Asbestos Survey and Removal
Asbestos is responsible for a number of serious respiratory illnesses but, what is the best way to deal with it?
So why manage asbestos?
Past exposure to asbestos currently kills around 4500 people a year in Great Britain.
Breathing in air containing asbestos fibres can lead to asbestos-related diseases, mainly cancers of the lungs and chest lining.
Asbestos is only a risk to health if asbestos fibres are released into the air and breathed in. Workers who carry out building maintenance and repair are particularly at risk. There is usually a long delay between first exposure to asbestos and the onset of disease. This can vary from 15 to 60 years.
Give high priority to damaged material and materials likely to be disturbed; these will need to be repaired, sealed, enclosed or removed using trained personnel – if unsure, seek specialist advice from an asbestos surveyor, a laboratory or a licensed contractor.
There are three main types of asbestos that can still be found in premises, commonly called ‘blue asbestos’ (crocidolite), ‘brown asbestos’ (amosite) and ‘white asbestos’ (chrysotile).
Any buildings built or refurbished before the year 2000 may contain asbestos. As long as the asbestos-containing material (ACM) is in good condition, and is not being or going to be disturbed or damaged, there is negligible risk. But if it is disturbed or damaged, it can become a danger to health, because people may breathe in any asbestos fibres released into the air. Which leads us to Surveys.
Surveys
If you have asbestos on site or suspect that asbestos is on site a suitably trained person should conduct a survey to identify ACMs.
Have the materials analysed to prove if asbestos is present, and what type it is.
You may choose to employ a suitably trained person to do a survey of the premises to identify ACMs, particularly if you are planning maintenance or refurbishment of the premises or installing wiring or pipework/ ducting. The survey should identify what types of ACMs are present, where they are and what condition they are in.
If you suspect materials contain asbestos, you may need to have samples analysed. Often, this is the only certain way of identifying if a material does contain asbestos.
Samples should only be taken by suitably trained people.
Do not break or damage any material which may contain asbestos to try to identify it.
Organisations that sample and analyse asbestos need to be accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).
If the material is in good condition and is unlikely to be worked on or disturbed, it is usually safer to leave it in place and manage it.
Removal
If the ACMs in your premises are in poor condition, you will have to arrange repairs or have them sealed, enclosed or removed.
You will need to prepare and implement a plan to manage these risks and identify the safest solution.
Repair and removal Some damaged asbestos can be made safe by repairing it and either sealing or enclosing it to prevent further damage.
If this can be done safely, mark the area after it has been repaired and make sure it is on your record of asbestos locations.
If asbestos is likely to be disturbed during routine maintenance work or daily use of the building, it will release fibres. If it cannot be easily repaired and protected, you should have it removed.
This work must be carried out by someone trained and competent to carry out the task. Remember, most work on asbestos insulation, asbestos insulating board and lagging, including sealing and removal, should normally be done by a contractor licensed by HSE.
You may also be interested to see our Risk Assessments services and how we can also help in this area.