asbestos causes people throughout the UK - including young women like Emily-Jane.

Emily-Jane and Andrew talking about asbestos disease - so moving

This link https://www.itv.com/watch/good-morning-britain/2a3211 (skip to 1hr 8min) will take you to the interview.  

At Alpha Tracker, we've long been a supporter of Andrew's UKNAR initiative, in particular through the creation and promotion of our open asbestos data sharing protocol, OpenAsbestos.

Thanks to Andrew and other campaigners, finally, in 2025, it feels like the UK Government may support the significant changes to public policy that would see the safe removal of asbestos from public buildings.  We truly hope so.

Asbestos: a corporate coverup, a public health catastrophe. Read the report from Charlotte Bailey

If you only read one asbestos article this month, make it this one: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/policy/health/69148/asbestos-a-public-health-catastrophe

Read Charlotte Bailey's detailed and moving reflection of her Dad's battle with Mesothelioma

So much in journalist Charlotte's article confirms the conclusions of our "Damage: The Poor Condition of Asbestos in our Schools, Hospitals & Houses" report which we published in May 2023 and updated in November 2024.

Here at Alpha Tracker we'll continue to support Mesothelioma UK and encourage the asbestos software industry to open up and share data for the common good.

Robin's interview with Paul King from Flow Mobile Surveying is up on YouTube. Take a look to see how we are joining forces to build the Lab Sample Exchange

If you've got an asbestos lab, watch this YouTube recording of an interview between Flow Mobile's Paul King and our director Robin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4vo4Iv4dfw

Paul King (Flow Mobile Surveying) and Robin Bennett (Alpha Tracker)

The Lab Sample Exchange feature that we have built will be a game-changer for Alpha Tracker labs wanting to work more closely Flow Mobile Surveyors (or Alpha Tracker asbestos surveyors!).

Watch the full video to learn more (especially about grey hairs...!).

Speak to your Alpha Tracker Account Manager to find out more about the Lab Sample Exchange and how it can benefit your asbestos lab and surveying team.

Asbestos in UK schools - read about the future impact on lives from the latest JUAC report

The Daily Mail has published a story on the front page about the forthcoming "tsunami of deaths" from asbestos-related disease. 

The Joint Union Asbestos Committee (JUAC) has published a report - "What Is The Real Risk From Asbestos In Schools?" - following an investigation by unions representing heads, teachers and support staff.  The report has concluded that hundreds of thousands of staff, exposed to asbestos in their schools, are predicated to die from mesothelioma.

The Daily Mail front page today

Journalists Steve Boggan and Chris Pollard have continued their previous work at The Times and elsewhere to initiate a new campaign through the Daily Mail.  The aim of the campaign is to strip asbestos from all public buildings - starting with schools and hospitals.

Here at Start Software, we produced our own report in 2023 called "Damage: The Poor Condition of Asbestos in our Schools, Hospitals & Houses" - which used data from more than 3 million asbestos samples from asbestos software Alpha Tracker.  Our report was launched at the Houses of Parliament with asbestos campaigners and Sir Stephen Timms, Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee.

Read our Damage asbestos report here

We're updating our report in time for the December 2024 European Asbestos Forum in Brussels.  Liz Darlison from Mesothelioma UK will be delivering a presentation about asbestos in UK schools and our updated report will be available for all EAF participants.

Finally, the Daily Mail's campaign is also proposing a national online database of every non-domestic building that contains asbestos - something that we have supported for many years.

Visit OpenAsbestos.org to find out more

Our OpenAsbestos asbestos data sharing protocol was built with this in mind and our long-term support for UKNAR - the UK National Asbestos Register - demonstrates our commitment here at Alpha Tracker. 

Brilliant article by Charles Pickles in the Daily Mail: Asbestos-riddled schools, hospitals and social housing is the next big scandal

Our old friend and founder of the Airtight on Asbestos campaign, Charles Pickles, has just published an article in the Daily Mail to explain the asbestos situation facing the next government.

Read Charles' article on the Mail Online website

Charles calls on the next government to address the biggest national scandal of our times: to implement the recommendations of the Work & Pensions Select Committee and finally remove all asbestos from all public buildings.

Here at Alpha Tracker we support Airtight on Asbestos and the tireless work that Charles does to promote the objectives of the campaign.  Our OpenAsbestos initiative aims to make asbestos data more readily available to everyone who needs it.  

Please do what you can to keep asbestos at the forefront of government thinking and to help shape future policy.

Kim & Catherine have arrived in Madrid for asbestos conference Asbestonomy 2024

Asbestonomy 2024 is being held in Madrid, Spain, and Kim & Catherine are there to represent asbestos software Alpha Tracker and data sharing protocol OpenAsbestos.

