Frequently Asked Questions

Most work on asbestos cement can be carried out without a licence providing workers have had appropriate information, instruction and training.

The duty to manage asbestos is a legal requirement under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (Regulation 4). It applies to the owners and occupiers of commercial premises (such as shops, offices, industrial units etc) who have responsibility for maintenance and repair activities. In addition to these responsibilities, they also have a duty to assess the presence and condition of any asbestos-containing materials. If asbestos is present, or is presumed to be present, then it must be managed appropriately. The duty also applies to the shared parts of some domestic premises.

Asbestos may be part of any commercial or domestic building which was built or refurbished before the year 2000. Asbestos can typically still be found in any of the following:

• – Asbestos cement products (pipes, flues, roofs etc)
• – Lagging (on pipes and boilers etc)
• – Water tanks and toilet cisterns
• – Asbestos insulating board (AIB – which closely resembles typical plasterboard)
• – Loose asbestos in ceiling and wall cavities
• – Sprayed coatings on ceilings, walls and beams / columns
• – Textured decorative coatings (commonly referred to as Artex)
• – Floor tiles
• – Textiles and composites

If you own or are in charge of a property built before the year 2000, it may have asbestos containing materials (ACMs) within the structure. It wasn’t until August 1999 that asbestos became a prohibited substance in the UK. This is why it’s imperative that extra care is taken when carrying out building work on premises built prior to this time.

To comply with the ‘Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012’, you have to make sure that the correct asbestos survey is carried out to identify and manage the risk of any ACMs that are present. The main types of asbestos survey are as follows:

• – Asbestos Management Survey
• – Asbestos Refurbishment Survey
• – Re-Inspections
• – Soil Surveys

This depends on your premises, its usage and the location of the asbestos material, or if you’re planning any refurbishments. If there is any risk that asbestos fibers will be released into the atmosphere, they can post a risk to human health and should be treated.

Different types of asbestos require different types of control measures regulated by the HSE, however all asbestos should be removed by trained operatives with the correct equipment including RPE/PPE and insurances.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral. Asbestos fibres are soft and flexible yet resistant to heat, electricity and corrosion. These qualities make the mineral useful, but they also make asbestos exposure highly toxic.

Asbestos in a mineral fibre that can be found in the ground.

In most asbestosis patients, symptoms develop within 20 to 30 years after being exposed to asbestos. If someone is exposed to asbestos for a long time, a decade or more, the latency period of symptom development is shorter: closer to 20 years. The symptoms consist of the following swelling in the neck or face, difficulty swallowing, high blood pressure, blood in sputum, crackling sound when breathing, shortness of breath, hypertension, finger deformity, loss of weight/appetite.

Whilst blue (crocidolite) and brown (amosite) asbestos were banned in 1985, white asbestos (chrysotile) wasn’t banned until 1999; almost 15 years after the initial blue and brown ban. The 1999 ban made it illegal to manufacture and supply any asbestos materials within the UK.

Asbestos can be found in all types of buildings (built before 1999) used in a multiple of materials. Asbestos can be found in floors, walls, ceilings, voids, garage’s, lofts and boiler rooms. Asbestos can also be found in a number of external locations on all types of buildings.

There is only one way to know for certain whether your building has asbestos containing materials, and that is by contracting an experienced team of specially trained surveyors to carry out comprehensive tests (surveys) that deliver reliable results.

When materials that contain asbestos are disturbed or damaged, fibres are released into 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, Asbestos-related lung cancer and Asbestosis.

Asbestos identified in walls may vary depending on the type of asbestos containing material used. The types of materials used are textured coatings, wall cladding (cement and insulation board), plaster, panels.

Asbestos is thought to be used in the uk as far back as the 1800’s but the first diagnosis of asbestosis was not until early 1900’s.

Any exposure to asbestos can be harmful.

Exposure to asbestos without using the correct control measures can kill you.