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April 26, 2022
The number of people who have died as a result of contracting an asbestos-related illness has reached new heights in recent years, following widespread use of the material between the 1950s and 1970s. Due to the latency period of illnesses such as mesothelioma sometimes occurring up to 50 years after exposure, it is thought that deaths caused by the harmful fibres are now reaching their peak.
Figures released earlier this year by the Health and Safety Executive revealed there were 2,523 deaths from mesothelioma in 2017, which is a cancer of the lining of the organs that is predominantly caused by inhalation of asbestos fibres. While the figure was found to be similar to the five previous years, rates of mesothelioma have nearly doubled since 1995 – when there were 1,317 cases. The figures also revealed that more than half of the deaths from mesothelioma were among individuals aged over 75, and 82% of these were men.
Any industrial building constructed prior to the year 2000 has the potential to contain asbestos, whether in the interior or the exterior. The substance, which was widely utilised in construction, before it was banned due to the health risks it posed, contains extremely harmful fibres that can be released and inhaled by people working or living in close proximity.
Even the lowest levels of asbestos exposure can prove harmful to those affected, which means people working in industrial settings that have asbestos – such as builders, contractors or teachers in schools that predate 2000 – are at a much higher risk of contracting these illnesses.
Before identifying where to find asbestos in an industrial setting, it is important to fully understand the extent of the damage that it can cause. When materials that contain asbestos are disturbed or damaged, fibres are released into the air that can be extremely dangerous if they are inhaled. Once these fibres have been inhaled, they can cause a number of extremely serious illnesses.
These types of illness are difficult to detect and do not affect people immediately, often taking years to develop. However, once the symptoms worsen and they are eventually diagnosed, it is often too late to do anything.
Asbestos can cause the following serious illnesses:
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, as well as the lining that surrounds the lower digestive tract. Mesothelioma is almost exclusively associated with exposure to asbestos and usually, by the time it has been diagnosed, it almost always proves to be fatal.
Asbestosis
Asbestosis is a serious scarring condition of the lung, which usually occurs after heavy exposure to asbestos. Developing over many years, asbestosis usually causes shortness of breath, and can prove fatal in the most severe cases.
Asbestos-related lung cancer
Asbestos-related lung cancer is very similar to that caused by smoking and other causes.
Pleural thickening
Commonly diagnosed following heavy asbestos exposure, pleural thickening occurs when the lining of the lung thickens and swells. If this gets worse, the lung itself can be squeezed and can cause shortness of breath and high levels of discomfort.
The presence of asbestos in an industrial building will depend on the year it was built and the company that originally constructed the building – as well as any work that was carried out before your business moved in. Despite asbestos being banned from use in new buildings for over two decades, there is still a high chance it could be present.
“despite asbestos being banned from use in new buildings for over two decades, there is still a high chance it could be present”
The three types of asbestos commonly found in offices, schools, warehouses and factories include:
• Crocidolite – blue asbestos
• Amosite – brown asbestos
• Chrysotile – white asbestos
Inside a building, asbestos can be found in a number of places. We have outlined the most common below.
Sprayed coatings
Coatings that are sprayed onto walls, ceilings, columns and beams are one of the most dangerous materials to contain asbestos and can contain up to 85% of asbestos. One of the main concerns is that this product can break up very easily, making it particularly harmful to individuals who come into contact with it.
Textiles
Old fire blankets and heat-resistant gloves commonly contain asbestos fibres. It is essential that these are identified and taken out of circulation immediately.
Floor tiles
Asbestos-containing floor tiles were extremely popular, and therefore are still found in many buildings. Old tiles that contain asbestos can sometimes be found under carpets, which have been laid on top.
Asbestos insulating board (AIB)-containing materials
AIB was commonly used as a fireproofing material, but also had a number of additional uses, including:
• Ceiling tiles
• Partition walls
• Fireproofing panels in fire doors
• Lift shaft linings
• Panels below windows
• Boiler surrounds
Rope seals and gasketsAsbestos-containing rope seals and gaskets can usually be found in gas or electric heating appliances.
Lagging on pipes and boilers
This is also considered to be one of the most dangerous asbestos-containing materials. Those who come into contact with it are at risk of breathing in fibres through the disturbance of lagging or insulation, which very easily releases the fibres into the air.