Kim & Catherine

If you're attending Asbestonomy this year, do find Kim & Catherine and say hello.  They have lots of news & information about Alpha Tracker to share with the international asbestos community!

A UK National Asbestos Register is another step closer - keep an eye on Parliament next Wednesday

We've been big supporters of the UK National Asbestos Register initiative (UKNAR) from day 1.

Consultancies using our asbestos software Alpha Tracker know that a basic principle of ours is to be as open and flexible as possible with the asbestos data we store.

In fact, our OpenAsbestos initiative is all about making asbestos registers available to the right people at the right time, with minimum fuss.  Alpha Tracker is fully OpenAsbestos-compliant, of course.

Next Wednesday, 13 September 2023, there will be the first introduction of a Private Members Bill by Andrew Percy MP, simply titled "Asbestos (National Register)".  Let's hope this is the first step towards a sensible, practical, efficient and affordable National Asbestos Register to benefit all.  We certainly hope so.

Keep an eye on Parliament TV next Wednesday

Don't forget to sign the petition, too, it only takes two minutes! https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/635817

Thank you UKATA! What a night to celebrate success and achievement in the asbestos industry

Thank you UKATA! What an amazing evening of fun, food and fabulous people including, and especially, Mavis & Ray Nye and the inspirational keynote speaker, Kriss Akabusi.

We won!  Not quite sure how, but we did!

It was the UKATA Awards evening, held every five years, and Mavis & Ray had a standing ovation when they were presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award. I don't think I've ever felt more heartfelt warmth and appreciation in a room.

We were so grateful to be awarded the Innovation Award for our contribution to the industry with our asbestos software, Alpha Tracker, and our OpenAsbestos data sharing initiative.

Fingers crossed! We're up for an award tonight

Robin & Catherine are off to the UKATA Awards ceremony!

Start Software is shortlisted for the Excellence in Innovation Award 2023 for our OpenAsbestos initiative, helping to unlock asbestos data, everywhere.

Fingers and toes crossed!

Wish us luck!  Don't suppose we'll win but it will be lovely to catch up with old friends, Alpha Tracker clients and business partners from across the UK asbestos industry and far beyond!!!

Gosh! We've been shortlisted for the UKATA Excellence in Innovation Award!

Exciting news... we've been shortlisted for the UKATA Excellence in Innovation Award 2023!

Finalists – UKATA 15 Year Anniverary Awards

The award nomination is for our OpenAsbestos industry initiative to make critical asbestos data more widely available, no matter which asbestos software system was used to capture it.  You can find out more about OpenAsbestos here https://www.openasbestos.org/.  By the way, asbestos software Alpha Tracker is fully OpenAsbestos compliant, naturally!

We can't wait to meet Kriss Akabusi and all of the other finalists and guests at the Awards Ceremony on Friday 7 July.  See you there!

Congratulations NORAC & ATaC for the first Annual Data Analysis Report into Asbestos in UK Buildings

Many congratulations to NORAC and ATaC and all involved with the production of the first Annual Data Analysis Report into Asbestos in UK Buildings.

Our director Robin was pleased to be invited to the launch of the troubling report, held in a Committee Room at the Houses of Parliament.  Why troubling?  The report highlights that most asbestos found in surveys is already damaged, increasing its risk, and the asbestos materials with the greatest damage are not being dealt with (in most cases).

Data from asbestos software Alpha Tracker, and other systems, has been used to produce the report.

The launch event, chaired by Respublica, heard from Sir Stephen Timms MP, the chair of the Select Committee which reviewed the state of asbestos in the UK.  

Sir Stephen's committee made recommendations including the development of a national asbestos database (see https://uknar.org/), an initiative we are supporting through the development of the OpenAsbestos API.

Robin's view at the report launch

Here at Start Software, we are working on an independent data study with Trinity College, Dublin to analyse the data from the 6 million buildings that have been surveyed using Alpha Tracker.  We'll be publishing our results in a month or so.

Quick snap before catching the train back to the Midlands

If you want to know more about Alpha Tracker or OpenAsbestos, do get in touch with Robin.

That's a wrap! The European Asbestos Forum 2022 is over - what an incredible event and a force for good

The energy, focus, expertise and optimism shown by the speakers and delegates at the European Asbestos Forum in Amsterdam were incredible.  What an event, what a success, and huge congratulations to the event organiser and EAF President Dr Yvonne Waterman for bringing it all together.

The event was so positive!  Every presentation, every delegate and every conversation related to improving standards and increasing collaboration.  What a joy to have so many optimistic people in one room.

Alpha Tracker was an event sponsor and our director Robin was a speaker, talking about OpenAsbestos and the positive impact the initiative could make in the asbestos industry.

Robin delivering his OpenAsbestos presentation

Many of the Alpha Tracker asbestos software development team also attended the conference, making contacts, discussing ideas with delegates, and learning about the direction that asbestos regulation is taking across Europe and beyond.

