Specialist asbestos removal services in Scotland

Asbestos can be found in any building built before the year 2000 (houses, factories, offices, schools, hospitals etc) and causes around 5000 deaths every year. Abestos was used because it is a group of fibrous minerals that are extremely durable and helped with fireproofing, insulation and weather resistance.

• Asbestos still kills around 5000 workers each year, this is more than the number of people killed on the road.
• Around 20 tradesman die each week as a result of past exposure
• However, asbestos is not just a problem of the past. It can be present today in any building built or refurbished before the year 2000.

When materials that contain asbestos are disturbed or damaged, fibres are released into the air. When these fibres are inhaled they can cause serious diseases. These diseases will not affect you immediately; they often take a long time to develop, but once diagnosed, it is often too late to do anything. This is why it is important that you protect yourself now.

Asbestos can cause the following fatal and serious diseases:

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a cancer which affects the lining of the lungs (pleura) and the lining surrounding the lower digestive tract (peritoneum). It is almost exclusively related to asbestos exposure and by the time it is diagnosed, it is almost always fatal.

Asbestos-related lung cancer

Asbestos-related lung cancer is the same as (looks the same as) lung cancer caused by smoking and other causes. It is estimated that there is around one lung cancer for every mesothelioma death.

Asbestosis

Asbestosis is a serious scarring condition of the lung that normally occurs after heavy exposure to asbestos over many years. This condition can cause progressive shortness of breath, and in severe cases can be fatal.

Pleural thickening

Pleural thickening is generally a problem that happens after heavy asbestos exposure. The lining of the lung (pleura) thickens and swells. If this gets worse, the lung itself can be squeezed, and can cause shortness of breath and discomfort in the chest.

There are three main types of asbestos found in building materials. These are:

• Crocidolite (blue asbestos)
• Grunerite (brown asbestos)
• Chrysotile (white asbestos - formerly known as Amosite  ) 

All of them are dangerous but blue and brown asbestos are more hazardous than white. You cannot identify them just by their colour. Sprayed coatings, lagging and insulating board are more likely to contain blue or brown asbestos. Asbestos insulation and lagging can contain up to 85% asbestos and are most likely to emit fibres.

Asbestos is most commonly found in:

• Loft and wall insulation (loose fill asbestos)
• Lagging (around boilers or calorifiers and around pipework)
• Sprayed coatings on ceilings, walls and beams/columns (mainly on the underside of roofs and sometimes the sides of buildings and warehouses)
• AIB (Asbestos Insulating Board - used as a fireproof material for partition walls, ceiling tiles, soffits and the panels below windows)
• Floor tiles, textiles and composites (fire blankets, heat resistant gloves, toilet cisterns, bath panels and lining)
• Textured coatings (mainly coving and 'Artex')
• cement fixtures (roofs, wall cladding and down pipes)
• Roofing felt and rope seals and gaskets

If during your work, you discover materials which you believe to be Asbestos stop work immediately. Put up a warning sign and ensure nobody enters the area. Report the problem to whoever is in charge and arrange to have a sample of the material analysed. If it does not contain Asbestos, then work can continue. If the material does contain Asbestos, this will need a licensed contractor to remove the materials. Alternatively, you could presume that the material contains the worst type of asbestos and apply the appropriate controls, using a licensed contractor. If you are employed in-house, remember to inform your manager to update the asbestos management plan or report it to the customer.