Introduction
Asbestos was used widely in buildings until 1999 when its use was banned. All buildings built prior to 2000 must therefore be presumed to contain Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) and treated accordingly. Source – Health & Safety Executive
Asbestos Related Disease
Asbestos fibres are tiny sharp spike-like fibres that do not decompose. It is when these fibres are breathed in and they then embed themselves in the lungs that long-term serious/terminal health issues arise.
The main asbestos related diseases are:
- Pleural plaques: this is a thickening of the lung lining, causing pain when breathing.
- Pleural thickening: scar tissue build-up of the inner linings of the lung that close off the space between the lungs and pleura, causing breathing difficulty.
- Mesothelioma & lung cancer: malignant asbestos related cancer that is usually fatal.
Materials Containing Asbestos
Loose fibrous asbestos
This was used to insulate buildings and can be found in cavity walls, below floorboards and in loft spaces. It is a loose, fibrous insulation material (similar to modern glass fibre insulation) which is white or blue/grey in colour. This is the most dangerous from of asbestos because large quantities of fibres are released into the air if it is disturbed.
Pipe lagging & insulation
Often found in heating systems including boilers and distribution pipework. Again, this is a loose fibrous material often encapsulated in hessian wrap of cementitious coating. When the protective coatings are disturbed, the asbestos fibres are released.
Sprayed Applied Coatings
Asbestos was used as fire protection, sprayed on as a coating onto steelwork, walls, columns, beams and the underside of roofs. These coatings often have a high concentration of asbestos fibres that are easily released into the air when the coatings are disturbed.
Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB)
Common material again often used as fireproofing but also used as a lining board for soffits, ceiling tiles, wall boarding and panelling. Asbestos content varies, but again dangerous when disturbed.
Floor Tiles, textiles and other materials
The use of Asbestos floor tiles was widespread, as was the use of asbestos in adhesive materials used to bond flooring tiles to solid floor substrates. Asbestos was woven into many textile materials such as fire blankets and flash guards for electrical fuse boards and other materials such as toilet cisterns. Visually they are difficult to distinguish from their modern (non-asbestos) equivalent products.
Textured Coatings
Textured coatings (e.g. Artex) applied to walls and ceilings in many residential buildings can contain asbestos.
Asbestos Cement Products
Asbestos cement products are widespread and often easily identifiable. Common examples include corrugated roof sheets, rainwater goods, flues and pipework.
Legal Requirements
Legal requirements
Managing asbestos
The control of Asbestos is covered by the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012). This controls how people work with asbestos. It sets out the framework for licensing of asbestos-removal activities.
Regulation 4 of CAR 2012 sets out a duty on the owners and occupiers of premises (who have maintenance and repairing responsibilities), to manage the risks presented by of asbestos.
They are required to take steps to identify asbestos containing materials (ACMs), maintain a written record of any ACMs and manage them effectively. This may entail managing ACMs and ensuring no works disturb ACMs that are in good condition, or removing them completely. Less often, ACMs are encapsulated within encasement structures. Specifically, the HSE guidance on asbestos sets out the requirement to:
Assess the risk of exposure from ACMs and presumed ACMs and prepare a written plan of the actions and measures necessary to manage the risk (i.e. the ‘management plan’)
Construction work
The Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM) require arrangements to be in place to deal with asbestos during construction work, including refurbishment and demolition.
Pre-Construction Information (PCI) – Where construction or building work is to be conducted, designers and contractors must be provided with project-specific information about the presence of asbestos, so that the risks can be addressed.
Refurbishment and demolition surveys
A refurbishment and demolition survey would be required before any refurbishment or demolition work is conducted. This is a fully intrusive type of survey used to locate and describe, as far as reasonably practicable, all ACMs in the area where the refurbishment work will take place (including any hidden areas) or in the whole building if demolition is planned.
Removal of asbestos
Many types of asbestos can only be removed by a licensed contractor who will issue a notice to the relevant enforcing authority that asbestos removal work is planned. All work with asbestos needs to be carried out with appropriate controls in place to protect workers and occupiers from the health risks that asbestos causes.
Asbestos material that has been removed requires careful disposal as controlled waste to a licensed tip/waste carrier. Certificates of disposal should be sought from contractors to confirm that asbestos waste has been disposed of correctly.
