Where Should I Look Out For Asbestos?
The toxic, fireproof, insulating material, which was banned in the 1990s exists in a variety of forms including; cement, floor tiles, insulating coatings, lagging and loose. Many buildings build before it was banned can still contain at least one form of asbestos as it is sometimes too expensive and too difficult to remove which meant it was left behind.
Asbestos filled cement can often be found in the form of guttering, wall cladding and roofing. It is most commonly used for corrugated cement roofing which can be found on old farm buildings, warehouses and on some private sheds and garages.
Plenty of ceilings and walls in older buildings were coated in asbestos by either spraying or a textured coating, this existed in lofts, living spaces and around beams. Textured coatings are often quite stable but sprayed coatings have the highest asbestos content so even a small disturbance could release vast quantities into the air.
Asbestos tiles were commonly used in insulating floor surfaces underneath carpet or laminate flooring. Sometimes similar density asbestos was used in fireproof blankets and even oven mitts. Although not as dangerous as other forms of asbestos it is still advised to use caution and consult guidelines before working with it.
Fireproofing with asbestos insulating board (AIB) was quite common and this often existed in partition walls, fire doors, lift shafts and roof lining. Large quantities of this can be found in many buildings from the 50s-90s and it is considered very dangerous to work with. It should be handled by a fully licensed contractor.
Many cavities, pipes and boilers are filled and coated with loose fill and lagging asbestos. These are both considered very hazardous and should not be worked with or exposed to anyone other than a trained contractor. Exposure to any of the toxic fibres released can cause damaging respiratory problems and eventually cause a form buying drugs online of cancer known as Mesothelioma.
Want to know if you can make a claim for exposure to asbestos then visit the ‘whats-my-claim-worth’ site for advice on your rights.