Cement water tanks
Drainage pipes and water tanks were previously constructed using pitch fibre, which is a lightweight material manufactured from wood cellulose and impregnated with inert coal tar pitch. Asbestos cement was often added to strengthen the material.
Outside of a building, asbestos can be found on:
• Roof panels
• Cement gutters and downpipes
• Soffits
• Cement flue
Anyone who worked in an industry such as building or construction between the 1970s and 1990s is at a heightened risk of asbestos-related illnesses. However, now that asbestos is no longer used in construction, those who are more at risk of exposure include people whose jobs put them at risk of damaging asbestos in any old buildings, which could include electricians and demolition workers.
In a recent survey to highlight the shocking conditions that teachers are forced to work in at schools across the country, the National Education Union noted that asbestos also poses a significant danger to the wellbeing of teachers and pupils. According to the survey, asbestos is found in 86% of schools; however, only 21% of teachers were aware that they were working in a school that contained the harmful substance.
The findings are worrying, particularly since at least 319 teachers have died from mesothelioma since 1980, with 2015 of these deaths occurring since 2001.
As a result, independent think-tank ResPublica has warned that the matter of asbestos poses a “national health crisis”, unless the government takes immediate action to make schools safer for teachers and staff. The think-tank said that an asbestos-audit is required to assess the amount of asbestos found in public buildings, schools and hospitals.
ResPublica also called for the government to commission a cost-benefit analysis for the prioritised phased removal of all asbestos from public buildings across the country. It argues that the UK should adopt monitoring techniques used in France, Germany and the Netherlands to detect asbestos fibres.
The independent public policy think-tank argued that the technology used in the UK to measure airborne asbestos fibres is far less accurate than those used in other countries. The report said: “A child inhales between five and 10 cubic metres of air per day, meaning the permitted levels of airborne asbestos in the UK can expose a child to 100,000 fibres per day, compared with 10,000 fibres in Germany.”
“the inadequacy of British asbestos regulation is so pronounced that a child can legally be exposed to 10 times as much of the harmful substance as they would in Germany”
According to the report, the inadequacy of British asbestos regulation is so pronounced that a child can legally be exposed to 10 times as much of the harmful substance as they would in Germany. There is an estimated six million tonnes of asbestos spread across 1.5 million buildings in the UK, with around 80% of schools and 94% of NHS trusts containing asbestos.
Figures released earlier this year by the Health and Safety Executive revealed there were 2,523 deaths from mesothelioma in 2017, which is a cancer of the lining of the organs that is predominantly caused by inhalation of asbestos fibres. While the figure was found to be similar to the five previous years, rates of mesothelioma have nearly doubled since 1995 – when there were 1,317 cases. The figures also revealed that more than half of the deaths from mesothelioma were among individuals aged over 75, and 82% of these were men.
Any industrial building constructed prior to the year 2000 has the potential to contain asbestos, whether in the interior or the exterior. The substance, which was widely utilised in construction, before it was banned due to the health risks it posed, contains extremely harmful fibres that can be released and inhaled by people working or living in close proximity.
Even the lowest levels of asbestos exposure can prove harmful to those affected, which means people working in industrial settings that have asbestos – such as builders, contractors or teachers in schools that predate 2000 – are at a much higher risk of contracting these illnesses.
Why is asbestos dangerous?
Before identifying where to find asbestos in an industrial setting, it is important to fully understand the extent of the damage that it can cause. When materials that contain asbestos are disturbed or damaged, fibres are released into the air that can be extremely dangerous if they are inhaled. Once these fibres have been inhaled, they can cause a number of extremely serious illnesses.
These types of illness are difficult to detect and do not affect people immediately, often taking years to develop. However, once the symptoms worsen and they are eventually diagnosed, it is often too late to do anything.
Asbestos can cause the following serious illnesses:
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, as well as the lining that surrounds the lower digestive tract. Mesothelioma is almost exclusively associated with exposure to asbestos and usually, by the time it has been diagnosed, it almost always proves to be fatal.
Asbestosis
Asbestosis is a serious scarring condition of the lung, which usually occurs after heavy exposure to asbestos. Developing over many years, asbestosis usually causes shortness of breath, and can prove fatal in the most severe cases.
Asbestos-related lung cancer
Asbestos-related lung cancer is very similar to that caused by smoking and other causes.
Pleural thickening
Commonly diagnosed following heavy asbestos exposure, pleural thickening occurs when the lining of the lung thickens and swells. If this gets worse, the lung itself can be squeezed and can cause shortness of breath and high levels of discomfort.
