There are three main types of asbestos fibre: these are chrysotile, asbestos grunerite (amosite) and crocidolite. They are more commonly referred to as white, brown and blue respectively.
Between 1940 and 1999 more than 5,000,000 tonnes of asbestos were imported for use in the UK. Asbestos became a very popular building material in the 1950s and 1960s
due to its many versatile properties such as heat insulation, fire resistance and soundproofing.
Asbestos is still present in a wide variety of buildings, including houses, flats, schools and hospitals to name but a few.
It was used in thousands of products since the 1950s many which you may well be unaware of.
Asbestos is categorised as a class 1 carcinogen and it is hazardous to your health. The problem occurs when asbestos fibres become respirable. If we breathe asbestos fibres into our body they can penetrate the alveoli and become embedded in the lung lining.
This can lead to asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer or mesothelioma.
If your building was built before 1999 there is a strong possibility it could contain asbestos containing materials (ACM's).
If you are unsure as to the location, condition and extent of any ACM's or are planning a re-furbishment or demolition, the best thing you can do is have an asbestos survey carried out.
If your building is non-domestic or has non-domestic areas then you have a legal duty to comply with regulation 4 of the control of asbestos regulations "The duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises".
This regulation requires the duty holder to note the location, extent and condition of any ACM's that may be present within a building and create a plan to manage these ACM's.
Although there is currently no requirement to manage asbestos in domestic properties, it may be that you are planning to refurbish or demolish a domestic property.
This will involve operatives working in areas that could potentially have ACM's. Having an asbestos survey carried out will help you to locate these materials prior to any work being carried out and in turn preventing unnecessary risk from exposure to ACM's.