What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a term used for the fibrous forms of some naturally occurring silicate minerals that have been exploited commercially for their useful properties of:
- Flexibility – They could be woven into textiles, such as fire blankets and fuse flash guards.
- High Tensile Strength – Added to mixtures to give strength, such as cement products i.e. corrugated roof sheets.
- Incombustibility – Meant that it could be manufactured into fire protection products, such as sprayed asbestos coating on structural steelwork.
- Low Thermal Combustibility – Making asbestos a good insulation material, such as asbestos thermal insulation to pipe-work.
There are three main types of asbestos still found in premises. These are commonly called “blue asbestos” (Crocidolite), “brown asbestos” (Amosite) and “white asbestos” (Chrysotile).
Crocidolite Amosite Chrysotile
By exploiting these properties manufactures were able to incorporate asbestos into approximately 3000 products such as:
- Loose insulation and sprayed insulation used as fire breaks and fire protection in ceiling voids.
- Hand molded or preformed lagging, generally used as thermal insulation for pipe-work and boilers.
- Insulation boards used for fire protection, thermal insulation, partitioning, ceiling tiles, soffit boarding and even notice boards.
- Mill boards, paper and paper products used for insulation of electrical equipment. Asbestos paper has also been used as fire-proof facing on wood fibre-board.
- Ropes, cloths and yarns used as packing materials, fire blankets and window seals etc.
- Decorative textured coatings and paints.
- Asbestos cement products molded into any conceivable shape, from flat sheets to gutters.
- Gaskets.
- Floor coverings such as vinyl sheeting. Either mixed into the vinyl or applied as a paper backing
- Friction Products such as brake shoes and clutches
- Asbestos bitumen products mainly added to roofing felt to give additional tensile strength.
- Mastic, sealants, putties & adhesives.
- Reinforced plastics, resin and rubber products such as thermo plastic floor tiles.
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Why is asbestos dangerous?
Asbestos is a mineral which splits longitudinally into very fine dust particles up to 2000 times thinner than a human hair. When asbestos fibres reach these small proportions they can be breathed into the lungs where they are unable to be broken down by the bodies natural defences. They therefore remain lodged in the lung tissue for many years which may trigger asbestos related diseases.
Asbestos fibres can cause a range of diseases mainly cancers of the lungs, chest linings (mesothelioma) and asbestosis.
There is usually a long delay between first exposure to asbestos and the onset of disease. This can vary from 15 to 60 years.
Past exposure to asbestos currently kills 3000 people a year in Great Britain . The number is expected to go on rising for the next ten years to between 5000-10000 deaths per annum. There is no cure for asbestos related diseases.
Although it is now illegal to use asbestos in the construction or refurbishment of any premises, many thousands of tonnes of it were used in the past and much of it is still in place. As long as it is in good condition and is not being or going to be disturbed or damaged there is no risk. But if it is disturbed or damaged, it can become a danger to health, because asbestos fibres are released into the air and people can breath them in.
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Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
It is the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees. The duty is broken if the employer makes available unsafe plant or an unsafe system of work.
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Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 Regulation 4
This legislation places a legal duty on those who own, occupy, manage or have responsibilities for non-domestic premises to manage the risk from asbestos.
To manage the risk from asbestos the duty holder must make an assessment of materials potentially containing asbestos and produce a management plan to prevent un-controlled disturbance of those materials.
In broad terms Regulation 4 requires the duty holder to carry out the following processes:
- Identify - presumption, document review or survey;
- Assess - material assessment and risk assessment;
- Manage - action plan and management plan.
Any or all stages might require feedback and amendment.
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Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 Regulation 10
Regulation 10 requires mandatory training for anyone liable to be exposed to asbestos fibres at work. This includes maintenance workers and others who may come into contact with or who may disturb asbestos (eg cable installers) as well as those involved in asbestos removal
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The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulation 1999
These regulations require an employer to make a suitable and sufficient risk assessment of the hazards to which their employees and persons not in their employment are exposed to on a day to day basis.
Asbestos is a hazard potentially affecting all employees but especially those in the construction and building maintenance sectors.
The best way to assess the risk is to know where the hazard may be present. Therefore it may be appropriate to conduct an asbestos survey and introduce a management plan to reduce the risk.
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The Construction (design and management) Regulations 1994
The CDM Regulations place duties on all those who can contribute to the health and safety of a construction project. One specific duty which relates to asbestos is the production of the pre-tender health and safety plan.
The pre-tender health and safety plan is essentially collection of information about the significant health and safety risks of the construction project.
Naturally on demolition or major refurbishment projects asbestos could potentially be a significant health and safety risk. Therefore an assessment must be made of this risk.
This constitutes a MDHS 100 Type 3 Full access sampling and identification survey (pre-demolition/major refurbishment)
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