What is asbestos?
Asbestos is the name for a group of natural occurring mineral fibres which are strong and both heat and chemically resistant. Asbestos is the single greatest cause of work-related deaths in the UK.
As long as asbestos is in good condition and is not disturbed or damaged there is a small risk. But if it is damaged or disturbed, this can become a danger to health because asbestos fibres are released into the the air and people may breathe them in.
It is now illegal to use asbestos in the construction or refurbishment of any premises, many thousands of tonnes of it were used in the past such as; insulation products such as fireproof panels, plant and pipework, asbestos cement roofing material, lagging on plant and pipework and many more materials. A lot of this material is still in place however, buildings constructed after 2000 are unlikely to contain asbestos materials.
Do not disturb asbestos. Asbestos is only dangerous when it is disturbed and is safely managed and contained, it is not a health hazard. If asbestos does not need to be removed leave it as removing asbestos unnecessarily can be more dangerous than leaving it.
Working with materials containing asbestos
The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 apply to all types of work involving asbestos and materials containing asbestos. They place specific duties on employers and the self-employed.
You must find out if materials containing asbestos are present. If possible, before you start, plan any work to avoid disturbing these materials.
If you have to carry out work which may disturb materials containing asbestos you must prevent exposure to asbestos fibres.
Higher-risk work, such as most asbestos removal, must only be undertaken by a licensed contractor, but any decision on whether particular work is licensable is based on an assessment of the risk.
Where can you find asbestos?
Asbestos can be found in an residential or industrial building built/refurbished before the year 2000.
It can be found in ceiling tiles, insulation, cement, roofing felt ,textured decorative coating (artex) and much more!
Why is asbestos dangerous?
- Asbestos kills around 5000 workers each year, which is more than the number of people killed on the road
- Around 20 tradesmen die each week as a result of past exposure
Asbestos can be present today and is not just a problem from the past as it can be present in buildings (Built before 2000).When materials that contain asbestos are disturbed or damaged, fibres are released into the air. When these fibres are inhaled they can cause serious diseases. These diseases will not affect you immediately; they often take a long time to develop, but once diagnosed, it is often too late to do anything. This is why it is important that you protect yourself now.
Asbestos can cause the following diseases:
Mesothelioma – Cancer which affects the lungs
Asbestos-related lung cancer – Lung cancer (Looks the same as lung cancer caused by smoking)
Asbestosis – Scarring condition of the lung (causes shortness of breath and in severe cases can be fatal)
Pleural thickening – Where the lining of the lung thickens and swells (Can cause shortness of breath and discomfort in the chest)
Asbestos Training
The Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) apply to employers, employees, self-employed persons and duty holders and cover all work with asbestos containing materials. Regulation 10 of CAR states that every employer must ensure that adequate information, instruction and training is given to employees who are liable to be exposed to asbestos. This includes maintenance workers and others
who may come into contact with or disturb asbestos.
Workers must be able to identify asbestos containing materials and know what to do if they come across them in order to protect themselves and others.
As well as informing candidates about the risks of working with asbestos, the course will deliver content to help them recognise asbestos containing materials, make them aware of where it was used, include steps they can take to minimise the risks and discuss the legislation that applies to working with asbestos.
The Asbestos Awareness course is designed for anyone who may come into contact with asbestos in their work. Most commonly, that includes builders, plumbers, electricians, carpenters and other building related and maintenance trades.
Click on the below link to register for your asbestos awareness eLearning today!
