Asbestos In Buildings: Types and Health Effects

Many people wrongly assume that all Non-Traditional houses contain large amounts of dangerous asbestos material (think corrugated asbestos roofing sheets), when in reality, houses built during the 60’s and 70’s re more likely to contain significantly more harmful variants of this material.

I came across this very interesting and informative essay written by a student and submitted to the UK Essays website.

The paper, titled, ‘Asbestos In Buildings: Types and Health Effects’, describes various forms of asbestos once commonly used within the UK building industry.

The paper also points out that identification of asbestos within a building isn’t always easy and that some surprisingly innocent everyday materials such as Linoleum floor covering and even Linoleum floor adhesive, may also contain this harmful substance.

Due to the serious nature of this topic, we have taken the unusual decision to reproduce the full article below, which we hope you will find useful.

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Asbestos in buildings – current status

Introduction

Asbestos has been used for more than 2,000 years. It was named by the Ancient Greeks, its name meaning “inextinguishable”. Even then the Greeks noted the harmful affects of asbestos, as they noticed the slaves that wove the asbestos into cloth form had developed respiratory problems after studying their lungs.

The asbestos fibres fall into two types, amphiboles and serpentines.
The blue and brown asbestos fibres fall into the amphibole group.
They fall into this group because they are compounds of metal silicates which consist of short and sharp fibres. For this reason they have the ability of remaining within the human body for long periods of time. Also for this reason this group of asbestos is (considered) more dangerous than white fibre asbestos. (asbestoswatchdog)

Today asbestos is a general term that is given to numerous naturally occurring silicate minerals. There are six forms of asbestos. The three that are not very common are known as actinolite, anthophyllite, and tremolite.

Amongst the six naturally occurring minerals there are three main forms of asbestos which are known as Chrysotile, Crocidolite and Amosite which are otherwise known in the same order as white, blue and brown.
In 1999 The Asbestos Prohibition Regulations banned the use of all new forms of this material.

There has been a gradual decline in the use of asbestos from the early 1960s. Even though a high number of buildings have had the asbestos removed and then replaced with a more suitable material, there is still a very high number of buildings that still contain asbestos and most of it is has remained undetected. (Eclipsescientific)

Asbestos has many properties and for this reason it was widely used for:

• Strength
• Incombustibility
• Use as a binding agent
• Resistance to high temperatures
• Resistance to electrical current
• Resistance to acids and alkalis
• Absorbs sound (Asbestos-answers)

It can be seen very clearly why asbestos was used on such a wide scale, looking at the properties, it seemed to be the only material that had such variety and which was also available on a broad scale.

Asbestos possesses unique tensile strength and flexibility from its fibres and it is for this reason that it was used in the first place. These fibres are too small to be seen by the naked eye. The ability of the asbestos fibres to flex allows them to be woven, though it is harder to weave the amphibole group due to their rigidity. On the other hand, the serpentine group was used more frequently due to its flexibility.

There is no simple test to recognize the different types of fibres, and this judgment cannot be made on colour alone. It requires a lab test to find out which type of asbestos it is that they you dealing with. More will be discussed on how these tests are carried out and the types of samples that are used later in this report.

All these forms of asbestos are known to be dangerous to human health and all can cause illnesses to which there is no cure. Asbestos enters the body is through the inhalation of the fibres, these fibres then rest in the lower part of the lungs where they can lay for many years. These fibres cannot be absorbed through the skin. Due to the size of the fibres they can only be seen through a microscope, and their size also allows them to penetrate deep into the lungs causing respiratory diseases or some types of cancer.

“The principal asbestos related diseases are:

Asbestosis (fibrosis) scarring of the lungs;
mesothelioma – a cancer of the inner lining of the chest wall or abdominal cavity; lung cancer;
Diffuse pleural thickening – a non-malignant disease in which the lining of the lung (pleura) becomes scarred.

Types of asbestos contained with domestic properties are likely to be found in ducts, access panels, ceiling tiles, partitions etc, Linoleum, Artex, ironing boards and some wall panels.

These forms, if still present in domestic buildings will often be found 1960’s and 1970’s built housing. Most of the materials containing asbestos look similar to those materials that do not contain asbestos. If the materials that contain asbestos are in good condition they can be left in place and managed, but if they are damaged, dangerous fibres can be released which have to be removed only by an approved contractor. Asbestos is a very hazardous material that only becomes dangerous when it is airborne and when the fibres are inhaled.

