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Asbestos Removal Legislation in the United Kingdom
In 2006, the Control of Asbestos Regulations was passed, and they went into effect on 13 November 2006. Under this new legislation, the previous sets of asbestos-related regulations are brought together. The Regulations:
–prohibit importation, use, and supply of all types of asbestos
–continue the ban on brown and blue asbestos that was introduced in 1985
–continue the ban introduced in 1999 for white asbestos
–bans second-hand asbestos use
The aforementioned asbestos bans apply to the new use of the mineral. Asbestos removal may not be necessary if the mineral is undisturbed and in good condition. However, the condition of the existing asbestos must be monitored to ensure that it is not disturbed. If the mineral is disturbed and the fibres are released into the atmosphere, then asbestos removal is necessary.
The above Regulations also require workers who handle or work with asbestos to complete mandatory training. Such workers would include maintenance workers, asbestos removal workers, and anyone else who might make contact with the mineral. People who handle or work with asbestos are also required to take certain precautions. Exposure to asbestos must be kept to a minimum, and workers must use respiratory protective equipment.
The Importance of Asbestos Removal
Asbestos removal is important because it can help save a person from possible exposure to its toxic fibres. It is believed that undisturbed asbestos does not pose a health risk. However, if it is disturbed and becomes airborne, it is extremely dangerous to inhale its fibres, particularly over an extended period of time.
Can You Safely Perform an Asbestos Removal?
You should always get professional advice before attempting an asbestos removal. Some asbestos products can only be removed by a licensed professional or a well-trained individual. Do not try to conduct an asbestos removal if the mineral is present in spray coating, lagging, or insulation boards. These types of materials must be removed by a professional. If you think you have asbestos in your house and would like to take a sampling of it to be check, then you should call a well-trained individual to help. Don’t try to gather a sample, examine the material yourself, or navigate the asbestos removal process without first consulting an expert.
Guidelines for Asbestos Removal
The following guidelines can help you in the asbestos removal process. Keep in mind that these are simply the most common rules of thumb. You should always consult an expert before you handle asbestos or attempt any type of asbestos removal project on your own. When working with asbestos, be sure to:
–always wear an asbestos-approved dust mask to protect yourself from particles and fibres, especially during the asbestos removal process
–keep others out of the work area so that they won’t be exposed to the asbestos during the asbestos removal process
–always wear disposable overall attire in case the material gets onto your clothes
–check to see that there is no possible electrical contact, and if not, then wet the material with water and soap
–do not use a domestic-style vacuum cleaner during the asbestos removal process (the fibres could get into the filter)
–put all small or loose items in plastic bags, seal and label them
–always extract whole sheets of the material, do not tear it or break it
–clean all dust with a wet cloth, and whilst it is damp, close it up in a plastic bag
After asbestos removal, remember that you should not dispose of the mineral with other household waste products. Instead, you should have it picked up by a facility trained to dispose of hazardous waste.
Who to Contact Concerning Asbestos Removal
The Health and Safety Executive offers advice and information about asbestos removal. Contact them for questions about asbestos as well as information on finding a professional who specializes in asbestos removal. You can even arrange to have a professional inspector make a visit to your home to identify and confirm that asbestos is present. From there, the inspector can advise which steps to take in asbestos removal.
Due to the health risks associated with asbestos, the asbestos removal is governed by a number of health and safety laws which must be followed. It makes very little practical difference whether the asbestos removal is licensable work or not, as the same basic requirements apply.
If the asbestos in your property is in the form of concrete or solid sheets, for example on the roof of a garage, then you may be allowed to do the work yourself without a licence. However, you must still work according to the Asbestos Removal Regulations 2006 – you must wear disposable overalls and an asbestos approved mask, you must keep people away from the working area and you must ensure the material is kept wet in order to reduce the risk of fibres separating from the rest of the material. Plastic ground sheets are essential to collect dust and make wrapping of the waste easier. Sheets or tiles must be removed in one piece and never broken up as this will release asbestos fibres, so you need to carefully examine the condition of asbestos containing materials before you begin work to ensure there is no risk them splitting or breaking while the removal is carried out. A general rule of thumb is that the higher the percentage of asbestos there is in a product, the easier it is to damage during asbestos removal attempts. Dust must be picked up with a damp cloth and sealed in a plastic bag with the cloth, and vacuuming dust is forbidden as asbestos dust can pass straight through the filter and back into the air.
If the asbestos containing material is in poor condition and there is a chance that it will break up during removal, then it should be removed under licence by a professional company. You must also consider whether you can safely remove any material that is in good condition but is fixed in place, such as insulation boards or roofing tiles which cannot be removed without sawing, drilling, breaking or otherwise damaging the structure of the material.
Disposal of the asbestos waste is also tightly regulated. Large sheets and tiles should be wrapped and sealed in polythene, and small pieces of dusty or loose waste should be dampened and sealed in a strong plastic bag, with all waste clearly marked ‘Asbestos’. It must not be disposed of in the bin with your usual household rubbish, so you need to contact your local authority for details of hazardous waste disposal. Some authorities offer a collection service, while others have special collection points for small amounts of asbestos waste at refuse areas.
