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Asbestos is a fibrous silicate. It has a very unique range of physical properties that lend itself to uses such as fireproofing, thermal insulation and resistance to chemical attack. Tiny asbestos fibres are also very strong for their size and as such asbestos has commonly been used to reinforce other materials. Its wide range of beneficial physical properties combined with its ease of extraction and use, has meant that it has been extensively used as a building material in the UK from the 1950s through to the mid-1980s.

Any building built before the year 2000 can contain asbestos.

In general terms asbestos containing materials that are clearly in good condition are relatively safe, unless disturbed. When damage or decay occurs tiny asbestos fibres may become airborne, as a result we may breath them in. Asbestos fibres are only of significant risk to our health when fibres are released that are small enough for us to breath in. The become what is known as ‘respirable’.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring material. It is a fibrous silicate, which forms within small veins within rock. Deposits can be found throughout the world.

Most commercially extracted asbestos was imported into the UK from:

the former Soviet Union,
Canada,
South Africa,
Australia,

Small deposits of various types of asbestos can even be found in the UK.


Asbestos was and in parts of the world still is, extracted using mainly open cast mining techniques. The asbestos generally forms veins in rock. The surrounding rock is mined and when crushed, processed and refined a (cotton) wool-like fibrous material emerges. This is the raw asbestos fibre that is incorporated into other materials, and used for various uses.
Whilst no definitive written list seems to exist, it has been estimated that over 3000 different uses of for asbestos have been recorded. Clearly this is a vast array of uses and is not one that any one individual would be fully aware of. Asbestos mining is still undertaken in parts of the world, although through various pressure groups, health organisations, trade unions and governments there is a general (if slow) movement to ban its extraction and use.

When mined, crushed, processed and refined a (cotton) wool-like fibrous material emerges. This is the raw asbestos fibre that is incorporated into other materials, and used for various uses. When these fibres are inhaled they can cause serious life threatening conditions which are responsible for three main diseases:

Mesothelioma (which is always fatal),
This is a rare form of cancer, but it is increasing rapidly. It commonly affects the pleura, the lining of the lung, or the peritoneum, the lining of the abdomen. The latent period between asbestos exposure and development can be long and varies anywhere between 10 and 50 years. Death usually follows diagnosis of the disease within six months to a year. Asbestos exposure is the only recognised cause of mesothelioma. The risk of developing mesothelioma is not believed to relate to cigarette smoking.

Lung cancer (almost always fatal) and
Lung cancer can be caused by asbestos. Such cancers are indistinguishable from those caused by cigarette smoking or other agents, which together with asbestos are responsible for making lung cancer the most common type of cancer to cause death in the population as a whole.

Asbestosis (not always fatal, but it can be very debilitating).
Scarring of the lungs resulting in ineffective oxygen transfer, shortness of breath and ultimately death.


Unlike many other occupational diseases, asbestos-related diseases manifest themselves over a long incubation period, extending from between fifteen and sixty years. As a consequence, present cases are mainly attributable to past exposure where airborne fibre levels were inadequately controlled, or not controlled at all.

Asbestos fibres are present in the environment in Great Britain so people are exposed to very low levels of fibres. However, a key factor in the risk of developing an asbestos-related disease is the total number of fibres breathed in. Working on or near damaged asbestos-containing materials or breathing in high levels of asbestos fibres, which may be many hundreds of times that of environmental levels could increase your chances of getting an asbestos-related disease.

When these fibres are inhaled they can cause serious diseases which are responsible for around 4000 deaths a year. There are three main diseases caused by asbestos: mesothelioma (which is always fatal), lung cancer (almost always fatal) and asbestosis (not always fatal, but it can be very debilitating).

Remember, these diseases will not affect you immediately but later on in life, so there is a need for you to protect yourself now to prevent you contracting an asbestos-related disease in the future. It is also important to remember that people who smoke and are also exposed to asbestos fibres are at a much greater risk of developing lung cancer.

No cures are presently available for asbestos-related diseases

Because asbestos fibres are present in the natural, and man made environments, people are exposed to very low levels of fibres continually throughout their lives. Qualities are comparatively small, but they are there nevertheless. However, a key factor in the risk of developing an asbestos-related disease is the total number of fibres breathed in. Avoiding repeated high exposure is a key element of the health and safety guidance and of the Health & Safety Executive awareness campaigns.