Today the types of commercial buildings that asbestos may still remain in are the ones that were refurbished in between 1950 and 1980 as this was the peak time that the asbestos was used in buildings. What will make it more likely for the building to contain asbestos is if the building had a steel frame and contained boilers with thermal insulation. Asbestos wasn’t only used in sheet form and as an insulation but also as asbestos cement which was used to cover walls etc. The asbestos was also used in the buildings in the form of a spray which was mixed with hydrated asbestos cement; this was then sprayed on to many of the structural and non-structural members, so the majority of the building may contain asbestos in one form or another. (HSE)

Overtime the members and materials coated with asbestos spray may break down due to wear and tear this will gradually release asbestos fibres into the air which due to their non visible fibres could be inhaled therefore causing health problems.

Before work is started on a building any asbestos containing material cement, plasterboards etc must be identified. Any work carried out on asbestos containing material must be carried out by a HSE licensed contractor. (sutton.gov.uk)

Asbestos

2.1– Types

As mentioned in the introduction to this report there are six forms of asbestos chrysotile, crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite. Of these six there are the three main forms of asbestos which are amosite (brown), chrysotile (white) and crocidolite (blue). The colours of these types of asbestos are not visible to the human eye, so all the asbestos should be treated as equally hazardous.

Chrysotile or better known as white asbestos is obtained from rocks known as serpentines. This is the only type of asbestos that belong to this rock group. These rocks are found commonly through out the world. This type of asbestos is the only one out of the others which has curly flexible fibres as opposed to the other types of fibres which are straight, sharp like a needle and some are even brittle. This is also the most common type of asbestos as it accounts for about 90% of all the asbestos consumed across the world, when compared to the other types. This is still the most commonly mined form of asbestos till today. (phhenv)

This fibre is known to do the least amount of damage to the lungs. This fibrous material is composed of 40% silica and 40% magnesium, though these fibres have a good heat resistance they can be destroyed by acids. Chrysotile has fibres which have a layered silicate structure. These layers can be regarded as made up from silicon atoms and each of these atoms is surrounded by four oxygen atoms at the corners which creates an almost regular tetrahedron. Then there are the magnesium atoms, of them each are surrounded by six oxygen atoms which creates an almost regular octahedron. These two are linked by the sharing of there basal oxygen atoms which then forms a continuous layer.

Amosite asbestos is a part of the amphiboles rock group; this is mainly used as a flame retardant material within thermal insulation material such as ceiling tiles. This brown asbestos is typically used in insulating materials. The crystals in this type of asbestos vary and they can be flat prisms, brittle grains or long thin threads. The threads are commonly found in naturally occurring bundles.

The longer and thinner fibres of amosite are rather flexible and curve to form wide arches. These long wide arches of amosite fibres then break into minor groups that consequence in sharp needle like fibres. The ends of the fibres are plane and do not have tattered or split ends, this is one of the main characteristics that helps differentiate amosite from chrysotile asbestos fibres. Broken bundles also are frequently found and resemble broom tails in appearance. Remains of the crystal fibres can be recognized in some building resources that were manufactured with amosite. (davidcole)

Crocidolite asbestos is one of the five types of amphibole asbestos; this means the fibres in Crocidolite are made up of mineral crystals that look like chains. Crocidolite is often called “blue asbestos,” and occurs naturally in Australia, South Africa, Russia and Canada.

Crocidolite was the least types of asbestos used in commercial products. Crocidolite fibres usually bear a resemblance to chrysotile fibres but they are vaguely more brittle. This form of asbestos is harder than any other member in the amphibole family. This is also one of the most carcinogenic fibres as it induces the release of reactive oxygen species from phagocyte cells (cells that engulf and destroy invading organisms). This in turn damages the cells DNA and as all cells are programmed to die after a certain amount of time, the damaged DNA changes that and therefore the cell will reproduce uncontrollably. This will eventually result in malignancy and show the result of the carcinogenic properties of asbestos fibres. (carcin.oxfordjournals)

The contemporary use of asbestos dates from the late 1800’s where great amounts of asbestos deposits were discovered in Canada. Brusquely after this discovery commercial asbestos mine was opened in Russia. Since then the two former mentioned countries have been the main worldwide producers of chrysotile. There is no asbestos mined in the UK and the largest asbestos producer in the world is Russia. The main sources of asbestos that are imported into the UK are from Canada and South Africa.

It can be seen that Russia has been the largest producer of the most commonly used form of asbestos (Chrysotile). Whereas South Africa has been the smallest producer of white asbestos. These production values have dropped since the ban of asbestos around Europe, hence the amounts of asbestos used has declined.

tonnes. It also indicates the amount of asbestos that America has been using since the 1940’s. It can clearly be seen that America was the largest consumer of asbestos until the 1970’s when the use of asbestos started to decline. By 1999 the worldwide production of asbestos had also declined by more than a half since 1990. This signifies that around the 1990’s asbestos had started become prohibited around the worlds largest consumers hence the overall consumption of asbestos was rapidly reduced.

