Asbestos Health & Safety

Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous material which was regularly used in buildings until the late 1990’s. It’s still found today in many buildings including homes, schools, offices, industrial units and hospitals. If disturbed it can be a killer. 

Asbestos kills thousands of people each year, more than the number killed on the road.

It can be present today in any building built or refurbished before the year 2000.

When the materials that contain asbestos are disturbed or damaged, fibres are released in the air. When these fibres are inhaled they can cause serious diseases. These diseases will not affect you immediately; they often take a long time to develop, but once diagnosed, it is often too late to do anything. This is why it is important that you protect yourself now. 

Asbestos can cause the following fatal and serious diseases:

Mesothelioma - A cancer which affects the lining of the lungs and the lining surrounding the lower digestive tract. It is almost exclusively related to asbestos exposure and by the time it is diagnosed, it is almost always fatal.

Asbestos Related Lung Cancer - Is the same as (looks the same as) lung cancer caused by smoking and other causes.

Asbestosis -  Is a serious scarring condition of the lung that normally occurs after heavy exposure to asbestos over many years. This condition can cause progressive shortness of breath, and in severe cases can be fatal. 

Pleural Thickening - Is generally a problem that happens after heavy asbestos exposure. The lining of the lung thickens and swells. If this gets worse, the lung itself can be squeezed, and can cause shortness of breath and discomfort in the chest.

Yes. If you own or are in charge of a non-domestic property built before the year 2000, you have a legal duty to manage any asbestos in it, so as to protect people from the exposure to asbestos fibres (under Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012).

Managemeant Survey - This is a non destructive survey which does not disturb the fabric of the building. This type of survey is usually sufficient for the purposes of normal occupation.

Refurbishment & Demolition Survey - This is a fully intrusive survey and must be carried out prior to any refurbishment or demolition works. 

Asbestos can be found in any industrial or residential building built or refurbished before the year 2000. With it’s use so widespread asbestos has been used in thousands of different products. Below is a short list of common asbestos items:

Cement water tanks, textured coatings to ceilings & walls, floor tiles, sink pads, pipe lagging, cement outbuildings, cement roofs, soffits, gutters, rainwater pipes, old fire blankets, insulation boarding, storage heater insulation, roof tiles, bath panels, ceiling tiles, loose fill insulation, toilet seat & cistern, flash guard in fuse boxes, insulation within boilers, boarding to fireplace, roofing felt, sprayed coatings, paper, rope, gaskets.