Asbestos: The risks and your responsibility

The Health and Safety Executive has recently launched a new campaign to highlight the risk of asbestos in buildings and to raise awareness of the legal duty of managing those risks.

Asbestos is the leading cause of work-related deaths in Great Britain claiming the lives of around 5,000 workers in the UK each year. This number is greater than the number of people killed on the road.

Around 20 tradesmen die each week as a result of past exposure.

Where can asbestos be found?

Although banned in 1999 asbestos certainly is not a thing of the past - it can be present today in any building built or refurbished before the year 2000.

What can asbestos lead to?

Asbestos, the leading killer of workers in the UK can cause the following four fatal and serious diseases:

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a cancer which is almost exclusively related to asbestos exposure. It affects the lining of the lungs (pleura) and the lining surrounding the lower digestive tract (peritoneum).

By the time Mesothelioma is diagnosed, it is almost always fatal.

Asbestos-related lung cancer

Asbestos-related lung cancer looks the same as lung cancer caused by smoking and other causes.

It is estimated that there is around one lung cancer for every mesothelioma death.

Asbestosis

Asbestosis is a serious scarring of the lung that typically occurs after heavy exposure to asbestos over many years.

It can cause progressive shortness of breath and can be fatal in severe cases.

Pleural thickening

Occurring after heavy asbestos exposure, Pleural thickening is a condition where the lining of the lung (pleura) thickens and swells. This can cause the lung to be squeezed causing shortness of breath and discomfort in the chest.

Smokers are at greater risk

It is important to remember that people who smoke and are also exposed to asbestos are at a significantly greater risk of developing lung cancer.

What materials contain asbestos?

Asbestos-containing materials can include but are not limited to:

• Asbestos cement
• Asbestos insulation board
• Asbestos textiles and gaskets
• Floor tiles and coverings
• Loose-fill insulation
• Pipe and boiler insulation
• Sprayed asbestos coatings
• Textured decorative coatings

Who is the duty holder for managing asbestos in buildings?

The duty holder, or person who has the legal duty to manage asbestos in a building could be the:

• Building owner
• Landlord
• A person or organisation with clear responsibility for the building maintenance or repair

Training for the duty to manage

To ensure that asbestos-containing materials in your building are properly managed, you must identify a competent person within your organisation who will be responsible for that management.

A competent manager will have the resources, skills, training and authority to ensure ACMs are effectively managed.

The right person for the role is likely to be the owner for a small company, a health and safety manager for a larger organisation, or a maintenance, facilities or estates manager for other organisations.

Advice on finding a training organisation can be found here.

What buildings does the duty to manage asbestos apply to?

• All non-domestic premises such as offices, factories or shops
• Common parts of multi-occupance domestic premises such as purpose-built flats

What does the duty to manage asbestos as part of the Control of Asbestos Regulations require the duty holder to do?

• Assess if there are asbestos-containing materials, also known as ACMs present, the amount, where they are and their condition
• Presume materials contain asbestos unless there is strong evidence that they do not
• Make a record or register of the location and condition of the ACMs or presumed ACMs - it is important to keep this record up-to-date
• Assess the risk of anyone being exposed to airborne fibres from asbestos-containing materials
• Write, execute and monitor an asbestos management plan to manage the risk and review it every 12 months or sooner if necessary
• Monitor the condition of any ACMs or suspected ACMs
• Provide information on the location and condition of ACMs to anyone who may work or disturb them including the emergency services

Products to consider when handling asbestos

Respirator masks

Prevent the inhalation of asbestos fibres by using a respirator mask when handling asbestos.

HSE states that an APF 20 mask is sufficient for asbestos removal - a JSP Force 8 Half Mask with P3 filters is a very effective, innovative and cost-efficient product choice.

It is important to remember that the wearer must be clean-shaven to achieve a complete face fit.

It is not recommended to use powered products when working with asbestos as if the power stops working for any reason, or the wearer becomes stuck or falls ill, the person has zero protection until they leave the area. Whereas with a non-powered product, they will be fully protected even if they were to be rendered unconscious.

The JSP Safety Force 10 full-face mask can also be used for added protection.

Asbestos sacks

Asbestos should be safely disposed of using heavy-duty asbestos waste sacks that are clearly marked with a warning to comply with UK and UN laws.

Waste must be placed in a red asbestos sack which then needs to be placed inside a clear asbestos sack and taped.