2.3– Processed

Asbestos is processed through a milling procedure, where the useful fibres are separated from the non-useful materials within the asbestos rock. When the fibres are separated they become shorter and also split lengthwise due to their crystalline structure. Many of the fibres that result from the milling process are too small to see with the naked eye. The fibres that are milled are graded by a machine as they pass through it they are caught in a sieve and then measured. This process may vary from mine to mine. There are many different grades of fibres that are used in the construction industry but the focal point is on those fibres that are in the respirable range, as it is these fibres that have the size and shape which can cause damage to human health by penetrating into the depth of the lungs, and this is where they will remain for long periods of time. (Asbestos: from rock to fabric, 1956)

2.4– Uses in construction

The first use of asbestos for construction purposes was in 1890 in the form of fireproof roofing materials. Later on in the next 10 years on from 1890 the use of asbestos expanded to engine gaskets and boiler insulation, it can be seen that the heat resistance properties of asbestos were being exploited for commercial use. Then from the early 1900’s the use of asbestos expanded to building insulation and in the 1930’s this had extended to a cement bonding agent. Indicating that asbestos had become a highly sought after material. Up to date it has been estimated that asbestos may be a component of more than 3,000 types of construction materials (Hess, 1998).

According to figures from the asbestos report from the committee, out of 143 000 tonnes of asbestos that was imported into the UK in 1976, roughly about 42 900 tonnes were used to manufacture construction products such as cladding sheets and roofing tiles (Stationery Office, 1979).

Due to the high heat resistance of asbestos it was mainly used in the construction for fire protection, i.e. to separate rooms. It can also be mixed with cement and used as a spray, which is then sprayed onto articles within a structure. Due to its high-quality weather resistance it was used on a large scale on roof sheets, pipes and guttering.

(Harrogate accommodation service)

There were many materials manufactured for construction purposes. They are as follows;

For the roofs of the buildings there were many different materials used, the main materials contained asbestos bonding. Cement roof slates, cladding and roofing sheets all contained asbestos bonding in the form of cement. The former three materials were all designed to be strong as they will face different temperatures and weathering. The combination of asbestos and cement made it very hard for these materials to release fibres, unless they were heavily damaged, drilled or cut using other machinery.

As mentioned above the roofing asbestos products were made to be very strong so therefore they are of low risk when it comes to releasing fibres and danger to human health compared to those asbestos products used on the inside of the building.

The flooring in buildings that were constructed with ACM’s may also contain asbestos. This can be in the form of 9×9 inches thick floor tiles which were used in the early stages of ACM’s becoming popular. The tiles also come in the 12×12 inches size which is the more common size used for floor tiles today. Linoleum floor sheeting is also another type of asbestos containing material that was used for floors of kitchens and bathrooms but was most commonly used in commercial buildings such as hospitals and school corridors. In addition mastic glue was used to stick the linoleum and tiles to the floor may have also contained asbestos. Like every asbestos product it should be assumed that these products contain asbestos until proven otherwise by microscopic identification (Sandro A, p68). The illustration above shows typical asbestos linoleum floor sheeting and asbestos containing wall tiles which could also be used for the floor.

Insulation was another material used in construction that contained asbestos namely crocidolite. This was used to line the attic of a building and in some cases to line fireplaces and pipes. Asbestos is chemically lifeless hence it has excellent thermal and electrical insulation properties and this is the reason for its use as insulation (Fillmore. W, Galaty, Wellington. J, 2002). It must be noted that asbestos was almost always bonded with other materials that were already being used for a certain job i.e. roof tiles, cladding etc. All the asbestos did is improve the properties of these materials making them more durable, heat resistant and flame retardant.

Acoustic ceiling materials were used to reduce the amount of sound travel between the floors of a building. The asbestos was used as a spray which was applied to the ceiling; this was mainly to save money from having to plaster the ceiling. The asbestos was bonded with ceiling paint and applied

Carcinogenic agents are those that can influence the carcinogenic development either by mutating vital target genes or by escalating the amount of cells at threat from mutations.

