HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES
“Asbestos is a mineral formed within the veins of a rock. It is
naturally occurring – it doesn’t grow, doesn’t form, and doesn’t appear.”
THE HIDDEN KILLER
There is a big misconception that asbestos is man- made, but that’s not the case. It is a mineral formed within the veins of a rock. It is naturally occurring – it doesn’t grow, doesn’t form, and doesn’t appear.
Asbestos is naturally an excellent electrical insulator and highly heat-resistant so, for many decades, it was used as a building material in the UK. Asbestos remains in schools, hospitals, factories, offices and homes that were built before its ban in 1999, which means the health risk posed by asbestos is as real today as it was when the substance was first put into the buildings.
Exposure to asbestos has been linked to Mesothelioma, a type of cancer that develops on a thin layer of tissue that covers internal organs known as the mesothelium. More than 80% of mesothelioma cases are caused by exposure to asbestos with the greater the exposure, the greater the risk.
After 20 years of an asbestos ban being in place, you would think deaths rates would have decreased. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. There are still thousands of people experiencing the effects of asbestos years after working with it and there can be a long wait between first exposure and someone developing signs of the diseases.
When Acorn was established in 2000, the peak in death figures was predicted to be in 2010 and be around 4,000 deaths per year, but sadly, in the last 10 years, we’ve gone over 5,000 deaths per year, meaning we are still seeing an increase in deaths 20 years after the ban. Now, the end of 2020 has been predicted to be the peak in terms of death figures.
Despite the tough regulations in place, the number of organisations and businesses who have no idea about their responsibilities regarding asbestos management
12
Twenty years on since the use of asbestos was banned, Acorn Analytical Services Director Neil Munro explains why the substance is so hazardous and how it should be managed.
is high – some have never even had a survey carried out. The prospect of managing asbestos can be daunting, particularly for those who have never done it before, but asbestos management is crucial to keep people safe.
The duty holder for non-domestic premises should evaluate buildings and locations which may contain asbestos. If you have a building built prior to 2000, you need to think about asbestos. Historic buildings may also need to be considered if they have had more recent extensions. Next, collate any information you have on the buildings, including plans, details about the construction materials and previous reports or asbestos surveys which will help you to identify the presence of asbestos. At this point you should be able to identify whether you have the asbestos information you need, have inadequate asbestos information or no information at all.
The next step is to get a non-intrusive Asbestos Management Survey carried out by a competent surveyor - the HSE strongly recommends using a UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) organisation.
The management survey will give you the information about any suspect materials and will include a material risk assessment which looks at how easily, or how readily, materials will release their asbestos fibres, to help you formulate what needs to be done. You then need to assess the risk of someone in your building coming into contact with asbestos and produce an Asbestos Management Plan.
Asbestos regulations do not say you have to get rid of all asbestos because that is virtually impossible until the building is demolished. However, you must manage your asbestos.
www.acorn-as.com
www.tomorrowshs.com
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