All asbestos is extremely harmful when fibres are inhaled or ingested. Some types of asbestos, such as loose fibre filling insulation board, may release fibres as a result of air movement or general degradation over time but most pose little or no harm to anyone unless subjected to physical damage.

Asbestos was not banned as a construction material until 1999 and there is evidence that its use continued until 2001, but peak use occurred in the 1960s and 70s. The main concern is the similarity in visual appearance of substances which contain asbestos, to those that don’t and the presence of fibres too small to be seen with the naked eye. As a result, all potential materials which may contain asbestos shall be treated as Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) until proved otherwise.

Under current UK legislation, occupiers of buildings have a duty to identify and manage asbestos and those whose staff may encounter asbestos as part of their work, have a similar duty to ensure their staff are not exposed.

There is also a duty, under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, to ensure the safety of others who may be affected. Therefore samples submitted to laboratories for testing must be identified as potentially containing ACMs, if there is a suspicion that they may.

Asbestos in buildings

If there is a need to disturb the fabric of a building, then an asbestos survey must have been conducted before work starts. There are two main types of survey (management or demolition / refurbishment) and you MUST ask for a demolition / refurbishment survey.

Management survey - A survey intended to identify ACMs, to allow their ongoing management.

Demolition / refurbishment survey - Where there is a presumption that asbestos may be present in the building (any building constructed before 2000 falls into this category), then a demolition / refurbishment survey of the affected area must be commissioned before work starts.

The survey must be consulted before work starts and the affected areas must not be disturbed without suitable precautions being taken to prevent exposure.

Most work with asbestos requires a license. Should work be required that will disturb asbestos or a suspected asbestos containing material please seek further guidance.

Limits

The following limits apply in the United Kingdom:

• Ground is considered as hazardous waste, at 0.1% w/w asbestos
• Air clearance limit for all types of asbestos is 0.1 fibres per cm³. A Control Limit is a maximum concentration of asbestos fibres in the air (averaged over any continuous 4 hour period) that must not be exceeded. In addition, short term exposures must be strictly controlled and worker exposure should not exceed 0.6 fibres per cm³

Asbestos as a contaminant

Tests conducted by analytical laboratories suggest many areas of made or disturbed ground not identified as potentially contaminated, may contain asbestos fibres to a level where they are considered contaminated.

Consultancies and contractors should have a process in place which must be followed, to classify sites where additional risks must be either tested by a laboratory before sampling or the laboratory must be able to test the samples themselves.

Training

All staff who may encounter asbestos, as a part of their work, must be given asbestos awareness training.