“Cytogenetic and molecular studies of asbestos-related cancers indicate that inactivation or loss of multiple tumor suppressor genes occurs during lung cancer development. Aneuploidy and other chromosomal changes induced by asbestos fibers may be involved in genetic alterations in asbestos-related cancers”. (Pubmed central)

Furthermore, asbestos fibers may influence the carcinogenic process by inducing cells to rapidly multiply and produce new cells or tissues, free radicals, or other promotional mechanisms. This indicates that asbestos fibers may act at numerous stages of the carcinogenic process by both genetic and epigenetic (changes the physical characteristics of an organism) mechanisms. The ability of the asbestos to remain in the lungs and body is undoubtedly important in fibre carcinogenicity. On the other hand, the time necessary for a fibre to remain in the lung to put forth a cancer-related effect is tricky to state. (Pub medcentral)

Studies of how health-related conditions occur in specific populations show that the amphiboles and chrysotile can increase the risk of lung cancer. The carcinogenicity of chrysotile has been recognised for some time by international bodies,

“This carcinogenicity was confirmed by the experts consulted by the panel; with respect to both lung cancers and mesotheliomas…we therefore consider that we have sufficient facts that there is in fact serious carcinogenic risk associated with the inhalation of chrysotile fibres” (epa.gov)

The above statement indicates that chrysotile has the carcinogenic ability to be able to cause cancer if people are exposed to airborne fibres. (Mesotheliomareference)

Details of exactly how asbestos fibres cause malignancy in cells is still largely unknown. Although there is a lack of information of how the malignancy occurs in the cells from these fibres the basics of how these mechanisms occur is known. It is not apparent if the asbestos fibres cause malignancy by encouraging the cells by direct relations or by the toxic materials that are released by the fibres which will eventually cause cancer. The fibres will first cause local irritation and inflammation to the neighbouring tissue, where they will get lodged afterwards. The inflammation and irritation causes the body to release chemicals, these chemicals cause changes in the cells and the interaction with the asbestos fibres and other factors which are largely unknown, will eventually cause the cell to continue onto a malignant change. (medicineworld.org)

The human body has different sets of genes for growth promotion and growth suppression. In a regular healthy state the genes that promote growth and genes that suppresses the growth are in good synchronization, so that the cell growth and cell division occur only when it is needed. These growths related genes are susceptible to and can get damaged by internal or external factors. Therefore if a growth suppressing gene is damaged the mechanism that controls the suppressing and unwanted growth might be lost.

Alternatively if damage occurs in the growth promoting genes, they might lose their capability to endorse cell growth, but some types of damage can actually increase the growth promoting ability of these types of genes. The result of this type of damage to the cell genes is that it no longer pays attention to the commands of the tumour suppressor genes and continues to multiply. Each cell is programmed to expire after definite number of cell divisions. Due to the damage this programmed cell death does not take place, in turn causing the cell to multiply without any control making the cell almost immortal. This ability to multiply without control and the immortality factor rapidly increases the chances of the cell to develop into cancer.

The asbestos fibre will damage the genes of the cells and causing genetic changes in a cell which is programmed to perform a certain task will almost definitely cause more harm then good, and in this case it can lead to cancer. So asbestos does have a level of carcinogenicity, but the factors that this depends on are varying i.e. length of exposure, type of asbestos exposed to. (Environmental Toxicants: Human Exposure and Their Health Effects, 2000)

3.1 – Fibre types and Health affects.

3.1.1 – Which is worst

Currently there is no strong evidence that supports which type of fibre is the most harmful to the human body. It is stated that chrysotile is the least harmful and that amosite is the most harmful as it has the highest link to lung and respiratory cancers and conditions.

3.1.2 – Why is the worst

3.1.3 – Illnesses

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelium; this is a thin membrane which lines the chest, abdomen and the organs that surround this area. This type of cancer is usually associated with Crocidolite, but it can also be caused by other types of asbestos as well. The cancer can develop even after very little exposure to asbestos fibres, and can take up to 15 years to develop. This is known as the latent period and in some cases it has known to take up to 40 years before it develops. It is also thought that this type of cancer may be related to other malignancies than just asbestos. As with all the types of asbestos cancers smoking can cause the cancer to speed up.

Lung Cancer from asbestos exposure can take two common forms the small cell lung cancer which is as stated by its title a cancer where the cells are small and round. Alternatively there’s the non small cell lung cancer, this is where the cancer cells are larger. Out of these two types of lung cancers the small cell lung cancer accounts as the main from by having a cancer relation of 80%, where as large cell lung cancer only accounts for 20% out of the two types.

Asbestosis is the progressive scarring of the lungs; this is due to continuous exposure to asbestos fibres. This illness may take years before it is noticed but the common signs of asbestosis also mimic those of other respiratory problems. The most common symptoms of asbestosis are breathlessness and dry coughs, but these can easily be confused with other problems. The asbestos fibres continuously irritate the lung surface causing it to scar and eventually leading to the thickening of the lung surface.

