"BACKGROUNDThe legislative framework for the epidemiological surveillance of asbestos exposure is defined by the obligation of recording exposure as set forth by Legislative Decree no. 277/1991, amended by Legislative Decree no. 626/1994 and, recently consolidated by Legislative Decree no. 81/2008. On the basis of these regulations, the Italian National Institute for Occupational Safety and Prevention (ISPESL) has established an information system for recording exposure to asbestos at work.OBJECTIVES The main aim is to describe the distribution by geographical location and economic activity of the firms that sent data on asbestos exposure to ISPESL as well as the potential and weaknesses of the system.METHODS The criteria for classifying the information received and the main issues encountered during data recording are highlighted in this study. Moreover, descriptive analyses are carried out by economic activity of the firm, type of asbestos, and geographical location of the site. Finally, the time trends in exposure measurements are analysed.RESULTS The ISPESL notifications database contains 112 firms, 1,700 worksites, 1,447 workers, 12,121 exposures and 3,862 measurements of exposure to asbestos. The arithmetic mean of the exposure level is 0.019 f/cc, and the most common occupation reported was “removal of asbestos insulation”, which has a mean level of exposure of 0.021 f/cc."

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