As part of the current Regulations, the Control of Asbestos Regulations (2012) requires that anyone who is likely to come into direct contact with an asbestos containing material (ACM) through work related activities should receive awareness training.
The group of people most likely to come in to contact with asbestos are normally associated with the maintenance or installation of services into a pre 2000 constructed building and include, general maintenance staff, plumbers, joiners and electricians, heating and ventilation engineers, fire and security alarm installers and IT cable installers or engineers.
This list is not definitive, therefore if you have any concerns over the type of activity you undertake within a property please get in touch and we will provide you with further information.
If you have any training requirements that you would like to discuss please do not hesitate to contact Forth Asbestos Services, where we will tailor our training packages to fit your specific requirements.
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.
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.
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!