When all these factors have been considered it is obviously much better to use a professional company to do the work, even in those cases where a licence is not required. Asbestos removal is one of those areas where knowledge and experience count, and where the risks far outweigh any advantage of DIY type approaches. A licensed asbestos removal company will be aware of current regulations, they will ensure that the risks of working with asbestos are minimised, and they will be able to dispose of the material legally and safely.
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a natural mineral. It is fire-resistant, which makes it an ideal building material. The first use of asbestos has been traced back 2,000 years to the ancient Greeks. In fact, the mineral’s name is the Greek word for “inextinguishable.” It is believed that slaves in ancient Greece were some of the first laborers to handle asbestos. They used the material to weave asbestos into cloth. The ancient Greeks also used asbestos for candle wicks and clothing. Even in ancient times, people noticed that workers who handled asbestos developed lung trouble. However, there are no indicators that the society performed any type of asbestos removal or banning.
During the Middle Ages, the use of asbestos declined. However, there was a resurgence of asbestos use during the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution called for building materials to use in steam pipes, turbines, ovens, kilns, and other industrial products. Asbestos was frequently used to build such materials because of its heat resistant properties. Despite the failing health of asbestos workers, no one adequately regulated the mineral or attempted any type of asbestos removal from factories, shipyards or buildings. People either ignored the workers’ illnesses or discounted them.
Around the turn of the 20th century, people began to realise that sickness and subsequent death due to lung problems occurred heavily in towns where asbestos was mined. In the United States, various studies in 1917 and 1918 observed that asbestos workers were dying young. It was eventually discovered that inhaling asbestos fibres would negatively affect a person’s lungs. However, no one declared any asbestos removal projects or bans during this time period.
What are the Types of Asbestos?
There are six types of asbestos: tremolite, actinolite, anthophyllite, chrysotile (also called white asbestos), amosite (also known as brown asbestos, crocidolite (blue asbestos).
Asbestos in the UK
In 1924, an English doctor made the first diagnosis of asbestosis, a respiratory illness caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibres. The patient was a thirty-three-year-old woman who had been working with asbestos for about twenty years. After the diagnosis, a study on asbestos workers was conducted in England. In that study, one quarter of the workers tested showed signs of lung disease caused by asbestos. During the 1930s, several medical journals published articles that suggested a link between asbestos and cancer. However, it would take several years before the British government and the United States government would begin to focus on asbestos removal. Even when these governments began to mandate asbestos removal and control, it still did nothing for the thousands of workers who had already been exposed to it.
In the UK, asbestos was used heavily from the 1950s through the middle of the 1980s. Much of its use went into making insulation for houses, offices, schools, hospitals and various other residential and commercial buildings. In fact, in the United Kingdom, any building constructed before the year 2000 could possibly contain asbestos.
Even after it was discovered that asbestos was toxic, some companies continued to mine the material and use it extensively, ignoring the health risks to which it exposed their workers. Some companies ignored safer alternative products for the sake of profit. Many of the workers were exploited in that they were unaware of the hazards of inhaling asbestos fibers. Most employers did not make steps toward asbestos removal or safety protection for asbestos workers.
Why is Asbestos Harmful?
When people inhale asbestos fibres, these fibres may cause serious illness. About 4,000 deaths per year occur because of asbestos-related illnesses. The four major diseases caused by asbestos exposure are:
–Diffuse pleural thickening, which is not always fatal
–Asbestosis
–Lung cancer
–Mesothelioma, a rare type of cancer
Who is at Risk?
In Britain, asbestos fibres are found in the environment. This exposes people to low levels of asbestos. However, those at the highest risk of developing an asbestos-related illness are those that breathe in large amounts of asbestos fibres. Therefore, basic environmental exposure puts people at a very low risk of illness, whereas, those who work with asbestos are much more likely to develop health problems.
What is Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is an uncommon form of cancer that is most often caused by asbestos exposure. This type of cancer can develop in the lining of a patient’s heart, lungs or abdomen. There are four types of mesothelioma:
–pericardial (heart)
–pleural (lung)
–testicular
–peritoneal (abdomen)
In its earliest stages, there are no symptoms of mesothelioma. In fact, it can take several decades for a person to develop mesothelioma after initial exposure to asbestos. For this reason, the best way of detecting early-stage mesothelioma is from having regular checkups for asbestos exposure. An early diagnosis is important, especially because patients don’t often develop symptoms until the cancer has spread or progressed.
Common symptoms of pleural mesothelioma most often include the following:
–raspy, consistent coughing
–trouble swallowing
–shortness of breath
Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma most often include:
–fatigue
–abdominal pain
–nausea
–lumps or swelling under the abdominal skin
Patients with pericardial mesothelioma generally show the following symptoms:
–cough
–irregular heartbeat
–fatigue
Testicular mesothelioma is the rarest form of mesothelioma, and there is little information about symptoms of this form of the disease. There is no cure for any of the four types of mesothelioma.