About asbestos

Asbestos was originally hailed as a "wonder fibre" because of its heat and fire resistant properties and has been commonly used in domestic, commercial and industrial premises.

There are three main types of asbestos, commonly called:

· blue asbestos (crocidolite)

· brown asbestos' (amosite)

· white asbestos' (chrysotile)

There is no safe level of exposure and all types are dangerous. You cannot identify them just by their colour. Presume that a building material may contain asbestos unless there is firm evidence otherwise.

Why is asbestos dangerous?

Breathing in asbestos fibres can lead to you developing one of three fatal diseases:

· Asbestosis which is a scarring of the lung leading to shortness of breath.

· Lung cancer

· Mesothelioma which is a cancer of the lining around the lungs and stomach.

There is no cure for asbestos-related diseases. It is important to remember that people who smoke and are exposed to asbestos fibres are at even greater risk of developing lung cancer.

These diseases can take from 15 to 60 years to develop, from first exposure, so you would not be aware of any sudden change in your health after breathing in asbestos fibres.

Many of those suffering today from asbestos-related diseases worked in the building maintenance trades. They were carpenters, shopfitters, plumbers, electricians, gas service engineers etc. They were exposed to asbestos fibres in their day-to-day work with asbestos materials or because work with asbestos was carried out near them.

Where is asbestos found in buildings?

The importation and use of blue and brown asbestos has been banned by law since 1985. In 1999 the importation, supply and use of white asbestos was also banned with the exception of a few specialised uses where there is no suitable substitute available. These will have ceased by 2005. But, many thousands of tonnes of asbestos were used in buildings in the past. Much of this is still there and you cannot easily identify it from its appearance.

Its most common uses were:

· loose asbestos packing between floors and in partition walls;

· sprayed ('limpet') asbestos on structural beams and girders;

· lagging on pipework and boilers, calorifiers, heat exchangers etc;

· asbestos insulating board ceiling tiles, partition walls, service duct covers, fire breaks, heater cupboards, door panels, lift shafts linings, fire surrounds, soffits etc

· asbestos cement products such as roof and wall cladding, bath panels, boiler and incinerator flues, fire surrounds, gutters, rainwater pipes, water tanks etc; and

· other products such as floor tiles, mastics, sealants, decorative coatings, rope seals and gaskets (in pipework etc), millboard, paper products, cloth (fire blankets, etc) and bituminous products (roofing felt, etc).

If it is in good condition and undisturbed, asbestos poses no risk to health. If disturbed, the fibres may be inhaled and lead to disease. Therefore it makes sense for landlords to implement a duty to manage to ensure health and safety,