Diffuse Pleural Thickening Benign Pleural Effusion Benign Pleural Plaques Rounded atelectasis or folded lung Mesothelioma (asbestosawarenesswales)

3.1.4 – Occupational exposure

Electricians and construction labourers are one of the most common workers who have a higher chance of being exposed to asbestos. They are more likely to come across ACM’s as they work around the area of ACM’s, electricians work in lofts or re wire buildings where they have to disturb some of the materials. These materials may contain asbestos and therefore release fibres that can be inhaled and eventually cause disease. Construction workers when carrying out demolition on a building are at a very high risk of disturbing large amounts of asbestos fibres and therefore increase the amount they inhale. These two occupations may come across asbestos more often than any other occupations. (lhc.org)

Insulation workers and Laggers who apply insulation materials can also be at high risk of asbestos exposure, this is because they have to disturb walls and sometimes have to work near the roof of the building and these are the most common areas that asbestos remains in buildings. This is because asbestos was used in the spray form to help strengthen plaster boards and cement products and if any of these are disturbed then they will release asbestos fibres. This will expose the workers to high amounts of asbestos as these areas are not well ventilated and therefore they will be breathing in more fibres. (Asbestosawarenesswales)

Carpenters, Plumbers and pipe-fitters are also at risk from asbestos exposure because they have to drill through walls to carry out there duties and the drilling will agitate any asbestos fibres and therefore may cause exposure to asbestos.

The asbestos disease are all caused due to the asbestos fibres causing damage to the body in one form or another, either by damaging the cells at DNA level or damaging the tissue as a whole. These fibres are very sharp when examined under a microscope. It is this sharpness that causes the damage and also the ability of the human body to remove the asbestos fibres, as the cells try to engulf the fibres to destroy them, which is a near impossible task to do they and up being damaged in return. (asbestos.net)

All of the above occupations and many more are at risk from asbestos exposure and the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 makes sure than any building that is suspected to contain asbestos records it in an asbestos register and this register is shown to anyone who maybe carrying out work on the site. The regulations will be discussed in more detail during the course of this report.

4. – Remains/Assessments

4.1 – Types of building

Most asbestos will be remaining in buildings that were built, refurbished or repaired between 1950 and 1980, as this was the peak period were asbestos was used in building materials in the United Kingdom. The amount that remains in buildings is very hard to determine or even estimate as it will be a very time consuming job. All the relevant data that is needed to even make an estimation cannot be found in one place. There are many estimated and approximated figures for the amount of buildings within the UK which contain ACM’s. Most of the information is based on commercial and non-domestic properties.

Any buildings that were constructed before the year 2000 is assumed to contain asbestos unless there is strong evidence pointing otherwise. The reason for this is because the final ban on asbestos was bought in during the year 1999. This is also the basis of the estimation for the current status of asbestos in the UK, as the year 2000 was considered the year where all new asbestos building materials were completely banned in the UK.

4.1.1 – Commercial/Domestic

While there are no dependable figures, it is approximated that there are still thousands of tonnes of asbestos remaining in buildings. As many as 750,000 non-domestic premises may contain asbestos. (rgeurope)

Others governing bodies suggest that “It is estimated half a million commercial premises may contain asbestos” (amsscotland). So the estimated number of commercial buildings that may contain ACM’s is around the half million figure. This figure is estimated by adding up of all the non-domestic properties such as offices, schools, factories and hospitals that were built before the year 2000.

5. – Surveys

5.1 – How survey carried out

After an extensive search three types of surveys have been identified.

Type 1: Walk Through Survey

The first survey that is carried out is a presumptive survey. This survey does not involve any sample taking; rather it involves identifying all areas and locations which may have asbestos containing materials (ACMs) by a visual inspection. From this survey the condition of the ACMs are noted and there locations this is for the purpose of benefiting the person that may be carrying out work on a structure or occupying it. This is because any suspected materials have to be treated as asbestos containing materials unless there is a guarantee that the materials do not contain any asbestos. This confidence can only be reassured if the materials are glass, wood or metal. It must also be made sure that these materials that do not contain asbestos are not hiding any materials that do i.e. wooden joist hiding an asbestos ceiling tile etc. (Bridgend)

Type 2: Sampling Survey

This survey is that same as the first survey in all aspects except that samples are collected from some suspected materials and then these samples are sent off for analysis to a lab which will most likely use a microscope to identify the fibres. The sampling can be carried out at the same time as the survey and each suspected material is sampled. Unlike the first survey which can be carried out by an in house member this survey can only be carried out by a qualified and trained professional. (Bridgend)

Type 3: Pre-Demolition/Refurbishment Survey

This survey is carried out to gain full access to all ACMs and it may involve destructive inspection. This is a must if a building is going to be demolished because if the ACMs are not removed then the dangerous asbestos dust can be released into the air which can cause health problems on a large scale. This also helps to identify all areas with ACMs so they can be removed before a major refurbishment and replaced with more suitable materials. Therefore this survey is deemed necessary if work is going to be carried out on a large scale, so the current condition of any ACMs is established. As above this survey should only be carried out by a trained and qualified professional. (Ac-environmental-services)

5.2 – How to take samples of suspected material

Taking samples of suspected materials depends on the type of survey that is carried out. If there were materials that are suspected of containing asbestos during a type 1 walkthrough survey then no samples will need to be taken, this is because they will just be identified and there location noted. Whereas if type 2 or 3 surveys were carried out then the samples taken could be of thumbnail size or they could be larger. It should be noted that these samples will be identified as ACM’s under a microscope so there is a limit to the size that a sample can be. Samples from each suspected ACM are collected and analysed to validate or contradict the surveyor’s judgement. Sampling may take place with the survey or, in the case of some larger surveys, as a separate exercise following completion of a Type 1 survey.