Identifying asbestos in an industrial building
The presence of asbestos in an industrial building will depend on the year it was built and the company that originally constructed the building – as well as any work that was carried out before your business moved in. Despite asbestos being banned from use in new buildings for over two decades, there is still a high chance it could be present.
“despite asbestos being banned from use in new buildings for over two decades, there is still a high chance it could be present”
The three types of asbestos commonly found in offices, schools, warehouses and factories include:
• Crocidolite – blue asbestos
• Amosite – brown asbestos
• Chrysotile – white asbestos
Inside a building, asbestos can be found in a number of places. We have outlined the most common below.
Sprayed coatings
Coatings that are sprayed onto walls, ceilings, columns and beams are one of the most dangerous materials to contain asbestos and can contain up to 85% of asbestos. One of the main concerns is that this product can break up very easily, making it particularly harmful to individuals who come into contact with it.
Textiles
Old fire blankets and heat-resistant gloves commonly contain asbestos fibres. It is essential that these are identified and taken out of circulation immediately.
Floor tiles
Asbestos-containing floor tiles were extremely popular, and therefore are still found in many buildings. Old tiles that contain asbestos can sometimes be found under carpets, which have been laid on top.
Asbestos insulating board (AIB)-containing materials
AIB was commonly used as a fireproofing material, but also had a number of additional uses, including:
• Ceiling tiles
• Partition walls
• Fireproofing panels in fire doors
• Lift shaft linings
• Panels below windows
• Boiler surrounds
Rope seals and gasketsAsbestos-containing rope seals and gaskets can usually be found in gas or electric heating appliances.
Lagging on pipes and boilers
This is also considered to be one of the most dangerous asbestos-containing materials. Those who come into contact with it are at risk of breathing in fibres through the disturbance of lagging or insulation, which very easily releases the fibres into the air.
Cement water tanks
Drainage pipes and water tanks were previously constructed using pitch fibre, which is a lightweight material manufactured from wood cellulose and impregnated with inert coal tar pitch. Asbestos cement was often added to strengthen the material.
Outside of a building, asbestos can be found on:
• Roof panels
• Cement gutters and downpipes
• Soffits
• Cement flue
The risk of asbestos exposure
Anyone who worked in an industry such as building or construction between the 1970s and 1990s is at a heightened risk of asbestos-related illnesses. However, now that asbestos is no longer used in construction, those who are more at risk of exposure include people whose jobs put them at risk of damaging asbestos in any old buildings, which could include electricians and demolition workers.
In a recent survey to highlight the shocking conditions that teachers are forced to work in at schools across the country, the National Education Union noted that asbestos also poses a significant danger to the wellbeing of teachers and pupils. According to the survey, asbestos is found in 86% of schools; however, only 21% of teachers were aware that they were working in a school that contained the harmful substance.
The findings are worrying, particularly since at least 319 teachers have died from mesothelioma since 1980, with 2015 of these deaths occurring since 2001.
As a result, independent think-tank ResPublica has warned that the matter of asbestos poses a “national health crisis”, unless the government takes immediate action to make schools safer for teachers and staff. The think-tank said that an asbestos-audit is required to assess the amount of asbestos found in public buildings, schools and hospitals.
ResPublica also called for the government to commission a cost-benefit analysis for the prioritised phased removal of all asbestos from public buildings across the country. It argues that the UK should adopt monitoring techniques used in France, Germany and the Netherlands to detect asbestos fibres.
The independent public policy think-tank argued that the technology used in the UK to measure airborne asbestos fibres is far less accurate than those used in other countries. The report said: “A child inhales between five and 10 cubic metres of air per day, meaning the permitted levels of airborne asbestos in the UK can expose a child to 100,000 fibres per day, compared with 10,000 fibres in Germany.”
“the inadequacy of British asbestos regulation is so pronounced that a child can legally be exposed to 10 times as much of the harmful substance as they would in Germany”
According to the report, the inadequacy of British asbestos regulation is so pronounced that a child can legally be exposed to 10 times as much of the harmful substance as they would in Germany. There is an estimated six million tonnes of asbestos spread across 1.5 million buildings in the UK, with around 80% of schools and 94% of NHS trusts containing asbestos.
SOURCE:
https://www.hsimagazine.com/article/industrial-asbestos-detection/
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