Asbestos

What is Asbestos?

There are three main types of asbestos, chrysotile (white), amosite (brown) and crocidolite (blue). The type of asbestos cannot be identified just by its colour. Asbestos has been used in a very large number of products, many of which have been used in buildings. Some products have one type of asbestos in them while others have mixtures of two or more.

Asbestos in the workplace

Man has used asbestos for thousands of years due to its fire-resistant properties. It is a group of naturally occurring minerals that can be separated into fibres. Asbestos in all its forms has been used extensively in building and is present in many products such as cement, paper products and even cloth. The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 prohibit the importation, supply and use of all forms of asbestos, but it is still present in thousands of properties throughout the UK.

Who is at risk?

Anyone who comes into contact with asbestos fibres is at risk of asbestos related diseases. Smokers have an increased risk due to damage already caused by smoking. Exposure to asbestos is an occupational hazard to those in the plumbing, heating and construction trade. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has strict guidelines that must be observed if you are working on a site where asbestos is suspected. Consider asbestos fibres as fatal. Always take the necessary precautions to avoid inhalation of asbestos fibres.

Where is asbestos commonly found?

Plumbers and those working in the building trades will often come across asbestos. Although the substance has been widely used in building, it is most common in buildings built or refurbished between 1950 and 1980. Asbestos-containing materials can be found almost anywhere in a building built before blue and brown asbestos was banned in 1985, although some buildings built after this time may contain the substance in products such as asbestos cement. Asbestos can also be commonly found in buildings with a steel frame or have boilers with thermal insulation.

Before you start any work you must make sure you know where all asbestos containing materials are. By law your employer (or yourself if a self-employed worker) has to do everything possible to avoid exposure to asbestos. The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 also state that if you are exposed to asbestos your employer (or yourself if self-employed) has to do all that is reasonably possible to keep that exposure at a minimum.

The Health and Safety Executive says that the most common uses for asbestos are:

• Sprayed asbestos and asbestos loose packaging - generally used as fire breaks in ceiling voids;
• Moulded or preformed sprayed coatings and lagging - generally used in thermal insulation of pipes and boilers;
• Sprayed asbestos mixed with hydrated asbestos cement - generally used as fire protection in ducts, firebreaks, panels, partitions, soffit boards, ceiling panels and around structural steel work;
• Insulating boards used for fire protection, thermal insulation, wall partitions and ducts;
• Asbestos cement products which can be compressed into flat or corrugated sheets; corrugated sheets are largely used as roofing and wall cladding; other asbestos cement products include gutters, rainwater pipes, soil stacks and cold water cisterns;
• Some reinforced plastics, mastics and sealants;
• Millboard, paper and paper products used for the insulation of electrical equipment.
• Certain textured coatings, decorative plasters and paints;
• Asbestos ropes, gaskets and cloth;
• Flues;

Changes to the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations

The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations have been replaced by the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006, which bring together the three previous sets of Regulations covering the prohibition of asbestos, the control of asbestos at work and asbestos licensing.

A 'Duty to Manage Asbestos' has been included in these Regulations. The duty to manage is directed at those who manage non-domestic premises: the people with responsibility for protecting others who work in such premises, or use them in other ways, from the risks to ill-health that exposure to asbestos causes.

It requires the person who has the duty (i.e. the 'dutyholder') to:

• 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;
• Presume materials contain asbestos unless there is strong evidence that they do not;
• 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;
• Assess the risk of anyone being exposed to fibres from the materials identified;
• Prepare a plan that sets out in detail how the risks from these materials will be managed;
• Take the necessary steps to put the plan into action;
• Periodically review and monitor the plan and the arrangements to act on it so that the plan remains relevant and up-to-date; and
• Provide information on the location and condition of the materials to anyone who is liable to work on or disturb them.

Are you in charge?

Surveying for asbestos

If you are in charge or self-employed it is up to you to search the site for asbestos before work begins, or employ a suitably trained person to carry out the survey. If you are employing someone to do the survey for you, make sure they are accredited (www.ukas.com gives information on accredited firms). Remember you can only be 100 percent sure a suspected substance does not contain asbestos after laboratory analysis.

