Asbestos FAQ's

What is Asbestos?

• Asbestos is a natural fibrous mineral that is mined in open cast mines
• The types are Chrocidolite (Blue) Amosite (Brown) Chrysotile (White)
• Asbestos is a fire retardant and resistant to chemicals.
• Asbestos was put in over 3000 items including floor and ceiling tiles, textured coatings, pipe lagging and garage roofs.
• Asbestos was totally banned in the UK in November 1999

Why is Asbestos a Hazard?

If asbestos is in good condition and left undisturbed it is not seen as a health hazard. It is only when the asbestos is disturbed or damaged that it can be dangerous. This is when the fibres can become airborne and inhaled by the people in the vicinity of the asbestos.

When inhaled you are exposed to the possibility of contracting Plural Plaques. This is seen as a forerunner of Asbestosis which is a fibrotic scaring of the lungs leading to shortness of breath and eventually the use of a ventilator 24/7. For some people this can turn into mesothelioma which is a cancer of the inner lining of the chest wall. These diseases can be contracted by even very low amounts of exposure and can take anywhere from 10 to 60 years to come out in your system.

How much asbestos is still out there?

In the 50's. 60' and 70's there was 9 million tones of asbestos imported into the UK. When cement was added to make asbestos sheets it came to 20 million tones. It was put into over 3000 items including floor tiles, pipe lagging, textured coatings (Artex), paints, internal partitions, central heating systems, roofs, gutters, rainwater down pipes, cement cladding, fire protection to structural steelwork, fuse boxes, bitumen products and many more. We banned the Blue and Brown in 1984 and the White in 1999. However, there is still believed to be about 6 million tones still out there

How can I help to protect my staff and visitors to my premises?

Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos (2006) states that the Duty Holder of a commercial premises must manage the ACMs within the premises. He can do this by creating an asbestos register. This register will tell his staff and visiting contractors where the asbestos is in the building, what type it is and what condition it is in. It should also show how the company manages any found asbestos. This can be a daunting task for someone who does not know anything about asbestos. This is why it is recommended you call in Cromwell Associates Ltd to assist you in this task. We can provide a free no obligation quote.

Who has the Duty of Care?

The duty holder is defined by the legislation

"Duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises 4. - (1) In this regulation "the duty holder" means -

(a) every person who has, by virtue of a contract or tenancy, an obligation of any extent in relation to the maintenance or repair of non-domestic premises or any means of access thereto or egress there from; or

(b) in relation to any part of non-domestic premises where there is no such contract or tenancy, every person who has, to any extent, control of that part of those non-domestic premises or any means of access thereto or egress therefrom,

and where there is more than one dutyholder, the relative contribution to be made by each such person in complying with the requirements of this regulation will be determined by the nature and extent of the maintenance and repair obligation owed by that person."

In simple terms it is often down to the type of lease you have on the property. If you have a full repairing lease from your landlord, then you are responsible for the fabric of that building and you are the duty holder. If your lease is a non repairing lease then your landlord is responsible for the fabric of that building and he is the duty holder.

It goes without saying if you own the property then you are the duty holder

What are the responsibilities of the Duty Holder?

The Duty Holder has to manage asbestos either themselves of via a designated person/company. His/her responsibilities are:

• take reasonable steps to determine the location and condition of materials likely to contain asbestos;
• presume materials contain asbestos unless there is strong evidence that they do not;
• make and keep an up to date record of the location and condition of the ACMs or presumed ACMs in the premises;