It is generally accepted that there is a direct correlation between levels of exposure, and the possibility of contracting an asbestos-related disease. It is also believed that not only high levels of exposure result in disease, but also regular exposure to even small levels of airborne fibre may have the same result.

It has been demonstrated that the people most likely to develop asbestos-related diseases are those who have had significant long term occupational exposure. At this point in time, the people most likely to find themselves exposed to asbestos are mainly those in the building-related industries.

For example those in the following industries:

• demolition,
• refurbishment,
• plumbing,
• cable installation,
• surveying;
• in fact those at most risk can be anyone who disturbs the fabric of a property.

It should always be borne in mind that asbestos is a natural material, and as such there is therefore an ambient level of asbestos fibres in the air even here in the UK. Everyone has some asbestos fibres in their lungs. It is exceedingly unlikely that anyone being exposed to airborne asbestos contamination on a one-off basis, or even several short duration exposures, during his or her lifetime will end up developing an asbestos-related disease. Nevertheless it is wise to keep the possibility and frequency of exposure to an absolute minimum.

Statistics demonstrate that there is a correlation between asbestos exposure and early death. They also show that asbestos-related diseases are almost totally limited to occupational exposures (or to the immediate families of those exposed workers - who take contamination home on their clothes). Recognising that asbestos is a clear hazard or in other words something with the potential to cause harm, the real conclusion must be to deal with the material in a controlled manner.

Asbestos has been widely used because few other substances have anywhere near the properties that asbestos has. Even fewer are available at economically viable prices.

Asbestos is strong yet flexible, and it will not burn or degrade in fire, it conducts electricity very poorly, yet provides excellent thermal and acoustic insulation characteristics. For these reasons it has proven an extremely versatile material to use in the composition of a huge variety of building materials.Dependent upon usage and the specific asbestos selected, it is also a highly resistant material from acids or alkali attack. For this reason its properties have lent itself to many technical and industrial applications also.

It has been estimated that around 3,000 different types of commercial products have contained asbestos at some point. The actual amount of asbestos in each product has varied from as little as 0.1% to as much as 100 percent. Despite this huge diversity of use typically only asbestos cement materials (roof sheets and cladding panels) are the products most frequently recognised by the public.

To get the most out of a survey all areas of a property will need to be accessed, where safe or reasonably practicable to do so. Such areas may include;

• roof voids,
• storage areas,
• cupboards,
• secure areas,
• plant rooms,
• boiler houses,
• basements,
• and possibly lift shafts.

Full access is the aim of the survey so careful thought and planning needs to be undertaken before booking your survey. It is normal for a surveyor to complete an accompanied walk-round of the premises before starting the inspection. This is the last opportunity to flag up any access issues or arrangements that may be required prior to the survey starting. Any such arrangements reasonably requested will need to be implemented in order that the survey is fully completed. This walk-round is also and ideal time to brief the surveyor on any specific site issues such as publicly occupied or sensitive areas.

For clarity the Health & Safety Executive have provided us with a useful guidance document in the form of the MDHS 100. Within this document the following guidance is noted against each type of Asbestos survey.

Type 1: Location and assessment survey (presumptive survey)

(13) The purpose of the survey is to locate, as far as reasonably practicable, the presence and extent of any suspect ACMs in the building and assess their condition. This survey essentially defers the need to sample and analyse for asbestos (or the absence thereof) until a later time (eg prior to demolition or major refurbishment). The duty holder bears potential additional costs of management for some non-asbestos-containing materials. All areas should be accessed and inspected as far as reasonably practicable (eg above false ceilings and inside risers, service ducts, lift shafts, etc) or must be presumed to contain asbestos. Any material which can reasonably be expected to contain asbestos must be presumed to contain asbestos, and where it appears highly likely to contain asbestos, there should be a strong presumption that it does. All materials which are presumed to contain asbestos must be assessed.

