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Asbestos is a naturally occurring group of fibrous silicate minerals mined in many countries across the world. The most widely recognised types include Chrysotile (white Asbestos), Amosite (Brown Asbestos) and Crocidolite (Blue Asbestos). Less known types include Actinolite, Anthophyllite and Tremolite.
These fibrous minerals fit into 2 categories Serpentine - curly or snake like (Chrysotile) and Amphibole - Straight and needle like (All other types). This wonder material has been used worldwide both in industrial and domestic applications. Recognised for its chemical, heat and fire resistance as well as its strength and ability to be shaped and moulded into thousands of different products.
In its raw mined state, it looks like a vein in between the layers of rock.
As a loose fibre bundle, it can look like a small needles or small curly hairs.
As a product, the list is huge and includes common items such as textured coatings, floor tiles, coverings and adhesives, rope and woven products, pipe insulation, roof tiles, profiles roof sheets, rainwater goods, internal ceilings and wall linings etc…
Asbestos has been used in thousands of products. The Health and Safety Executive have produced a diagram and list of some of the more common asbestos products that you are likely to encounter.
Follow the link below for further information.
If you cannot find what you are looking for please get in touch and we will do our best to help you out.
If materials that contain asbestos are disturbed or damaged, fibres can be released into the air. If the fibres are inhaled they can cause serious lung diseases. These diseases do not show up immediately and often take a long time to develop. Once diagnosed, it is often too late to do anything.
Asbestos fibres are very small and are easily breathed in, they will in some cases remain in the lungs for a very long time, sometimes forever.
All asbestos types are dangerous however some are more hazardous than others.
White asbestos (Chrysotile) is a curly type fibre which generally splits along its length creating additional strands, this type of fibre is more easily caught by the lining hair in the nose and throat and likely to be coughed up or breathed out. Brown (Amosite) and blue (Crocidolite) asbestos have needle like fibres and are more likely to become lodged deep in the lungs, our natural defence system is unable to break these fibres down which results in serious lung conditions including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.
The first thing to do is forward on some details of what you have found. If possible send over a photograph as it may help determine the next course of action. There is no cost for us to look at what you send over and it may help to save you time and money.
If a site visit is required we can agree a suitable time to visit your property, collect a sample for laboratory analysis and access the condition of the material at the same time. If urgent attention is required we can provide you with the details of some local contractors suitably trained and qualified to help you out.
If you own or are responsible for maintaining a property including common areas of domestic properties then under Regulation 4 of The Control of Asbestos Regs (2012) you are legally required to manage asbestos within your property. As a minimum you must have a management plan detailing exactly how you will manage asbestos, in most cases this plan is based around the findings of the Asbestos Management survey.
In addition to the management of asbestos, if you plan to refurbish or demolish a building or part of it then you must carry out a survey specific to your proposed scope of works. This ensures that all areas where work is being carried out has been included in…
This is a service Forth Asbestos Service can assist you with, We have many years experience supporting clients to build and maintain their Asbestos Management plans. Alternatively the HSE web site offers advice and guidance designed to aid you in the compilation of a suitable document. Once you have a completed management plan Forth Asbestos Services can review the document to ensure that it provides adequate processes for your business.
Anyone who has the potential to disturb asbestos as part of their routine activities, or are responsible for supervising workers must receive initial asbestos awareness training followed up with annual refresher training course.
In addition to the awareness training there are many other asbestos related training courses available depending upon the skill set you require. For further infomation on what training is available please follow the BOHS link at the bottom of this page.
If there is asbestos in your property and it is in good condition, there is no need to have it removed.
If the asbestos material is damaged it may be possible to remove the damaged section and seal any exposed areas, however in most cases full removal may be the best option. Advise on this should be sought on a case-by-case basis.
Where asbestos has been discovered as part of an asbestos refurbishment survey for the property and the asbestos is likely to be disturbed as part of the works it should be removed. If, however the asbestos is in good condition and can be safely enclosed for the duration of the work behind another non asbestos material e.g. timber then this option may be suitable as it would avoid the need for unnecessary removals and associated costs.
If a property is due to be demolished, then all asbestos materials as identified within the asbestos demolition survey report should be removed prior to demolition of the building.
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What Our Customers Say
Stuart carried out a refurbishment survey for a house we purchased. He gave great advice over the phone and in person, explained the whole process, and even popped back after the survey to confirm one extra question. We now know what we're dealing with and have clear next steps to deal with the asbestos that was found. Highly recommend.
I decided to fix a damaged wall and during the process I suspected there could be Asbestos present. I then emailed Forth Asbestos late on a Thursday night and was answered straight away. Stuart came over the next morning, collected the samples and delivered the results in the afternoon on the same day. He was extremely helpful and gave me recommendations on what to do throughout the whole process. I strongly recommend!