Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral that was widely used in the building trade due to its insulative and fireproofing properties. Although asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999, many buildings built or refurbished before this date still contain asbestos-containing materials (ACMs).

Asbestos can be present in any building built or refurbished before 2000. Asbestos containing material can be found in a number of forms and locations such as loose fibre insulation, sprayed coating around steel work, asbestos insulation board, cement products, textured coating on walls and ceilings, reinforced plastics and floor tiles. If you are unsure whether asbestos is present, Red Hill Environmental can help locate and identify asbestos within your property

When asbestos is in good condition, it poses no significant health risks. In fact one bright spark in America calculated that a person sitting in a building with properly maintained asbestos is more likely to be struck by lightning than to contract an asbestos-related disease.

The danger arises when asbestos is damaged – through bumps and scrapes sustained by any building over the years – or destroyed by cutting, drilling or ripping

When disturbed, asbestos releases airborne fibres which can kill. Individuals working in the building and maintenance trades e.g. builders, plumbers, electricians, cable installers are at greatest risk from asbestos. These people are most likely to work on a building without sufficient knowledge as to where asbestos might be and how to avoid it.

Asbestos fibres are very narrow and are therefore easily breathed in. They do not dissolve and will remain in the lungs for a very long time, perhaps indefinitely.

All asbestos types are dangerous however some are more hazardous than others.

Brown and blue asbestos have strong stiff fibres. They become easily lodged in the lungs, and our immune systems are unable to break them down. White asbestos has a different structure. This makes it softer and more flexible, making it less hazardous.

It is rapidly cleared from the lungs but prolonged exposure does cause lung cancer and other conditions.

Inhaling asbestos fibres can cause several conditions, but the three most well known and most problematic are asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.

Asbestosis is a disease of the lungs caused by relatively heavy and regular exposure. It is incurable and can result in death at an early age. It causes scarring of the spongy lung tissue, which restricts lung function, resulting in increasing shortness of breath and a dry cough.

Asbestosis also increases the risk of lung cancer.

Lung cancer is most commonly known to be caused by tobacco smoke but can also be caused by asbestos. Smoking multiplies the risk of lung cancer to asbestosis sufferers. For example, someone who smokes 20 cigarettes a day is 15 times more likely to suffer from lung cancer than a non-smoker is. If the smoker also works with asbestos, this risk is tripled to 75 times more likely to suffer lung cancer than a non-smoking, non-asbestos worker.

Mesothelioma can be caused by all kinds of asbestos dust, but particularly blue asbestos. It is a cancer of the lining of the lung, or much less commonly the lining of the abdominal cavity, or of the heart. There is a high instance of this disease in asbestos workers, and a much smaller dose is required due to the fibre structure. It may also affect those who washed dust-laden clothing, or who lived close to an asbestos factory. It is incurable and causes a great deal of pain and suffering, with those affected dying approximately 2 years from diagnosis.

There is a long latent period of around 20 to 40 years between exposure and development of the disease, hence the reason that new cases are still coming to light. The annual total number of mesothelioma deaths in Great Britain is estimated to peak at around 2500 deaths, some time between the years 2011 and 2015.

The main reason you need an Asbestos Survey is to protect any person, especially workmen, from accidentally exposing themselves and others to asbestos fibres.

If your building was constructed or altered prior to 2000, your building may contain one or more of some 3000 products manufactured that contain asbestos and therefore you will need a survey.

Within the Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2012 it clearly creates a “Duty to manage asbestos” and to manage asbestos you need to know you have got it.  The asbestos survey identifies asbestos and assists the duty holder in the compilation of the management plan.

If you allow persons to disturb asbestos in your property unknowingly you are breaking the law as well as putting the health of those persons and your employees at risk.

There are many documented instances of builders, plumbers and electricians drilling through innocuous panels, or cutting into pipe insulation, only to discover later that a potentially lethal mistake has been made.

The ‘Duty to Manage’ (Regulation 4) in the Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2012, is specifically designed to tighten up the law to reduce the risk from asbestos materials present in buildings.

The reason why this is done is to help prevent the loss of lives through lack of knowledge on the whereabouts and condition of asbestos-containing materials.

There are two main types of survey

The first and most common is the asbestos management survey. This is carried out to identify asbestos, carry out a material risk assessment for each positive occurrence, complete a priority assessment if required and produce an asbestos register in an easy to read format thus helping the duty holder to fulfil their duties.

The second type is the pre-demolition survey which is done in order to identify any asbestos containing materials so that they may be removed prior to the building being demolished.

There is a variation of the pre-demolition survey and this is called a refurbishment survey.  As the name suggests this is done to a building or specific area of a building prior to any works being undertaken. This is so that any effected asbestos can be removed.

That depends on the size and age of your building.

We may be able to quote you over the phone or by email if you have sufficient information (i.e.: building plans or measurements).

A typical survey will cost £150 plus an additional cost of samples collected during the survey.

In addition to full asbestos surveys (described above), we can also undertake asbestos single point sampling of individual suspect materials for £79 – both business and residential clients get the same great rate. Results are available 24-48 hours following sampling, allowing you to deal with any emergencies quickly and safely. We will even give you on-the-spot advice at no additional cost – it’s all part of our friendly, professional service to our valued clients.

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No, there are three different types of Asbestos Survey:

Asbestos Management Survey (formally type 1 and type 2 asbestos survey) – Its purpose is to locate as far as reasonably practicable, the presence and extent of any suspect ACMs in the building.
Pre-Refurbishment Asbestos Survey (formally type 3 asbestos survey) – A pre-refurbishment asbestos survey is needed before any refurbishment or demolition work is carried out.
Pre-Demolition Asbestos Survey (formally type 3 asbestos survey) – A pre-demolition asbestos survey is needed before any demolition work is carried out.
The type of Asbestos Survey most appropriate will be dependent on client/property specific requirements and will be established during the survey planning phase.

Note – The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 requires that the condition of asbestos-based products needs to be re-inspected regularly and records updated accordingly. The frequency of the asbestos inspection regime must not exceed 12 months.