There is a very good chance that asbestos is present in homes built between the 1950s and the early 1980s. It may also be found in homes built before or after these dates. If it is in poor condition, gets damaged or releases fibres in any way, you and other residents are at risk. If you carry out DIY on asbestos products, you are putting yourself in danger.

This factsheet, part I of two, describes the hazards of asbestos, where it could be found in your home and how it should be dealt with. Part II, in Daily Hazard 57, will cover legal rights and responsibilities and how residents can take action to ensure their safety.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a mineral which is resistant to heat, fire and corrosive chemicals. There are three main types: crocidolite (blue), amosite (brown) and chrysotile (white). It is composed of fibres which are so small most can only be detected under a microscope. As asbestos ages, it becomes crumbly or "friable" and fibres are released more easily.

What Illnesses can Asbestos Cause?

The minute fibres can penetrate deep into the lung and remain there more or less indefinitely. Massive exposure to dust can cause scarring of the lung and the respiratory disease asbestosis. Much smaller exposure can cause lung cancer. It can also lead to mesothelioma, a form of cancer almost exclusively due to asbestos exposure, and cancers of the larynx and stomach. All conditions can take 10-40 years to develop and all are fatal. All types of asbestos can kill. Children are especially at risk.

Where is Asbestos Found?

Asbestos was used in all sorts of materials found in the home. The following list is not complete and should only be used as a guide.

Combined with different quantities of bonding agent, asbestos was used to lag the steel support framework in tower blocks and services such as heating pipes, electrical conduits and ventilation ducts. In hard-board form it was used on the back of service intake doors, panels at the back of gas fires, bath panels, etc. In plaster-board form it was used as wall board, especially where there are service ducts running behind. It was also used as a filler in textured ceiling and wall coverings like Artex, in linoleum floor tiles and artificial slate roofing. It is found in some storage heaters, ironing boards, brake and clutch linings and garage roofs and walls. It was combined with cement for use in corrugated roofing, pipework, etc.

You cannot determine whether a material contains asbestos by visual inspection. Detection requires analysis (see later).

Is Asbestos Still Being Used?

Blue and brown asbestos imports have been banned in the UK since the mid-1980s. A ban on the import of white asbestos will probably come into effect in 1998.

Asbestos Sampling

Sampling for analysis is a special skill and should only be done by qualified people. Taking a piece of solid material from products such as wall panels is called bulk sampling. Taking samples of dust from surfaces is known as wipe testing. Air can be sampled by drawing it through a pump when fibres are retained on a filter. More reliable results are obtained when dust is made airborne by, e.g., opening and closing doors. This is called a disturbance air test.

Asbestos Analysis

There are two standard tests for asbestos both requiring microscopic examination. The cheaper method uses an optical microscope; the more expensive and accurate way is by electron microscopy. Analysis should only be performed by companies with UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) accreditation.

When is Asbestos a Problem?

Asbestos is dangerous when fibres can be released. Even minor damage can produce many fibres, sometimes directly in the area of breathing (drilling a hole, for example). Damage can also be done by wallpaper scrapers, rubbing down asbestos panels or Artex with sandpaper and removing asbestos panels to gain access to services. Asbestos products can also be damaged accidentally if they are scraped, knocked or vandalised. Cutting asbestos with electrical tools and smashing asbestos products with a hammer are extremely dangerous and must be avoided at all costs.

If product containing asbestos is damaged it can continue to give off fibres for a considerable time. In 1985, the London Hazards Centre revealed that even banging a door closed near asbestos wall panels could lead to serious fibre release (see Daily Hazard 3).

When is Asbestos not a Problem?

If asbestos is removed from your home and disposed of safely, it is no longer a problem. If it is sealed safely ("encapsulated"), then it will not be a problem unless the sealant gets damaged.

What Should be Done?

Eventually, all asbestos will have to be removed from buildings. But the amount in homes is so huge that total removal in the short run is not on the cards. Other approaches may need to be taken. In some cases it may be easier to remove all the asbestos from each home in an estate following a programme of works. In other cases it might be better to follow the management approach below. Residents should be fully involved in the planning and execution of this process.

Asbestos Management

All properties should be surveyed to see if there is asbestos present. Any found in a dangerous condition should be removed, preferably, or encapsulated. Asbestos left behind should be put on a public register. All residents should be informed of the asbestos present and of the risk. All properties should be inspected regularly, say every six months. If asbestos is found to be damaged it should be removed or re-encapsulated and the register updated.

Removal versus Encapsulation/Renovation versus Demolition

Encapsulation is often, misguidedly, seen as the cheaper option compared with removal. What is often left out of the equation is the continual need to inspect, test and maintain or remove any asbestos present, which can be time consuming and costly.

Renovation of an estate may not be the best option as many have intrinsic design faults on top of the asbestos problem. Demolition and rebuilding may be the better option. Grants from central government available for this kind of work tend to be given only if estates are privatised. Whichever policy is pursued, residents must be allowed to decide what becomes of their homes and estates.

Home Owners

Home owners are responsible for any asbestos in their homes. The law only comes into play if asbestos in private homes could harm anyone other than the owner. Many right-to-buy owners are pursuing compensatory claims against their Council for money for asbestos surveys and removal but there is yet to be a successful case. There is an obvious argument for special treatment but the bill for local authorities would be massive and there is no commitment by central government. Consult a solicitor with experience of this issue if you are thinking of making a claim.

Tenants

Your landlord has responsibility for asbestos. But the law does not spell out what this means. Check with your tenants' association or with a law centre or solicitor if you are thinking of taking some action.

Resources

Asbestos Hazards Handbook. London Hazards Centre. 5.00 + 0.50p postage to tenants groups, union branches and individuals (12.00 + 1.50 postage to commercial organisations). All round handbook for tenants and workers. Asbestos Materials In Buildings. Department of the Environment. Stationery Office. 7.95. ISBN 0-11-752370-4. In depth information on what types of asbestos were used in all locations with information on health issues, surveys, removal etc Asbestos and You. HSE. Free. IND(G)107(L). HSE Books. 01787 881165. Brief leaflet on asbestos health issues, exposure limits etc. Asbestos. Part 1: Policy and Practice in Local Authorities. September 1985. AMA now the Local Government Association, 36 Old Queen St, London SW1H 9JE. 0171 222 8100. This sets out policy on asbestos surveys and informing tenants.

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