Asbestos is a naturally occurring, soft, flexible and heat-resistant fibre. In the UK, it was widely used in construction and other industries right up until the late 1990s. In the UK, the three most common types of asbestos fibres are blue (crocidolite), brown (amosite) and white (chrysotile).
Asbestos was a hugely popular building material – not only is it an effective insulation material, it’s also fire and heat resistant, sound absorbing, strong, cheap and widely available. It was most commonly used for building insulation, flooring and roofing.
In the 1920’s and 1930’s, the concern around the use of asbestos was growing and lung conditions were being noticed. But it wasn’t until the early 1900s that researchers began looking into an increasing number of deaths in asbestos-mining towns. Eventually, it was realised that when asbestos dust is inhaled or ingested, mineral fibers can become permanently trapped in the body. Over a long period of time, often decades, these trapped fibers sometimes develop into cancers such as Asbestosis and Mesothelioma. Asbestos also causes other health conditions such as progressive lung disease.
There is no safe level of asbestos exposure, but those that are exposed more frequently and over a long period of time are more at risk. Despite misconceptions, age doesn’t play a role – there are reported cases of mesothelioma in the children of asbestos workers whose only exposures were from the dust brought home on the clothing of their family members.
Thankfully, the use of asbestos containing materials was banned in the UK in 1999. But even today, asbestos kills around 5000 workers in the UK annually – more than the number of people killed in road accidents, and around 20 tradesmen die each week from past exposure.
The use of asbestos is now banned in the UK but existing asbestos materials are permitted to stay in use until they reach the end of their service life. The material still exists in many buildings that were constructed before the year 2000. Some asbestos materials were even used in the building structure, so the only way they can be removed will be by demolishing the building itself.
Although these materials can’t be used in construction projects today, asbestos removal is a service that is becoming more sought after in both commercial and domestic settings. Construction workers in particular are often required to remove it from buildings they are renovating or demolishing so they still need to be aware of asbestos and how to do their jobs safely around the material.
One of the easiest ways to stay safe and keep your workers safe around asbestos is to provide them with relevant and up to date health and safety information. At FRS we offer a wide range of practical and online training courses including Asbestos Awareness and Asbestos Awareness for Architects and Designers.
Our Asbestos Awareness course covers the risks of working with asbestos and how to minimise them, how to recognise asbestos, where asbestos is used and the legislation about working with asbestos. As the name suggests, our Asbestos Awareness for Architects and Designers covers very similar topics but with specific information for designers and architects.
All of our online courses can be booked through our website and if you’re looking for some bespoke, in-person health and safety training about Asbestos or any other topic, please get in touch with our team for more information.
Call us today on 01179 866397 or get in touch today