If you find asbestos containing-materials you need to assess the condition of the material and the likelihood of it being disturbed. You will also have to make a record of where the asbestos is located, its type, its form, the amount of it and what sort of condition it is in. This record has to be kept on the premises and available to be viewed at all times. If you are unsure if something contains asbestos, always presume it does until proved otherwise. If the asbestos present is asbestos insulation, asbestos coating or asbestos insulation board, contact an HSE-licensed contractor. The person in charge of the job has to decide if the work needs to be carried out by a specialist, or if those on site can do the work.

Your responsibilities

If you are in charge of a job, you need to know how to deal with asbestos and when you need to call in a specialist licensed contractor. You are responsible for ensuring those working beneath you know the risks and precautions they should take when dealing with asbestos, and know how to use respiratory protective equipment. As the person in charge you have to prevent exposure to asbestos or reduce it to an acceptable level.

When working with asbestos you need to provide clean protective clothing, respirators that fit properly and are in good working order, training on asbestos and instruction on reducing asbestos dust in the air.

If you are responsible for disposing of asbestos waste, it will have to be taken to a licensed tip in accordance with the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005. Asbestos waste has to be double-bagged in heavy-duty polythene bags and clearly labelled as containing the substance with the label prescribed for asbestos.

Consult safety representatives if you need help in developing measures to ensure the health and safety of your employees.

What do I do if I find asbestos on site?

Although any asbestos-containing materials should have been identified before work begins, there may be some hidden materials on site that are not found until work starts. If you think you have found asbestos, STOP WORK IMMEDIATELY and alert people to its presence. Asbestos is not an easy substance to identify, so presume a material contains asbestos until proven otherwise. A sample needs to be tested by a specialist laboratory to confirm if asbestos is present.

Respiratory Protective Equipment

If you are working in a situation where asbestos could be present you should be issued with respiratory protective equipment. Respiratory protective equipment includes facemasks, hoods and helmets worn to protect your lungs from asbestos. The type of respirator you use will depend on the amount of asbestos present and the type of job. Make sure you use the right equipment for the job, or you could expose yourself to asbestos fibres.

MAKE SURE YOUR RESPIRATOR FITS AND WORKS CORRECTLY.

If it does not fit, asbestos fibres will enter your lungs and you will be putting your health at serious risk. Your employer (or yourself if self-employed) has to train you how to fit, clean, look after and use respiratory protective equipment properly, and keep this training up-to-date with refresher courses. Tests need to be carried out to make sure that your facemask fits properly (it is an employer's duty to make sure you have a face fit test before using any kind of respirator) as if you have a beard (even stubble), wear glasses or have sideburns, certain types of respirators may not fit adequately. NEVER TAKE OFF YOUR RESPIRATOR IN A CONTAMINATED AREA, the damage asbestos dust causes is irreversible and may cost you your life.

How can I protect myself if I am exposed to asbestos?
Along with the use of respirators you can take further action to prevent contact with asbestos fibres:

• dampening down asbestos-containing materials can lower the amount of fibres in the air;
• use of hand tools over power tools (power tools create more dust, it is not advisable to use them on an asbestos-containing material);
• clear up asbestos dust using a 'Type H' vacuum cleaner or damp cloths;
• clean up, as you go - don't let asbestos-containing waste build up;
• wash your hands and face when you take a break and at the end of work;
• don't take home any overalls, worn while you have been in contact with asbestos
• put asbestos waste into a suitable sealed container.
• Asbestos waste has to be double-bagged in heavy-duty polythene bags and clearly labelled as containing the substance with the label prescribed for asbestos;
• don't eat or drink in the work area;
• don't smoke.

Laws and Regulations governing asbestos

Over time, the UK government has put into place several regulations to protect those at risk from exposure to asbestos. A basic generalisation of these laws is listed below:

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 (Asbestos Regulations - SI 2006/2739)

These Regulations came into force on 13 November 2006 and bring together the previous sets of Regulations which covered the prohibition of asbestos, the control of asbestos at work and asbestos licensing.

