Major Projects Finding And Removing Asbestos

Date Published:

13/05/2009

Lurking in many buildings, its safe removal and disposal is a must. But how do you spot it, and what do you do with it once it's found?

By Gordon Miller

What Is Asbestos?

Asbestos is made up of long, thin fibrous crystals. It is a naturally occurring silicate mineral that was used extensively in homes, offices, garages and other buildings during the 1950s to the mid-1980s primarily because of its resistance to heat, its sound insulation properties and its strength.

Where Would I Find It?

Asbestos was used in a great many products and materials, such as cement, insulation boards, floor tiles, ceiling tiles, roofs, panels, laggings and pipes. Don't just assume that because your house pre-dates the 1950s that it won't be in there, too. Renovations done during the 1950s onwards on older houses may well have included asbestos as a material.

What Does Asbestos Look Like?

It's not easy to describe asbestos, because it's often impregnated into other building materials, but the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published a photo gallery that's worth checking out.

Why Is Asbestos Dangerous?

Asbestos is only dangerous if you breathe in high levels of asbestos fibres, or if you are working on or near damaged asbestos. If you suspect you are working in area where there may be asbestos, or you come across a material that you believe may be asbestos, stop working and seek advice. Asbestos is generally not dangerous if it lies undisturbed or has not perished, cracked or chipped.

Where Is Asbestos Found?

There are several key areas in the home where asbestos is most likely to be found. Visit the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for a diagram. The HSE recommends a cautious approach should be taken when working on any building pre-2000.

* Asbestos cement – found in roofs, wall cladding, downpipes and gutters, flues and ventilation systems.
* Textured coatings.
* Floor tiles, textiles and composites – found under carpets, fuse boxes, under tiles and inside metal cladding.
* Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB) - partition walls, fire-proofing panels in fire doors, lift shaft linings, ceiling tiles, panels below windows.
* Loose fill asbestos - found in between cavity walls, under floorboards and in loft spaces.

Should I Go Looking For It?

It’s not advisable to go looking for asbestos unless you believe it has been used and may have perished or be unsafe, because undisturbed asbestos usually poses no problems. Often, and a major reason why people often don’t know they have been exposed to it, it is difficult to tell the difference between asbestos insulating board items and non-asbestos materials, such as wall panels boards, ceiling tiles and plasterboard.