Type 2: Standard sampling, identification and assessment survey (sampling survey)

(14) The purpose and procedures used in this survey are the same as for Type 1, except that representative samples are collected and analysed for the presence of asbestos. Samples from each type of suspect ACM found are collected and analysed to confirm or refute the surveyor’s judgement. If the material sampled is found to contain asbestos, other similar homogeneous materials used in the same way in the building can be strongly presumed to contain asbestos. Less homogeneous materials will require a greater number of samples. The number should be sufficient for the surveyor to make an assessment of whether asbestos is or is not present. Sampling may take place simultaneously with the survey, or as in the case of some larger surveys, can be carried out as a separate exercise, after the Type 1 survey is complete.

Type 3: Full access sampling and identification survey (pre-demolition/major refurbishment surveys)

(15) This type of survey is used to locate and describe, as far as reasonably practicable, all ACMs in the building and may involve destructive inspection, as necessary, to gain access to all areas, including those that may be difficult to reach. A full sampling programme is undertaken to identify possible ACMs and estimates of the volume and surface area of ACMs made. The survey is designed to be used as a basis for tendering the removal of ACMs from the building prior to demolition or major refurbishment so the survey does not assess the condition of the asbestos, other than to note areas of damage or where additional asbestos debris may be expected to be present.

The above text is extracted from the Health & Safety Executive guidance document MDHS 100. The full document is available free at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/mdhs/pdfs/mdhs100.pdf

PLEASE NOTE: The above Health & Safety Executive guidance is due to significantly change with the release of the “Surveyors Guide” due in 2009.

The Health & Safety Executive have determined that there are three main types of survey that can be conducted to properties in the UK. They differ in the level of impact that they have on the property and the operations of the property owners, together with varying levels of detail that may be recovered.

Typically the least disruptive is the Type 1 Presumptive survey. This type of inspection is useful where perhaps a business runs 24 hours, apart from periodic shut-downs, or perhaps the vacation of the occupants is not contractually possible. This type of survey provides useful management data yet is not sufficiently detailed and accurate enough to ensure that anything other that normal occupancy of a property is safe as it only deals with materials that can be easily accessed / inspected.

A Type 2 Sampling survey provides more detail and accuracy due to the fact that this survey whilst including all the elements of a Type 1 survey, also requires that small samples of suspect Asbestos containing materials are taken in a safe manner. This may cause some disruption to normal activities (i.e. having to vacate rooms for short period of time on safety grounds), but it also provides significant reassurance that the materials noted within the report actually do contain asbestos.

A Type 3 Pre-Demolition / Major Refurbishment survey as the name suggests is necessary when you are looking to undertake any kind of work that is intrusive. This could be anything from changing light fittings, internal re-modelling right through to full demolition of a property. This is not a management orientated survey and will cause major disruption and damage to your property. They surveying team will go looking for asbestos wherever it may be found and the only effective way to do this is to carefully open up holes in walls, floors, ceiling etc. in order to look for it. This is also a requirement of any CDM project.

The duty to manage asbestos is contained in regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006.

It requires the person who has the duty (ie the “dutyholder”) to:

1. take reasonable steps to find out if there are materials containing asbestos in non-domestic premises, and if so, its amount, where it is and what condition it is in;
2. presume materials contain asbestos unless there is strong evidence that they do not;
3. make, and keep up-to-date, a record of the location and condition of the asbestos containing materials – or materials which are presumed to contain asbestos;
4. assess the risk of anyone being exposed to fibres from the materials identified;
5. prepare a plan that sets out in detail how the risks from these materials will be managed;
6. take the necessary steps to put the plan into action;
7. periodically review and monitor the plan and the arrangements to act on it so that the plan remains relevant and up-to-date; and
8. provide information on the location and condition of the materials to anyone who is liable to work on or disturb them.

There is also a requirement on anyone to co-operate as far as is necessary to allow the dutyholder to comply with the above requirements.

In many cases, the dutyholder is the person, or perhaps an organisation, that has clear responsibility for the maintenance or repair of non-domestic premises through an explicit agreement, such as a tenancy agreement or contract.

The extent of the duty will depend on the nature of that agreement. In a building occupied by one leaseholder, the agreement might be for either the owner or leaseholder to take on the full duty for the whole building; or it might be to share the duty. In a multi-occupied building, the agreement might be that the owner takes on the full duty for the whole building. Or it might be that the duty is shared – for example, the owner takes responsibility for the common parts while the leaseholders take responsibility for the parts they occupy. Sometimes, there might be an agreement to pass the responsibilities to a managing agent.