5.3 – Procedures and Precautions taken

The procedures for taking samples are that first a site survey must be carried out in the form of risk assessment. Any risk found in the assessment will form the procedure to follow when taking samples. The main and foremost part of the procedures is that anyone taking samples must make sure that any disturbance of suspected ACM’s is kept to the bare minimum. This is because it will reduce the amount of fibres that are released. The person taking the samples must take into account that the premises may be occupied and the minimal disruption is caused to the client’s daily operations. There may also be employees or tenants on site and all precaution must be taken to protect their health and safety. (HSE)

The sampling personnel must also make sure that the adequate personal protection equipment is worn while carrying out this delicate procedure, as they are the ones closest to being exposed to the asbestos. They must make sure that the bare minimum that they use is disposable overalls, over shoes and a respirator. There may also be other equipment used but this depends on the risk assessments finding for example if the risk assessment found that there was asbestos that has been disturbed then air extraction may have to be used to stop the fibres spreading but if there is just suspected ACM’s then basic equipment mentioned can be used. (HSE)

There are different respirators for different types of ACM’s, which ever was identified in the risk assessment. The main precaution just before taking samples is to wet the suspected ACM to make sure that the amount of fibres released is minimal. The sample area can be wetted by using basic waster or a wetting agent. Wetting can be done in different ways for different materials, for boards and sheets the water or wetting agent can be sprayed directly on to the surface, as they will absorb better. For lagging and sprays an injection has to be delivered which allows absorption faster and more effective, rather than having to spray and the letting the agent settle. (HSE)

Holding a specially designed vacuum close to the area is another precaution that must be taken to insure that the minimal amount of dust escapes into the air. Special gaskets and sealants must be used to make sure any water or wetting agent that gets into the vacuum doesn’t cause any electrical damage that could affect the health and safety of the sampling personnel.

The sampling organisation must make sure that the area being sampled is unoccupied; this is to make sure that there is no exposure to anyone in the building at the time. Sometimes it is almost impossible to take samples in a building that is in constant use therefore the time where there is the least amount of occupation should be used for sampling. If at anytime any fragments of the ACM fall on to the floor, the precaution must be taken to cover the area where the fragments are most likely to fall. The material used to cover the floor must be impermeable as the dust and fragments may need to be wiped off to prevent them form spreading.

The next part of the procedure is to place the samples in to a container or a clear polythene bag, the precaution that needs to be taken is to put the first container or bag in to a second sealed container, and to make sure all the areas where samples were placed and areas of fragments left clean and no visible signs. (Mcga)

Finally the sampling points must be sealed off to prevent any further fibre release; this is most commonly done by using filler to fill the sample gap and then special tape to cover the area where the filler was used until it sets. These precautions and procedures have been put in place by the government to make sure that any type of sampling causes minimal disruption to ACM’s and to assess the risk that may be posed by occupants of that building. (OSHA)

5.4 – Types of lab test to identify asbestos

Initial search for any asbestos in a sample assumed to contain fibres should be done with a stereomicroscope. This is a low power microscope which allows preliminary finding of the different types of fibres that are present within the sample being tested.

Analysis of asbestos samples must be undertaken by a laboratory that is accredited by UKAS as complying with ISO 17025 (General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories BSI). (redsofts)

5.5 – How to identify and tell difference between the different types

6. – Removal/Disposal

6.1 – How long after tests done

Asbestos reports usually recommend that the removal of asbestos is carried out straight away, but it should also be noted that removal is rarely recommended. This is because removal may cause more of an impact then to have left the ACM’s in place and just managing them. Usually it is recommended that the ACM’s are encapsulated so that they do not release any fibres but if the damage is extensive then it is recommended that they are removed promptly as they may well breakdown and may cause more damage to health. At this stage encapsulating the ACM’s may not be an option and removal may be the only way forward although this is usually the last option. (HSE)

