Safety Groups UK

Example 4

What happens if you are exposed to asbestos and what can you do to control exposure

In September 2016, the first LOcHER project in Scotland began with the Princes Trust Team 94 at Dundee & Angus College. This group of students were on a 12-week programme designed to get them in to jobs, education and training.

When working with a Princes Trust group, I (Andy Cathro, H&S Manger) would normally spend a day discussing general health & safety and Risk Assessment but on this occasion, I decided to use the LOcHER approach that I had recently heard about from Safety Groups UK.

The students chose the subject of Asbestos for their project and they split into small groups to research items such as:

  • Ill health statistics
  • Types of asbestos
  • Common and unusual locations of asbestos
  • How asbestos is tested and removed

They visited a contractor that removes asbestos, a company that tests samples, and a charity that provides one to one support for those diagnosed with an asbestos related illness. The students conducted interviews and filmed all the visits. The most emotional and hard-hitting interview was with a gentleman who is suffering from asbestosis.

The hours of footage were edited into a short film and this was shown at their end of course presentation to their families and college representatives. The project did not just raise the student's awareness of the dangers of asbestos but also developed their confidence and many other transferable skills such as team working and leadership.

At Dundee and Angus College we like to be dynamic and ambitious, creating a learning experience for students that enables them to succeed above and beyond their course and expectations. LOcHER enhances this. It's a great method of engaging with students and uses a variety of learning activities to achieve this. We are involved in several projects including the first with a High School.

Short films

Prize winning: Received commendation certificates from Safety Groups UK

Publicity