Alpha Tracker specialist Kim talking to Ray Nye

Asbestos campaigners Ray & (the legendary) Mavis Nye

Yvonne, Robin & the Alpha Tracker asbestos software team

The Alpha Tracker team hard at work between presentations!

Alpha Tracker support techs Jamie & Zac talking to ABP's Sara Mason

Robin and the other speakers & panellists

With so many delegates travelling from (almost) every continent, could the EAF become the Worldwide Asbestos Forum in 2023?  We'll be there for sure!

Robin at the BOHS/FAAM event in Birmingham supporting UKNAR and representing OpenAsbestos

 Alpha Tracker director Robin attended the BOHS/FAAM asbestos conference in Birmingham today.

Some of the asbestos conference highlights

Robin was there to support Andrew Paten and the UKNAR initiative, especially with regard to the OpenAsbestos initiative which is helping all asbestos software systems to share data (with appropriate permission, of course) including with UKNAR's AsbestosSMART software.

Also at the conference were lots of Alpha Tracker asbestos software users - it's always good to catch up - including some from the other side of the world!

Robin with Philip Hibbs and Brian Eva

TEAMS and Lucion NexGen have joined the OpenAsbestos initiative - a significant milestone for the project

We're delighted to announce that TEAMS and Lucion NexGen have joined the OpenAsbestos initiative.

Alpha Tracker, Micad, TEAMs and Lucion store (we believe) more than 90% of the UK's live asbestos registers between them - and all these organisations are now involved in the OpenAsbestos project.

Once all systems are OpenAsbestos-compliant, UKNAR will have the potential to access (with the duty holder's permission) the vast majority of the UK's asbestos registers direct from the UKNAR QR code.

We still have a long way to go but the OpenAsbestos programme is progressing well.

Do you want to be involved?  Want to find out more?  Contact Robin Bennett via the OpenAsbestos website here https://www.openasbestos.org/ or Andrew Paten at UKNAR/.

Robin is presenting at the Contamination Expo at the NEC today. Drop in to find out what OpenAsbestos is all about

If you're heading to the NEC for the Contamination Expo, head to the Keynote Theatre at 13:45 today!

Robin is presenting at the Keynote Theatre

Director  Robin is talking about the OpenAsbestos initiative and how it supports UKNAR in its mission to make asbestos information available to all that need it.

Joining Robin on the platform are legendary asbestos campaigner Dr Yvonne Waterman, and the co-founders of UKNAR, Andrew Paten and Andy Brown.

We're talking OpenAsbestos at the Contamination Expo on Wednesday 14 September - come and find out all about it!

Are you heading to the Contamination Expo at the NEC, Birmingham, next week?  You can grab your free tickets here if you don't already have some.

Find out about OpenAsbestos at the NEC next week

We are available to talk about OpenAsbestos on the UKNAR stand with Andrew Paten and colleagues at CT F10 (near the visitor entrance & the UK Asbestos Training Association - UKATA).

Also - at 13:45 on Wednesday, we are presenting with Andrew in a panel session hosted by legendary asbestos campaigner, Dr Yvonne Waterman.  We will explain how the OpenAsbestos initiative can support the UKNAR vision of making live asbestos registers available to all who need to see them.

OpenAsbestos is an industry-wide initiative aimed at making asbestos data available no matter where that data is currently stored.  For example, our Alpha Tracker asbestos software hosts asbestos register for 6 million buildings.  Imagine if all of that asbestos information was available (with the duty holder's permission, of course) to all contractors needing to work safely at a site?  That would be a real game-changer in the industry helping to make all buildings asbestos-safe.

UKATA has published an article about our OpenAsbestos data sharing protocol. It's worth a read!

Our friends at UKATA have published an article about the OpenAsbestos asbestos data sharing protocol.

Read the article on the UKATA website

It's well worth a read - do click here: https://www.ukata.org.uk/news/openasbestos-open-standard-asbestos-data-sharing/

If you would like to more, visit https://www.openasbestos.org/.  

PS You should also ask your asbestos software provider if your asbestos system is OpenAsbestos compliant (Alpha Tracker is, of course!) - and ask them why not, if not! 

Robin to speak at the European Asbestos Forum - 10 & 11 November, 2022. The topic is OpenAsbestos, a new open standard for asbestos data sharing

Our director Robin is speaking at the European Asbestos Forum in Amsterdam on 10 & 11 November.

Read about the EAF conference speakers here

Robin is introducing a new industry initiative - OpenAsbestos - and how it could make asbestos data more widely available to all, no matter which asbestos system the data is stored in.  Start Software's Alpha Tracker asbestos software is already OpenAsbestos compliant, of course!

Read more about the European Asbestos Forum and how to register here.