In 2023, anyone hearing the word ‘asbestos’ will immediately connect it with danger; as a well-documented cause of illness and death, its handling is now subject to rigorous health and safety legislation. However, due to its previous popularity, the discovery of its presence is a regular occurrence in the construction and fit out industry. In this blog, we delve into the history of asbestos use, and explain the safeguards in place for its management.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral, and there is evidence of its use as far back as the Stone Age, as a strengthener in ceramic pots. Its name is derived from an Ancient Greek word which translates as ‘unextinguishable’ or ‘unquenchable’, because when used as a candle wick it would never go out. Pliny the Elder referred to ‘asbestinon’ in his first century manuscript ‘Natural History’, and references can be found to it and its fire-resistant properties in Ancient Egyptian and Persian texts. The Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne is even reputed to have had a tablecloth made of asbestos.
In spite of this early evidence of the use of asbestos, it wasn’t until the mid 1800s that large-scale mining took off, centred in Canada, Russia and South Africa. Its use became progressively widespread towards the end of 19th century as a fire-retardant, and it was gradually incorporated into numerous products including concrete, bricks, pipes, cement, gaskets, bitumen flooring, roofing ceiling insulation, fuseboards, pipe insulation, sprayed-on textured wall coatings, fire doors, brake pads and even paint. It was used widely in shipbuilding, steam engine manufacture and power generation plants.
By the early 1900s the dangers of using asbestos were beginning to be understood, which makes it all the more astonishing that it took so long for prohibitive legislation to be brought in. Here in the UK, its use wasn’t fully banned until 1999. In Canada, a ban on use came into force in 2018, and although regulated, there is no ban on its use in the US. Asbestos is still being mined in Russia, China and Kazakhstan.
There are two sub-groups of asbestos, serpentine and amphibole. Serpentine asbestos, which was banned in the UK in 1999, has a layered or sheet-like form, and is the most widely-used type. Amphibole asbestos, which includes the blue and brown forms and was banned in the UK in 1985, has a chain-like or needle-shaped formation and is the more carcinogenic of the two. Its popularity as a product arose because it’s resistant to heat, water and chemicals.
Inhalation of asbestos fibres can cause mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer and pleural thickening. According to the UK Asbestos Training Association, from 2012 – 2019 there were an average of 2520 deaths per year from mesothelioma. Earlier projections that annual deaths would gradually fall during the 2020s due to legislation appear to be bearing out.
For anyone working in the construction industry, issues arising from the discovery of asbestos are commonplace. All site managers should complete an online asbestos awareness course to comply with the Health & Safety Executive’s Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. This helps managers identify what they’re looking at.
Any contractor starting demolition or stripping out work on site has to begin with an asbestos survey if the building was built before 2000; there will nearly always be some asbestos content. In fact, it was so widely used throughout the 20th century that some old buildings are virtually un-developable, as the cost of stripping them out for demolition is too high.
A specialist surveyor will collect samples, and if asbestos is discovered, work is stopped immediately, which also happens if the presence of asbestos is suspected at any other stage.
If it does turn out to be asbestos, there are strict procedures to be followed, which vary depending on whether asbestos has been uncovered but remains intact, or whether it has been damaged and is therefore likely to have released fibres into the air.
For the former, the area should be sealed off, warning signs erected and arrangements undertaken for the asbestos to be made safe.
For the latter, the site is sealed off and anyone entering the area should be wearing full PPE, including respiratory protective equipment. On leaving the area full decontamination should take place and any clothing or PPE must be disposed of as contaminated waste.
There are several routes for the handling of asbestos in situ. In some circumstances non-licensed site workers who have undertaken the necessary training are permitted to work on areas where it has been found, in accordance with regulations and in controlled conditions. These include drilling of textured decorative coatings in order to install fixtures and fittings, and maintenance work involving items such as asbestos cement roof sheeting, tiles and rainwater goods, ropes, gaskets, bitumen roof felt and tiles, damp-proof coatings and mastics. Workers can also remove items such as loosely fixed asbestos insulating board (AIB), small areas of textured decorated coatings and asbestos cement products, providing the material can be handled without breaking up. Work can also be carried out on asbestos-containing materials such as paints and rubber where the fibres are bound in a matrix, i.e. covered and coated within another material.
Where there is deemed to be ‘significant hazard, risk or public concern’, a licensed asbestos contractor must be called in, and failure to do this by management can have major repercussions, including imprisonment. All amphibole asbestos comes under this category.
When asbestos is discovered, it can either be removed completely or made safe in situ. In the event of a building being taken down, complete removal prior to demolition is necessary.
The first step is to turn off the air conditioning and seal the area so fibres can’t circulate. Professional workers in full PPE will wet the asbestos with water and surfactant to prevent fibre release, and use specialised tools to cut the material. It’s then placed in airtight, clearly-marked containers which will be disposed of responsibly. During removal, an industrial high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter vacuum and wet clean up methods will be employed, and after this meticulous testing will take place to ensure the surrounding area is safe.
Unless a building is going to be demolished, it’s often more cost-effective and just as safe to neutralise it. One method is encapsulation, where the asbestos is covered and sealed with a protective layer, using a low-pressure spray under controlled conditions.
All asbestos work on a building must be logged in its asbestos register which is handed over to the client on completion and which needs to stay with the building.
As professionals undertaking enabling works, fit outs and site surveys, the Oakwhite team is highly experienced and fully trained in asbestos identification and management. Dealing with deadly materials demands responsible and ethical supervision and we work closely with licensed asbestos contractors when they are required. If you have concerns about asbestos in your project, we’re happy to talk it through with you. Contact us by email or call us on 01403 586062.