About Asbestos

Without a doubt asbestos has proved to be one of the most successful products of all time. Through the use as fire protection it helped to save many lives and was seen as a miracle product until evidence beyond any doubt showed that the miracle fibre could be a killer dust.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a mineral but is quite unique in the way that it is divisible into millions of fine fibres, soft to touch yet much stronger than the rock in which they are found. The resistivity and incombustibility properties of asbestos led to its wide use in fire proofing and insulation over the years.

The three main forms of asbestos to be found in Ireland are; Chrysotile (White), Amosite (Brown) and Crocidolite (Blue). Chrysotile is categorised as serpentine as the fibres are flexible, whereas the others are categorised as Amphibole due to their needle like short fibres. All asbestos containing materials are potentially dangerous as they can contain various combinations of Blue (Crocidolite), Brown (Amosite) and White (Chrysotile) asbestos. Cauction should be taken when asbestos containing materials are suspected until the area is surveyed and laboratory tests are carried out.

Why is Asbestos Dangerous?

The risks from asbestos are related directly to exposure to asbestos fibres commonly referred to as ‘asbestos dust’. This misleading term could be taken as a dusty environment, yet the fibres that cause harm to health cannot be normally seen with the naked eye and are known as respirable fibres. These respirable asbestos fibres are able to by-pass the respiratory defence mechanisms and remain in the lungs for many years. Not all persons exposed to asbestos fibres suffer disease as we all have some asbestos in our lungs, but there is no known safe level of exposure.

Asbestos Related Diseases

These diseases can take up to 50 years to surface.

Mesothelioma - A form of cancer which occurs in the membrane lining of the chest. It is known only to be caused by asbestos exposure

Asbestosis - This is a non cancerous, critical lung disease caused from heavy/long exposure to asbestos. The fibres result in the lung tissue becoming scarred.

Lung Cancer – This can result from exposure to any form of airborne asbestos fibres and sometimes is a complication of asbestosis.

Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) can be very dangerous. ACMs can often be mistaken for safe materials which can leave unaware persons exposed to the fibres without the necessary precautions and protection. In many cases asbestos in good condition does not present a hazard until disturbed.

Where is Asbestos found in buildings?

Typical locations for materials containing asbestos can be easily seen using the diagram below.

Common areas where asbestos containing materials are regularly found

Exterior
• Roof sheeting and tiles
• Guttering and drainpipe
• Wall cladding
• Soffit
• Panel beneath window
• Ceilings
• Spray “stipple” coating to ceiling, walls, beams/columns
• Asbestos sheeting
• Loose asbestos in cavities
• Textured coatings and paints
• Tiles, slats, canopies and firebreaks above ceilings
• Interior walls
• Loose asbestos between partition walls
• Partition walls
• Panel lining to lift shaft
• Panel behind electrical equipment
• Fireproofing panels
• Boiler rooms/pipework
• Lagging on boiler and pipework
• Damaged lagging and associated debris
• Gaskets
• Rope
• Paper lining
• Boiler flue
• Flooring materials
• Floor tiles, linoleum and adhesive
• Domestic appliances
• Gaskets, rope seals and panels in domestic boilers
• String seals on radiator
• Fire blanket
• Water tank

Does Asbestos need to be removed?