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Today, we understand the dangers of asbestos, and wouldn’t dream of building homes, schools or anything using such a hazardous substance. However, up until 1999, the use of asbestos was perfectly legal in the UK, and its versatility meant that it was everywhere.
In this complete guide to asbestos in buildings, our expert team examines what asbestos is, the history of its use in construction, how many buildings still contain it, where it can be found, why asbestos is so dangerous, how to identify it, the legal responsibilities surrounding it and the future of asbestos regulation in the UK.
Whether you are a homeowner or a commercial building operator, if you suspect that your property contains asbestos, avoid it and call our professional team now on 01432 263333 for an asbestos check.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral which is mined from deposits in rocks beneath the earth’s surface. There are several different kinds, but all share the same fibrous appearance, only varying in colour. In total, asbestos comes in six different forms:
• Actinolite
• Amosite
• Anthophyllite
• Crocidolite
• Tremolite
• Chrysotile
Its long, thin fibres are flexible but very strong, making it an ideal construction material. Humans have been mining and using asbestos for at least 4,500 years, although its use is now banned in more than 60 countries worldwide because of the health risks it poses.
Asbestos began to be used as a construction material in the early 1900s and was combined with a huge range of other substances to make a wealth of products, from wall panels and roofs to floor tiles and insulation.
By the middle of the 20th century, asbestos products were everywhere. Its strength, moisture resistance, resilience to heat, affordability and insulative properties made it something of a wonder material.
However, as the century wound on, the cracks began to show. An increasing number of studies were conducted demonstrating the clear health risks presented by asbestos. Not only were those who worked with it at risk but even their loved ones could be exposed through fibres lodged in clothing, not to mention occupants of buildings constructed using asbestos materials.
As a result, the use of asbestos products of all kinds began to decline. By the late 90s, pressure on the UK government to act had grown, and the Asbestos (Prohibitions) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 was passed into law, making the importation and use of asbestos in the UK illegal. However, because it was used for so long, it is still common to find asbestos in buildings today, more than 25 years after the ban was enforced.
In 2022, the Asbestos Testing and Consultancy Association and the National Organisation of Asbestos Consultants published a report containing the results of almost 129,000 surveys from reputable asbestos surveyors. The report indicated that 78% of the buildings surveyed contained asbestos.
Prior to this, in 2019, the ResPublica think tank estimated that buildings across the UK still contained around six million tons of asbestos, and that 80% of schools and 74% of universities still featured asbestos building materials.
Because it is so versatile and durable, there is almost no limit to the number of items asbestos can be found in. Which of the following do you think could contain asbestos?
* Flooring
* Walls
* Roofs
* Insulation
* Guttering
* Pipework
* Water storage tanks
* Bath surrounds
* Toilets
* Sheds
• Garages
• Fireplaces
If you said, ‘all of the above’, that is correct, and this is by no means an exhaustive list. For more information about where asbestos can be found in both domestic and commercial properties, click here to visit the government website.
Yes, asbestos in house construction was extremely common, especially during the post-war housing boom as it was cheap and provided a wealth of benefits including water resistance, fire resistance and insulation.
If you own or operate a commercial, industrial or retail premises built before 1999, there’s a high chance it contains asbestos building materials somewhere in its structure.
Asbestos is made up of millions of tiny fibres. When these fibres are disturbed, they become airborne, where they can be inhaled. Once in your lungs, they attach to the lung wall and begin to agitate it.
Over a period of often several decades, this can lead to conditions such as mesothelioma and asbestosis, both of which have severe and life-threatening consequences including lung cancer. Even a quarter of a century after the banning of asbestos, it still kills more than 5,000 people a year in the UK alone.
The dangers of asbestos are particularly apparent in places where it was formerly mined, like Wittenoom in Australia. The town was home to a massive crocidolite asbestos mine until 1966. Mine workers would regularly bring home contaminated materials and blue asbestos used to literally blow through the streets. Now, it is estimated that as many as a quarter of the former mine workers will die because of mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure in the mine.
Identifying asbestos in building materials can be difficult because many look almost identical to non-asbestos variants. As a result, the only reliable, not to mention safe, way to locate asbestos materials within your premises is with an asbestos survey.
