This year the Global Asbestos Forum (GAF) comes to the UK. On 16 and 17 November, Dr Yvonne Waterman brings the ninth conference to the Library of Birmingham, under the theme Asbestos: A Call to Action.
I’ve been to every instance of the GAF – formerly the European Asbestos Forum – since the first in 2015. I rate it as the most important event in the calendar for seeing how the rest of the world tackles a problem we all share. For UK delegates, getting there has never been easier, so what does the event promise?
As always, day one will open with an excursion. Yvonne is keeping this year’s destination under wraps, and I can’t wait to find out what it is. Past trips have taken us to Ghent’s industrial museum, where the carding machines once used for chrysotile told their own story, and on a walking tour of Bergen. Don’t be tempted to skip it. This “school trip for adults” is where strangers become colleagues, and it sets the tone that makes day two work so well.
In the afternoon, the excursion will be followed by round table debates, chaired by Adrian Budgen OBE. Then comes the Gala Night. Anyone who joined us in Brussels or Bergen knows this is Yvonne’s signature: elegant rather than extravagant, with superb food and music that refuses to stay in the background. This year it’s a three-course dinner at the Library, with the fabulous quartet that has entertained us in the past. Book it.
There are too many speakers to cover them all, so here are the ones that leap out at me.
Keynote speaker Professor Daniel Murphy of the University of Glasgow asks: What if the statistics are even worse than we thought? If you’ve read my earlier reflections on the FAAM conference, you’ll know why that question matters. It’s sharper still after August, when Channel 5 News reported campaigners’ warnings that the UK’s annual asbestos-related death toll could be as high as 20,000.
Professor Jukka Takala returns to the forum with Proper policy follows proper data. In Bergen, his data on rising mesothelioma among women forced us to consider the hidden cohorts our models miss.
Julian Branch of Prevent Cancer Now revisits fibre release from old asbestos cement water pipes. His talk at May’s FAAM conference was one of the standouts of my year, picking up where Professor Arthur Frank’s eye-opening talk in Brussels left off. If you missed him in the spring, this is your second chance. And if you caught him, you’ll want to hear how far his campaign has moved since.
Taking the last slot of the first morning session, Jonathan Grant will ask whether the UK’s regulatory approach is fit for purpose. Given the frustration he expressed in Bergen at the HSE’s consultation, expect a candid answer.
The beauty of GAF is that it’s not just for policy wonks, lawyers and analysts. There’s plenty here for those who work on the ground, too. Indeed, it was at this very conference a few years ago that I first came across EasyGel, an innovation that has since led to some fascinating research into safer asbestos removal techniques.
In the afternoon, Ian Harper will present Asbestos in Ukraine: starting from scratch. Simon Cleaver will be presenting a new process for cleaning asbestos from demolition waste and soil, Matthew Waller has a case study on the asbestos removal and demolition of a 1940s power station, and Mark Wilkes will explore the use of drones in asbestos removal.
However, the talk I’m really looking forward to is Sergio Malinconico from Italy’s innovative national institute, INAIL. He’s presenting the Supermask, which takes earlier work on a revolutionary mask for asbestos removal and adds augmented reality. I’m eager to see what they’ve come up with.
Also in the afternoon, my old friend Philip Hibbs is set to tackle mechanised tunnelling through strata containing naturally occurring asbestos, where the hazard is the ground itself, rather than building material. Keeping everyone to time will be two more old friends, Sara Mason and Wayne Bagnall, who will be chairing the afternoon sessions. Having done that job myself, I know it’s harder than it looks. Sara kept us on track with calm assurance in Brussels, and I’ve no doubt she’ll do the same again.
For UK delegates, this is undoubtedly the year to go, and especially so for licenced asbestos removal contractors (LARCs), who should make this their first GAF. There are no flights or overseas hotels to budget for: in fact the Library is a short walk from Birmingham New Street station, with the German Christmas Market right outside. Tickets are modular, so you can book just the main conference day, add the excursion or Gala Night, or take the all-in ticket for the best value. Victim organisations receive a 25% discount on every option.
To register, email Yvonne at [email protected]. You can see the full programme and prices at the Global Asbestos Forum 2026 programme page.
I hope to see you in Birmingham!
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