HS003

The full requirements of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2002 came into force in May of this year with the new duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises. The duty requires anyone responsible for the maintenance of commercial, industrial or public properties to check for asbestos & then to properly manage the risk.

Asbestos-containing materials were used extensively in the construction & buildings & their internal services in the period between 1950 & 1980 with an estimated half-million buildings still containing asbestos today. Typically, asbestos-containing materials were used in partitions; external wall cladding & roof sheeting (in the form of asbestos-cement sheets), ceiling tiles, pipe & boiler lagging and as fire resisting coatings around steelwork & supportive structures. Around 3500 people die each year in the UK from asbestos-related diseases. Many of these cases are caused by exposure that occurred many years ago, however, there are new cases of exposure arising each year when asbestos fibres are disturbed during maintenance & demolition work.

The duty to manage asbestos is intended to reduce the number of new cases of exposure. The process can be separated into 3 basis steps:
1. Identification of asbestos-containing materials;
2. Assessment of the risks presented by such materials;
3. Appropriate management of the risks.

Identification of Asbestos
For owners or occupiers or buildings the first step is to carry out a survey of the building to check for the presence of asbestos-containing materials. For newer buildings, this may be a simple task of consulting the safety file provided under the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 1996 (CDM) or contacting the landlord & getting them to confirm that there are no asbestos-containing materials in the building. For older buildings, the process may require more effort, including a physical inspection of the building. Physical inspection will need to be carried out by a competent person who knows what to look for & where to look (asbestos-containing materials are often to be found in places normally hidden from view).

Once asbestos (or suspected asbestos) has been located, its condition will need to be assessed and a sample may need to be taken for analysis. Such analysis can be used to determine whether the material does in fact contain asbestos; & the type of asbestos present. The location of all asbestos-containing (or suspected asbestos-containing) materials should then be marked or identified at the specific location, & identified on a site plan.

Assessment of Risk
The risk presented by the presence of any asbestos-containing materials will be dependant upon the type of material present (e.g. asbestos cement sheeting generally contains a lower asbestos content, & is much less prone to releasing fibres than soft pipe-lagging), the location of the material, the existing condition of the material, the likelihood of future damage or deterioration of the material.

Management of the Risk
Three main options are available once asbestos has been located:
1. Leave it alone but ensure it does not become damaged;
2. Remove it completely;
3. Enclose or seal it up & leave it in place.

For asbestos that is in good condition & away from areas where exposure may easily occur the best option is probably to leave it alone, mark up its location & then ensure that it cannot become damaged through accidental contact or through the activities such as maintenance or installation of equipment.
For asbestos that is in poor condition, or that it is located in areas where it is liable to release fibres into the workplace then removal is probably the best option. In this case, removal must be carried out by licensed contractors under strict control.
The option to enclose or seal asbestos-containing materials may be adopted in situations where the asbestos is located away from areas frequented by employees but where its condition is poor, or in situations where the asbestos is in good condition, but is vulnerable to accidental damage. Asbestos may be sealed simply by painting it or applying a spray coating (e.g. with asbestos cement elements). Enclosure may require more substantial work to construct robust structures around the asbestos.

Records should then be kept of the action taken to manage each case of asbestos & regular checks should be made to ensure that the risk management strategy is effective & that there is no deterioration in the condition of any asbestos-containing materials.