Asbestos abatement legislation will be introduced this year, Health Minister Patrice Minors promised yesterday.

Currently the Island has no specific legislation targeting the removal of asbestos, or the training of workers dealing with asbestos, she said. Instead, Bermuda relies on guidelines provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

And, over the years, asbestos removal has generally been "unsatisfactory", especially in regards to workers' safety.

The Health Department plans to do training workshops on four different levels of certification in dealing with asbestos, she said. All the workshops will be conducted by a US EPA instructor.

The Department also plans to implement initiatives listed in a review on asbestos use, abatement and control conducted in November, 2003.