Asbestos - H&S at work

Asbestos is a fine naturally-occurring fibre which is small enough to penetrate the lungs. There are various types of asbestos, some of which are more toxic than others. But for the purpose of this information sheet we will treat all the same. If the lungs are exposed to asbestos they can be scarred and become inefficient, exposure can also cause lung cancer. Exposure to asbestos has killed many thousands of people and the number dying continues to grow as a result of exposure many years ago.

Asbestos is then a very dangerous material which should only be handled by licensed specialist contractors. It is no longer used in work places but previous installations will still exist. Likely past uses were for:

Boiler lagging
building lagging particularly steel support and joists to protect them from fire
gaskets where they are exposed to heat or flames
vehicle brake linings
fire proof wall sheeting
roof sheeting as asbestos cement.

There is an obligation upon employers to establish if asbestos exists in their workplace. New buildings will not be a problem but any installations over 10 years should be suspect. The main danger normally arises where asbestos is disturbed, for example someone breaking up asbestos cement roof sheeting or drilling into a wall containing the material.

If there is any doubt it is worth having the building surveyed by a specialist contractor - the HSE link opposite can provide contact information.