6.2– Procedures

To remove any asbestos certain protocol has to be followed before any removal takes place. There are guides for those who are licensed and those who are not licensed. Those who are licensed must make sure that they check with the owner of the property to clarify that only ACM’s are present on the site as they are only prepared to remove these. The asbestos removal contractors must ensure that they have safe access to the site; in some cases they may need a mobile access platform. This allows the contractors to reach any ACM’s within the building with ease and safety. The next step will be to restrict anyone from accessing the site as the less people on site the less chance of asbestos exposure. All doors to the area where the asbestos is going to be removed from must be sealed off and notices put up. This is to prevent anyone from entering areas of the building where they may become exposed to asbestos fibres. In addition it must be ensured that there is adequate lighting in the removal area. This is to ensure that the contractors do not break any ACM’s by mistake due to the lack of lighting. (HSE)

Some asbestos roofs are very fragile and cannot bear weight therefore there should be signs indicating this ensure that no-one climbs on the roofs. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) must be worn at all times. A disposable overall should be the main from of clothing worn when removing asbestos; the overall must also have a hood fitted to it. Boots without laces must be worn, this is because laced boots are very hard to decontaminate and may still contain asbestos fibres even after decontamination. Respiratory equipment must be worn in addition to PPE.

Finally all surfaces that are nearby or in the direct path of the asbestos must be covered with 500 gauge polythene sheeting, and fixed in place with duct tape. This to ensure that no asbestos fibres settle on any of the surfaces once the asbestos removal process begins. The polythene sheets can be wiped and decontaminated easily; therefore they are the best materials to use for this procedure. (HSE)

6.3 – How do you remove?

The first step is to make the decision to see if the asbestos can remain in place and covered with a suitable material. If this cannot be done then the removal procedures must be followed.

When asbestos material is removed extra precautions must be taken to minimise damage to any ACM’s. As this will make the area more hazardous to work in and also increase the risk of asbestos exposure. All the ACM’s must dampened before they are removed. This can be done by spraying water or using a wetting agent. The material must be removed slowly and as it is being removed extra spray of wetting agent should be applied under the material to suppress any asbestos dust. This process must be carried out gently as forcing any material out of place can cause it to rupture and release dust. Once the material has been removed it must be placed straight in to an airtight container, which is then put in to another container.

After this procedure has been completed and all offending ACM’s are removed, the area needs to be decontaminated. This can be done by using wet rags or tak cloths. Tak cloths are impregnated rags which contain a substance that allows the cloth to be able to attract minute dust particles; hence it is used to clean up asbestos contaminated areas. Rags which have been used to clean asbestos fibres cannot be re-soaked in the same water bucket as they will contaminate the water. The rags must be used on all clean sides until they cannot be used anymore and then they must be disposed of in an asbestos waste container.

Duct tape may be used to clean surface with small dust deposits as the dust will stick to the tape. It is better to use duct tape for small dust deposits as using a wet rag may spread the dust around, whereas using tape limits the amount that the dust can shift. All the waste rags and tape must be disposed of in to a waste container and then the container must be sealed off with tape. This container must then be taken to a asbestos disposal site, where it can be disposed of safely.

6.4 – Where does it go?

6.4.1 – Disposals

Asbestos waste is considered as ‘special’ or ‘hazardous’ waste, under these titles the waste cannot be treated as there is no waste treatment permit for asbestos. Any asbestos containing materials, contaminated tools etc must be sent to an asbestos transfer station which deals with such waste. The waste must arrive at the transfer station in suitable sealed containers, from here these containers are all transferred in to larger containers which are sent off to other waste facilities for disposal.

6.4.2 – Legislation/ Governing bodies

The Environment Agency regulates asbestos disposal and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) creates regulations which regulate the workplace. HSE enforces The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006. These regulations came in to force 13^th November 2006. They amalgamate the three previous asbestos regulations in one. The previous regulations are the prohibition of asbestos, the control of asbestos at work and asbestos licensing.

The new regulations still enforce all the bans from the previous three regulations. The ban in 1985 for blue and brown asbestos from being imported, supplied or used is still enforced by the new regulations. Along with the ban for white asbestos, this was placed in 1999. It must be clearly noted that the ban for asbestos only applies to new use of the material. Therefore any asbestos materials that are in place should not be disturbed or removed unless it is completely necessary.

The Control of Asbestos at Work regulations 2002 are still enforced by the HSE. They recommend that if the asbestos is in good condition, it must be left in place and actively monitored and managed. This will make sure that any change or disturbance in the materials can be noticed and the appropriate action taken. The 2006 regulations enforce the ‘duty to manage asbestos’ in non domestic properties. This means that anyone who enters that property and who may come in to contact with asbestos must be given adequate training.

The new Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005 which replaced the Special Waste Regulations 1996 “affect any business that produces, collects, transports, stores, recovers or disposes of hazardous waste” (Weenetwork).

