FOCUS HEALTH & SAFETY
ASBESTOS ABSTRACTION
There is a big misconception
that asbestos is man-made, but
that’s not the case. The shortest and
easiest way to describe asbestos is
that it is a mineral which is formed
within the veins of a rock. Asbestos
is also naturally an excellent
electrical insulator and highly heatresistant
so, for many years, it was
used as a building material.
Exposure to asbestos has been
linked to Mesothelioma, a type of
cancer that develops on a thin layer
of tissue that covers internal organs
known as the mesothelium. More
than 80 per cent of Mesothelioma
cases are caused by exposure to
asbestos(i) with the greater the
exposure, the greater the risk.
Historically, the UK was the biggest
user of brown asbestos in the world
and it was imported here specifically.
Studies have since shown the UK
also has the highest number of
Mesothelioma deaths.
There is a misconception white
asbestos is good, and others are bad,
but this is not the case. Within the
industry they are all treated the same,
under the same controls.
CONTINUING RISK
Despite the fact the manufacture
and supply of asbestos products
in the UK was banned in 1999, the
toxic substance continues to a ect
many lives today. When Acorn was
established in 2000, the peak in death
figures was predicted to be in 2010
and to be around 4,000 deaths per
year. Sadly, in the last 10 years, we
have actually gone over 5,000 deaths
per year, meaning we are still seeing
an increase in deaths more than 20
years a er the ban.
Asbestos remains present in
schools, hospitals, prisons, factories,
o ices, garage roofs and homes
that were built before the ban was
implemented, which means the
health risk posed by asbestos is
as real today as it was when the
substance was first put into buildings.
Whilst this strikes a sombre note,
there is good news. Firstly, if asbestos
is in good condition and is safely
managed, it does not present a health
hazard. The second piece of good
news is that there are lots of exciting
developments being made with
regards to the disposal of asbestos.
But the key here to keeping
people safe is good management.
It is shocking to see the number
of organisations and businesses
who have no idea about their
responsibilities regarding asbestos
management. Despite the tough
regulations(ii) in place, there remains a
number of large multi-million pound,
companies who have never touched
on their asbestos responsibilities
before.
Unfortunately, currently it is most
common for asbestos to be removed
and bagged up and then taken to
a waste transfer station or sent
straight to landfill where it is buried
in the ground. This is not creating a
nice legacy for future generations.
Over the years, we have exported
asbestos from di erent countries and
created millions of tonnes of asbestos
products, and to date, all the asbestos
waste has gone to landfill.
CHEMICAL ERADICATION
However, there are some exciting
developments on the horizon.
One of the innovations on the way,
which sounds the most promising
is chemical eradication. Basically,
asbestos cement products are put
into a vat of acid to break down the
asbestos. Once the asbestos has been
broken down, it creates a byproduct
and the chemical reaction destroys
the asbestos fibres. You are le with
materials that can then be reused by
the construction industry.
THERMAL ERADICATION
In this process, asbestos is heated
up to over 1,500 degrees and when
it gets to a certain temperature the
asbestos breaks down and becomes
inert. Again, the le over byproduct is
an inert material which can be used
and reused. This has been trialled
in America where it has been used
in roads. This process hasn’t been
introduced here yet because the UK
hasn’t found a cost-e ective way of
bringing the method here.
KINETIC ERADICATION
Huge machines containing big balls
of materials rotate and the kinetic
energy which is created destroys
anything that is inside. Anything put
in there is broken down to the point of
no return - the fibres are completely
destroyed.
BIOLOGICAL ERADICATION
Apparently, there is a biological way
of breaking down asbestos. This
seems to be predominately linked
with chrysotile, a white asbestos, and
cement products. Fungus is used to
eat the material away but the trouble
with this is that it takes years to do.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU NEED
TO HAVE ASBESTOS REMOVED?
Remember, if asbestos is in good
condition and well managed it does
not present a risk to health. However
asbestos removal is sometimes
necessary because the material is
in a degraded condition and cannot
be managed in situ or repaired. It is
important to remember that asbestos
removal works must be carried out
by a fully competent and qualified
contractor who has appropriately
trained sta to carry out the works.
They also require the correct
insurances to work with asbestos
in addition to having provision for
disposal of the asbestos waste.
Two decades on from asbestos being banned in the UK, the toxic substance
continues to aff ect thousands of lives every year. Ian Stone, Director of UK wide
asbestos consultancy, Acorn Analytical Services, explains how exciting new
disposal methods are helping to save lives
REFERENCE NOTES
www.acorn-as.com
(i) www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/
mesothelioma/mesothelioma.pdf
(ii) www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/regulations.
htm
42 OCTOBER 2020
/www.acorn-as.com
/mesothelioma.pdf
/regulations.htm