The Asbestos Regulations prohibit the importation, supply and use of all forms of asbestos. The Asbestos Regulations also include the 'duty to manage asbestos' in non-domestic premises.

The Regulations require mandatory training for anyone liable to be exposed to asbestos fibres at work (including their supervisors), and anyone carrying out work on asbestos insulation, asbestos coating or asbestos insulating board needs to hold a license issued by the HSE unless they meet one of the exemptions as set out in the Regulations.

The Asbestos Regulations also require employers and the self-employed to prevent exposure to asbestos fibres and to ensure that worker exposure does not exceed the airborne exposure limit (Control Limit).

For further details regarding the requirement of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006, please visit the HSE website: www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/regulations.htm.

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007

• These Regulations concern occupational health, safety and welfare in construction. They place duties in relation to management arrangements and practical measures on a range of construction project participants, including clients, designers and contractors.

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

• You must protect the health and safety of people affected by the work you are doing regardless of if they work for you or not.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

• Employers have to assess any possible risks to the health and safety of employees and those who work on the premises, and identify measures needed to protect them;


• Protective or preventative measures must be put in place if there is a risk.

The Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005

On 16 July 2005 the Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations and the List of Wastes (England) Regulations come into force replacing the Special Waste Regulations. The Regulations set out procedures to be followed when disposing of, carrying and receiving hazardous waste.

The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996

• Suitable warning signs must be put in place if there are no other preventative or protective measures.

Want to know more on asbestos in the workplace?

The information in the 'Asbestos in the workplace' section should only be used as a rough guide to working with asbestos. This section has been based on information published by the Health and Safety Executive. For more information on asbestos, please visit the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk.

For information on asbestos and other health and safety issues contact the HSE's InfoLine: 08701 545500, Fax: 02920 859260, Email: hseinformationservices@natbrit.com or write to HSE Information Services, Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG.

The HSE publishes books and leaflets covering asbestos, including the Asbestos Essentials Task Manual, ISBN 0 7176 1887 0 and Working with asbestos in buildings, ISBN 0 7176 1697 5. Please visit www.hsebooks.co.uk or you can contact them as follows, Tel: 01787 881165 Fax: 01787 313995, or write to HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2WA.

Asbestos and related diseases

Non-fatal diseases

Benign pleural diseases related to asbestos can be put into three groups, plaques, thickenings and effusions.

Pleural Plaques

Pleural plaques are caused by inhalation of asbestos fibres. Plaques are small, hard surfaces on the pleura (membrane in-between the lungs and ribs). While generally someone with pleural plaques will suffer no symptoms, in rare cases some people may suffer breathing difficulties. The plaques are an indication of damage to the lungs by asbestos. Anyone who has pleural plaques can be at a higher risk of asbestos related diseases.

Pleural Thickening

Pleural thickening means fibrosis (scar tissue) of the pleura. Pleural thickening restricts the lungs, making breathing more difficult. Fibrosis indicates that damage has been caused due to exposure to asbestos. Anyone who has pleural thickening can be at higher risk of asbestos related diseases.

Pleural Effusion

Pleural effusion means an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space (found in-between the lungs and the ribs). While some people feel no symptoms, some may feel chest pain. Pleural effusion is treatable, but sufferers should be aware that they could be at higher risk to problems with respiratory health.

Fatal Diseases

Asbestosis

Asbestosis is not a cancerous lung disease. Once the asbestos fibres have entered the lungs the body attacks them, however, the body's natural defence causes inflammation and cell damage. Fibrosis (scar tissue) develops which prevents the lungs from working properly. The fibrosis stops oxygen and carbon dioxide passing through the air sacks of the lungs and reaching the blood stream, making the lungs less efficient. Asbestosis affects both lungs and is usually widespread (not localised to any one part of the lung).

Asbestosis can go un-noticed, as its symptoms are not always present. When symptoms occur, they can include shortness of breath and coughing. As the disease develops, symptoms can worsen. Due to the indestructible nature of asbestos fibres, the disease will continue to progress long after the initial exposure to asbestos.

