Search Environmental
Limited
Search Environmental Ltd
Everything you need to know about asbestos
Many people have worries about asbestos, but undisturbed asbestos usually poses no problems. However, care should be taken to prevent the release of fibres as they can cause serious damage to your health. As soon as you suspect there may be asbestos present in your property in the UK, contact
Search Environmental Ltd.
What is asbestos?
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has been used in a range of building materials to make them more rigid and fire resistant. It has also been used in household products such as ironing boards and oven gloves. Asbestos was used extensively as a building material in the UK from the 1950s through to the mid 1980s but wasn’t finally banned from use until 1999. Some of the areas in your home where you may find asbestos include gutters, rainwater goods, fire blankets, garage & shed roofs, linings for walls, ceilings and doors, insulation panels in some storage heaters, bath panels, central heating flues, loose asbestos packing between floors and in partition walls and floor tiles.
Most people are exposed to low amounts of asbestos present in the atmosphere with no ill effects. Asbestos fibres and dust are potentially very dangerous if inhaled in higher concentrations over a period of time, when they can cause serious lung diseases including cancer. The symptoms of these diseases often do not appear for between 20-30 years after exposure to asbestos.
What to do if I think I have asbestos?
It is very hard to identify asbestos, but if you suspect that you are living with asbestos:
- Don't panic and leave asbestos alone, it's safe unless it's damaged or disturbed.
- Never sand, drill or saw asbestos materials.
- Always seek professional advice before thinking of removing asbestos materials.
- Do not attempt to remove asbestos lagging, spray coatings or insulation boards by yourself. Instead, contact Search Environmental Ltd as soon as possible.
These materials can only be safely removed by a licensed contractor. Sometimes it will be necessary to take a sample to identify the type of asbestos. Our team is fully trained and competent in sampling and
surveying of all types of domestic properties.
Legislation and important information
The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 came into force in April 2012. This regulation replaced CAR 2006 which brought together the three previous sets of regulations covering the prohibition of asbestos, the control of asbestos at work and asbestos licensing. The Asbestos Regulations also include the ‘duty to manage asbestos’ in non-domestic premises. The CAR 2012 places a duty on anyone who is in control of the maintenance of non-domestic premises or those controlling access to premises to:
- Take reasonable steps to identify where asbestos may exist, its amount and what condition it is in.
- To presume materials contain asbestos unless there is strong evidence to the contrary.
- Keep up-to-date records of the location and condition of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) or materials that are presumed to contain ACMs.
- Carry out risk assessments from the materials identified.
- Produce and implement a formal written Asbestos Management Plan by 21 May 2004.
- Take steps to put the Management Plan into action including marking of ACMs and include plan review arrangements.
- Inform/consult internally with all those who need to know of the location and condition of ACM’s.
- Ensure that external employees, contractors, etc. are adequately informed and instructed on the precautions to be taken.
Besides the safety of yourself, your staff, other users and the public, if you are employing a contractor to work on your premises, you also have a duty to make sure that the work will not lead to asbestos exposures and that the contractor has carried out a risk assessment and identified work practices to reduce exposures.
At Search Environmental Ltd, we specialise in surveying all types of commercial and domestic premises in the UK including industrial units, factories, shops, public houses, hotels, guest houses, churches, farms, offices, hospitals, schools, communal areas in flats, care homes and apartments.
Trust our expert team
If you think there is asbestos in your property, or you would like to learn more about our services, simply email us today at enquiries@searchenvironmental.co.uk.
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