Health & safety bulletin
Asbestos register
25th January 2007
The Service Orders that are sent to crews detailing job requirements have now been updated to include information on known Asbestos details at any given site.
Details of Asbestos Surveys have been added to our management information system (XmoMan).
Example 1:
The above example shows details of the Asbestos register. In this case a generic assessment has been made based on sample surveys of similar sites. The details give the date the assessment was carried out, details of where the asbestos is likely to be found, what type of Asbestos it is, how much there is, and if it is damaged.
Example 2:
An on-site survey was carried out on 05/05/2006 and all the found asbestos has since been removed.
Note, although this information can be used as a good guide to where the asbestos is, it cannot be relied upon and the on site Asbestos register should always be checked before starting work (as it will be more up to date and site-specific).
It should also be remembered that Asbestos registers only detail with known Asbestos positions that have been found during surveys, when removing signware / panels / ceiling tiles, it is possible that you will find Asbestos materials that were not found during the survey. Always stop work and contact the office immediately if you suspect that you have found Asbestos.
What does Asbestos look like?
 |
 |
 |
| Asbestos fire blanket | Asbestos insulating board | Asbestos ceiling tiles (damaged) |
 |
 |
 |
| Asbestos downpipe and hopper | Asbestos cement roof | Asbestos cement roof (damaged) |
What is asbestos - why is it problem?
Asbestos was used extensively as a building material in Great Britain from the 1950’s through to the mid-1980s. It was used for a variety of different purposes and was ideal for fireproofing and insulation. Any type of building built before 2000 (houses, factories, offices, schools, hospitals etc.) could contain asbestos. Asbestos materials in good condition are safe unless the asbestos fibres become airborne, which happens when the materials are damaged.
Asbestos fibres are present everywhere in the environment in Great Britain so everyone is constantly exposed to very low levels of fibres. However, a key factor in the risk of developing an asbestos-related disease is the total number of fibres breathed in. So there is a possibility that being exposed to asbestos fibres for a short period of time can cause cancer. Working on or near damaged asbestos containing materials or breathing in high levels of asbestos fibres, which may be many hundreds of times that of environmental levels, could increase your chances of getting an asbestos related disease.
When these fibres are inhaled they can cause serious diseases which are responsible for around 4000 deaths a year. There are three main diseases caused by asbestos: lung cancer, asbestosis (which are almost always fatal), and mesothelioma (which is always fatal). Remember, these diseases will not affect you immediately but later on in life, so there is a need for you to protect yourself now to prevent you contracting an asbestos related disease in the future. It is also important to remember that people who smoke are exposed to asbestos fibres and are at a much greater risk of developing lung cancer.
- Remember - You can’t see or smell asbestos fibres in the air
- The effects of asbestos take many years to show up - avoid breathing it in now
- Smoking increases the risk many times
- Asbestos is only a danger when fibres are made airborne
(Source HSE)