Asbestosis has no cure or effective treatment. Asbestosis by itself can kill in a small number of cases, but it has another way of claiming its victims. It is common for people with this condition to develop other asbestos related diseases such as lung cancer or mesothelioma, which can kill in a short space of time.

Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural mesothelioma is a cancer of the cells that make up the pleura. The pleura is a membrane found in-between the lungs and the ribs, which prevents the lungs from rubbing against the chest wall. Virtually all cases of pleural mesothelioma are caused by exposure to asbestos fibres. The incubation period for the disease can be anything from 15 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. This is the most common type of mesothelioma, accounting for around 75% of all cases.

Symptoms normally begin with a constant pain in the chest. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, weakness, weight loss, loss of appetite, lower back pain, coughing and difficulty swallowing. Pleural mesothelioma causes pleural effusion (fluid in the plural space of the chest) and pleural thickening caused by the spread of the tumour. This thickening restricts the lungs making breathing more difficult. The tumour is extremely aggressive and attacks surrounding tissue. Once it has infected other organs within and around the chest cavity such as the heart, abdominal organs and lymph nodes, it will then spread to different parts of the body such as the brain.

It has no known cure but methods of treatments to prolong life and dull pain are improving. Depending on the victim's state of health and the progression of the disease, death can occur from months to normally around two years from diagnosis. If the diagnosis is made early enough, and the pleural mesothelioma is treated aggressively, victims of the disease have been known to live past 5 years.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a tumour of the peritoneum. The peritoneum is a membrane of mesothelial cells, which cover many of the organs in the abdomen. Virtually all cases of peritoneal mesothelioma are cased by exposure to asbestos. There is some discussion on how the asbestos fibres reach the peritoneum. Possibly fibres are swallowed (after being inhaled and caught in the trachea and bronchi) from where they manage to move from the intestinal tract to the peritoneum. It is also suggested that fibres can move from the lungs into the lymphatic system to make their way to the peritoneum. The incubation period for the disease can be anything from 15 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Peritoneal mesothelioma accounts for around 25% of all cases.

Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include abdominal pains, loss of appetite, weight loss, weakness, nausea and abdominal swelling. The disease causes fluid to collect in the peritoneal space. Peritoneal mesothelioma can also cause bowel obstruction and impair breathing ability; it can be an extremely painful condition. There is no known cure for peritoneal mesothelioma. Treatment for the condition is improving. Life expectancy depends on development of the tumour, general health and how the tumour responds to treatment, death can occur from months to normally around two years from diagnosis. If the diagnosis is made early enough, and the peritoneal mesothelioma is treated aggressively, victims of the disease have been known to live past 5 years.

Lung Cancer

Although lung cancer can be caused by many different factors, it is clear that people who are exposed to asbestos are at a higher risk of lung cancer. There is a long incubation period, sufferers can contract cancer 30+ years after original exposure to asbestos. The most common types of asbestos related cancer are adenocarcinoma and squamous-cell carcinoma. Cancer is usually caused when a carcinogen (i.e. asbestos) triggers abnormal cell growth. The cells are cancerous and grow rapidly to form a tumour. This tumour grows and will try to spread to other areas of the body including the brain.

Adenocarcinoma and squamous-cell carcinoma are types of non-small-cell lung cancer. This means that they are more likely to be localised and therefore more likely to be treatable with surgery or radiation therapy. Adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer. It forms near the edge of the lung and on the pleura membrane. Squamous-cell carcinoma develops as a mass near the centre of the lungs. Both can grow without the victim feeling any symptoms. However most people will experience chest pain, shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, discomfort when swallowing and/or breathing, poor appetite, weight loss, coughing up of mucus and blood and hoarseness.

Lung cancer can be treated with surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Lung cancer is normally fatal. In Adenocarcinoma cancer only 17% of patients live longer than five years after first diagnosis. In Squamous-cell carcinoma cancer only 15% survive longer than five years.

Contact your doctor

If you have been exposed to asbestos fibres and are concerned for your well-being, you should contact your doctor immediately. Make your doctor aware that you have had contact with asbestos. Asbestos can kill!