In some cases, there may be no tenancy agreement or contract. Or, if there is, it may not specify who has responsibility for the maintenance or repair of non-domestic premises. In these cases, or where the premises are unoccupied, the duty is placed on whoever has control of all or part of the premises. Often this will be the owner.

The duty to manage covers all non-domestic premises. Such premises include all industrial, commercial or public buildings such as factories, warehouses, offices, shops, hospitals and schools. Non-domestic premises also include those ‘common’ areas of certain domestic premises for example purpose-built flats or houses converted into flats. The common areas of such domestic premises might include foyers, corridors, lifts and lift-shafts, staircases, roof spaces, gardens, yards, outhouses and garages – but would not include the flat itself. Such common areas would not include rooms within a private residence that are shared by more than one household such as bathrooms, kitchens etc in shared houses and communal dining rooms and lounges in sheltered accommodation.

Further detail is set out in a chart of premises located on the HSE website and includes which are likely to be classified as domestic or non-domestic for the purposes of the duty to manage.

There are three essential steps:

• find out whether the premises contains asbestos, and, if so, where it is and what condition it is in. If in doubt, materials must be presumed to contain asbestos;
• assess the risk; and
• make a plan to manage that risk and act on it.

Further details of these steps can be found on pages 7-13 of ‘A short guide to managing asbestos’, a downloadable pdf file available from the HSE website.

Some basic principles to remember:

You do not have to have a survey to manage asbestos at your premises, you can manage the risk yourselves but without adequate knowledge you may be at risk from exposing employees and maintenance persons to asbestos.

• asbestos is only dangerous when disturbed. If it is safely managed and contained, it doesn’t present a health hazard;
• don’t remove asbestos unnecessarily – removing it can be more dangerous than leaving it in place and managing it;
• not all asbestos materials present the same risk. The measures that need to be taken for controlling the risks from materials such as pipe insulation are different from those needed in relation to asbestos cement;
• don’t assume you need to bring in a specialist in every case (for example, you can inspect your own building rather than employ a surveyor). But, if you do, make sure they are competent, for further details of our insurance and qualifications click here to email us.
• if you are unsure about whether certain materials contain asbestos, you can presume they do and treat them as such;
• remember that the duty to manage is all about putting in place the practical steps necessary to protect maintenance workers and others from the risk of exposure to asbestos fibres. It is not about removing all asbestos.

If any ACMs need to be sealed, encapsulated or removed, remember you will need to employ a licensed contractor if the materials are high risk (eg pipe insulation and asbestos insulating panels).

If the materials are lower risk (eg asbestos cement) then an unlicensed but competent contractor may carry out this work. For further details look at the licensing section.

Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006
As a non-domestic building owner or manager by Law you must manage any asbestos risks that you may have within your property. To comply you require a minimum of an asbestos management plan. Such a plan outlines what you propose to do to ensure that asbestos risks are effectively managed, and also how you intend to undertake such actions.

Typically many institutions and organisations have already had asbestos surveys undertaken, especially since the previous legislative change in 2002, however, a survey DOES NOT ENSURE YOUR LEGAL COMPLIANCE. 80 Twenty Projects work to provide cost effective solutions towards compliance with CAR 2006 (Control of Asbestos Regulations). Under these regulations the dutyholder has a legal duty to:

• Document and implement an asbestos management plan;
• Identify and record the location and condition of asbestos containing materials (ACMs) on their premises and keep the record up to date;
• Assess the risk of the likelihood of anyone being exposed to these materials;
• Make asbestos related information freely available to anyone who may be at risk of exposure (including the emergency services);
• Re-inspect ACMs on a regular basis regardless of condition and record the results.

If in the first instance you do not want your employees to know we are inspecting the building for asbestos, our surveyors will simply answer if questioned that we are conducting a “building materials survey”.

Not fully informing everyone for the first inspection, so as to not unnecessarily raise alarm, however, should asbestos be detected you have a duty to inform any employees that may come into contact with asbestos, although at the point of survey this may not be the most practical time as there may not be any asbestos in your premises. We normally leave this to your judgement and are happy to comply with most requests.