This means that anyone that treats waste which is hazardous has to be registered as a hazardous waste producer with the Environment Agency (EA). To be able to transfer hazardous waste a consignment note has to be used. The consignment note is a legal requirement which helps the EA to track the transfer and treatment of any hazardous waste. The consignment note has details of the type of hazardous waste (in this case asbestos) that is being transferred and also the quantity of it. These notes must be kept by the recipient and the transfer agent for up to 3 years so if at anytime the EA need to find out where certain waste has gone they can track it by asking the to see the consignment note. This is similar to the transfer note which is used when non-hazardous waste is transferred. The only differences being that the consignment note is for hazardous waste only and must be kept for 3 years, whereas the transfer note is for controlled waste and must be kept for 2 years. (Environment Agency)

7. – Replacement Materials

7.1 – Types/qualities etc

• There are many suitable replacement materials which can be used for asbestos replacement. Fibramat is a new material that has recently been engineered from fibreglass. This new materials has all the strengths of fibreglass but none of its weaknesses. This material seems to be the most appropriate, as it possess similar characteristics of asbestos but it does not have any of the asbestos’s ill effects. This material is also 100% recyclable, thus making it a likely candidate for asbestos replacement. This material has the similar property of asbestos where it is highly resilient and it has outstanding thermal properties.

8. – Reference (author date, alphabetical order)

Internet Articles

Asbestos – An Introduction (online) Cited (12 November 2007) Available from: http://www.eclipsescientific.co.uk/informationsheets/asbestos%20introduction.htm

An Introduction to Asbestos Science (online) Cited (12 November 2007) Available from: http://www.asbestoswatchdog.co.uk/documents/FactSheetAnIntroductiontoAsbestosScience.pdf

History of Asbestos (online) Cited (13 November 2007) Available from: http://www.healthandsafetytips.co.uk/Articles/History_of_Asbestos.htm

History of Asbestos (online) Cited (13 November 2007) Available from: http://www.asbestosresource.com/history/

What is Asbestos? (online) Cited (13 November 2007) Available from: http://www.asbestos-answers.co.uk/history.htm

Asbestos Overview (online) Cited (13 November 2007) Available from: http://www.comcare.gov.au/safety/hazmat/hazardous_substances/asbestos

Working with Asbestos in Buildings (online) Cited (13 November 2007) Available from: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg289.pdf

Asbestos in Buildings (online) Cited (14 November 2007) Available from: http://www.sutton.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/04654CE0-9F77-4EC9-853A-1754F6420A39/0/AsbinBuildings.pdf

What Harm does Asbestos do? (online) Cited (14 November 2007) Available from: http://www.phhenv.co.uk/faq.html

Asbestos (online) Cited (17 November 2007) Available from: https://www.harrogateaccommodationservice.co.uk/main.asp?page=2250

Asbestos Surveys and Surveyors (online) Cited (23 November 2007) Available from: http://www.bridgend.gov.uk/Web1/groups/public/documents/services/023157.hcsp

Carcinogenesis (online) Cited (1^st February 2008) Available from: http://carcin.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/15/4/635

Books

Her Majesty’s stationary office. (1979), Asbestos: Final report of the advisory committee, Crown Copyright, London.

Brodeur. P, (1980), The Asbestos Hazard, New York Academy of Sciences, New York.

Michaels. L, Chissick. S.S, (1979), Asbestos: Properties, Applications and Hazards Volume 1, The Universities Press, Belfast.

Spencer A.J.M, (1972), Deformations of Fibre-reinforced Materials, Oxford University Press, London.

Purdy D.R, Williams D.H, (1977), Fibre Identification using Optical Microscopy, CEGB, London.

Carroll. P, Charles. Z, (1956), Asbestos: from rock to fabric, Textile Institute, Manchester.

Donald J. Pinchin, (1982), Asbestos in Buildings: A Study, Royal Commission, London.

Lippmann. N, (2000), Environmental Toxicants: Human Exposure and Their Health Effects, John Wiley and Sons, Washington.

Hess. K, (1998), Environmental Site Assessment, Phase 1: A Basic Guide, CRC Press, Maryland.

Sandro. A, (1986), Asbestos: Directory of Unpublished Studies, Taylor and Francis, Canada.

Fillmore. W, Galaty, Wellington. J, (2002), Modern real estate practice, Dearborn Real Estate Education, Ohio. Journals

Guillemin, Michel P., Madelaine, Paul. (1997a), ‘Asbestos in Buildings: The Difficulties of a Reliable Exposure Assessment ‘, Aerosol Science and Technology, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 221-243.

Essays, UK. (November 2013). Asbestos In Buildings: Types and Health Effects. Retrieved from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/property/asbestos-buildings-regulations.php?vref=1