Guide to Asbestos - Trident Surveying

[Liz Seyi]

What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral, mined in Australia, Canada and South Africa during the 20th century. Its heat and sound resistant properties made it ideal for use in the manufacture of a wide range of products from pipe insulation, flooring materials, cement roofing and insulatory coatings to toilet cisterns, artex wall coatings and its wide range of use has resulted in asbestos now being present in some form in all but the newest of premises – its use was only completely prohibited in 1999.
Asbestos is a Class One carcinogen but is only dangerous when the microscopic fibres are released into the air and breathed in. There is usually a long delay between the first exposure to asbestos dust and the onset of disease. This can be between 15 and 60 years. One estimate is that in the past 70 years up to 11 million people have been exposed to asbestos (Kasperson and Pijawka, 2005)1.
Where can Asbestos be Found?
Asbestos can be present in various forms and differing levels of content in over 2000 common substances, ranging from pipe insulation and cement roofing to suspended ceiling tiles, artex coating, vinyl flooring, roofing felts, concrete pipe and sheet material, architectural panels, joint and taping compounds, heating system insulation, floor tiles, electrical wires and cables, paints and plumbing fixtures, bath panels, soffits, sink pads, window putty, window surrounds and more.

Local authority and social housing built in the 1960s and 1970s commonly has asbestos in water tanks, artex coatings on the ceiling, asbestos insulation board in electricity cupboards, under staircases, service ducts and heating ducts (CES, 2005)2.
Asbestos is still present in a wide variety of buildings, including hospitals, factories, warehouse, offices, schools and homes, often in walls and ceilings as well as in lagging around steam pipes and boilers. A total prohibition on asbestos being used in the construction industry came into force in 1999, but most older buildings in the UK have some asbestos containing materials (ACMs).
Exposure to Asbestos
Exposure can occur when workers disturb ACMs during maintenance work or in the refurbishment and demolition of buildings, when asbestos fibres become airborne and inhaled. Therefore, most ACMs pose little risk unless they are disturbed in a way that results in the release of fibres, such as drilling corrugated cement roofs or disturbing ceiling tiles with an asbestos content.
How Prevalent is Asbestos?
Asbestos containing materials are said to exist in more than 10 million UK buildings (Gravelsons et al, 2004)3. The HSE estimates 1.5 million workplaces contain asbestos. Strict regulations now exist to prevent dangerous levels of exposure. If a building has been built before 2000 there is a possibility that it could contain asbestos.
What are the Dangers of Asbestos?
Asbestos can be a serious hazard to health and for this reason its use has declined considerably in recent years. Asbestos exposure can cause serious diseases, including mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer. If you breathe asbestos fibres into your lungs, some of the fibres will be deposited in the air passages and on the cells that make up your lungs. Some fibres remain trapped in the lungs, causing severe respiratory damage.
Fibres that clear the lungs are carried away in a layer of mucus to the throat, where they are swallowed into the stomach. They may become stuck in the membranes lining the stomach or intestines, or be distributed throughout the body via the blood. Wherever the fibres are, they have the potential to promote genetic 'errors' in cell division that can lead to cancer.

For more details on the health risks posed by exposure to asbestos see our Asbestos Diseases page.
For more information visit our website : http://www.tridentsurveying.co.uk/asbestos/asbestos-diseases.html