UKNAR

Asbestos is the greatest cause of workplace deaths in the UK, responsible for over 5,000 deaths annually. Although banned in 1999, asbestos remains present in over 2 million buildings, 500,000 workplaces, and more than 75% of schools, hospitals and public buildings. The scale of exposure risk is significant - particularly in environments responsible for protecting children, educators and public sector workers. UKNAR set out to change how asbestos risk information is accessed and managed. To do so, they partnered with Wubbleyou to build Asbestos SMART Manager (ASM) - a bespoke digital platform designed to centralise asbestos register data and make it immediately accessible to those who need it. The platform allows both UKNAR teams and clients to store, access and interact with critical building-level asbestos information securely. A contractor arriving on site can simply scan a QR code located in the building lobby and instantly retrieve up-to-date asbestos data. This dramatically improves access to accurate information at the point of decision-making - reducing risk and improving operational safety. The collaboration extended beyond technical delivery. As a not-for-profit social enterprise, UKNAR required a partner who understood both their mission and resource constraints. The solution needed to be usable, simple and capable of disrupting existing approaches within the sector. Through this partnership, UKNAR developed a prototype national asbestos register with minimal resources - positioning the organisation to shape future legislative and industry developments. The impact is tangible: better protection for over 100,000 children and 13,000 teachers across the UK. This case demonstrates how purpose-built digital platforms can support life-critical data management, enable systemic change and provide the foundation for national-scale transformation.