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Further information by business type

• Asbestos removal and contracting companies
• Asbestos surveyors
• Building/property managers

What is asbestos?

Asbestos is the fibrous form of magnesium silicate. Asbestos fibres vary in length and may be straight or curled. The fibres are resistant to heat and most chemicals.

Where is asbestos used and found?

Due to its resistance to heat and chemicals asbestos can be found in a variety of objects including fireproofing, electrical insulation, building materials (roofing, ceiling and floor tiles), asbestos cement products, brake linings and chemical filters. Asbestos was used extensively as a building material in the UK from the 1950s through to the mid 1980s. Some of this has been removed but thousands of tonnes are still present in buildings today.

Health effects

Asbestos is a known carcinogen. Inhalation of asbestos fibres can cause them to lodge in the lungs leading to health problems such as asbestosis (thickening and scarring of lung tissue) and mesothelioma (a highly lethal tumor of the pleura) as well as cancers of the lung, intestines, and liver.

Types of asbestos

There are three main types of asbestos:

- Chrysotile (white asbestos): It is the least brittle (and therefore less likely to be inhaled) type of asbestos and therefore the most often used industrially.
- Amosite (brown asbestos).
- Crocidolite (blue asbestos): Commonly thought of as the most dangerous type of asbestos.

Asbestos today

It is estimated that at least 3500 people in the UK die each year from asbestos related diseases caused as a result of past exposure to asbestos. Currently, those with the highest risk of contracting asbestos related diseases are asbestos removal workers and workers involved in the repair, maintenance and refurbishment of buildings - such as plumbers, carpenters and electricians.