This will involve a trained professional attending your site with specialist equipment and protective clothing to review your property’s construction and collect samples of any suspected Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs).
There are three kinds of asbestos survey:
✓ Asbestos management survey – To locate any ACMs and advise on best practices for managing the
✓ Asbestos refurbishment survey – To identify any ACMs prior to refurbishment works, so they can be avoided or removed if necessary.
✓ Asbestos demolition survey – To ensure that any asbestos in buildings is removed before demolition works, protecting workers and the public from fibre exposure.
Each serves a different purpose, and each is more invasive than the last, but they all involve similar practices. Find out more about identifying asbestos in our blog post: ‘What Does Asbestos Look Like?’.
As of 2012, the management of asbestos in the UK is governed by the Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR). These regulations stipulate that a duty holder is responsible for the safe management of any ACMs at their premises. This applies to commercial, retail and industrial premises, as well as the communal areas within shared rented accommodation.
The duty holder is usually defined as the building owner, manager or operator – anyone with responsibility for the property. In accordance with the CAR, the duty holder must ensure that their property is regularly surveyed for asbestos and that a robust asbestos management plan is in place.
The same regulations do not apply to homeowners. However, without thorough surveying, identifying possible ACMs in your home can be difficult, risking asbestos fibre exposure for you and your loved ones.
To learn more about when asbestos surveys are required and your legal responsibilities, read our blog post: ‘When is an Asbestos Survey Needed?’.
Despite stringent governance, asbestos in the UK is still an ongoing issue, and the government is under pressure to require more than just ongoing management, given the high death toll the material still inflicts.
In 2022, the Work and Pensions Committee published a report titled ‘The Health and Safety Executive’s Approach to Asbestos Management’. In this report, the Committee suggested a 40-year deadline for the removal of asbestos from all public buildings in the UK, in light of the dangers it still poses to building occupants. The government refused to accept the timeframe, stating it believed that the current CAR regulations were sufficient.
Since then, charities, MPs and several asbestos surveying and removal companies have called on the government to accept the recommendations of the Committee’s report. Figures published by Mesothelioma UK in a 2023 report suggest that a rapid removal programme over 10 years would save the British public around £3.6 billion.
As pressure mounts, it is possible that we may see a change in the government’s attitude to asbestos in buildings.
Safely managing asbestos in buildings of all kinds begins with a survey. At EMS, we have been conducting expert asbestos surveys in Worcester and across the UK since 2003. We are UKAS-accredited and highly experienced, delivering exceptional service.
Find out whether your property contains asbestos and meet your legal obligations with ease by speaking to our friendly team today. Call us on 01432 263333, email us at info@emsgroupuk.com or fill out our contact form here.
In most cases, nothing. In many buildings, any asbestos is contained within other materials, preventing it from becoming airborne. However, if those materials become aged or damaged or are disturbed in any way, such as by drilling into a wall, asbestos fibres can be released, exposing nearby occupants. If you think you may have been exposed to asbestos in a building, speak to your GP at your next appointment.
Asbestos-related conditions such as mesothelioma and asbestosis can take decades to show symptoms. But once they do, they can include:
✓ Shortness of breath
✓ Persistent, dry cough that worsens with time
✓ Chest pain or tightness
✓ Widening (clubbing) of the fingertips and toes
✓ Weight loss, fatigue and loss of appetite
✓ Wheezing
✓ Coughing up blood
✓ Difficult swallowing
✓ Swelling of the neck or face
✓ Dry or crackling sounds when breathing in
If you think you have been exposed to asbestos, speak to your GP. They can make a note on your file and help you look out for symptoms, increasing your chances of catching them early.
Yes. There are no legal restrictions around asbestos in domestic properties, and much of the asbestos used in the construction of homes is likely sealed within other materials. However, you should do your best to identify and seal any ACMs to avoid the fibres being released as they age, so you don’t accidentally disturb them. For complete peace of mind, it is possible to have them removed entirely with licensed or non-licensed asbestos removal services.
Because many ACMs can resemble non-asbestos materials, it can be hard to identify them without professional help. The best way to know whether your property contains asbestos is to book an asbestos survey.
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