Asbestos Risk Management in the Workplace Whether you work in a factory or a call centre, if the building you work in was built prior to 1999 there’s a chance that asbestos was used in its construction. This popular and cost-effective insulating material was finally banned because it was found to create hazardous environmental conditions potentially leading to chronic and fatal diseases. Asbestos becomes dangerous when it’s disturbed or damaged. These conditions cause its microscopic fibres to become airborne. Breathing in these fibres, over a sustained period of time, can cause a range of hea ..read more

What is an Asbestos Survey? Many of the clients we work with tell us they are unsure when an asbestos survey is needed, what it comprises, or how it could impact on a work or domestic environment. In this blog we’ll be providing answers to these questions and discussing the range of asbestos surveys available for businesses, landlords and homeowners. What is an Asbestos Survey? An asbestos survey takes the form of a property, or premises inspection carried out by a qualified asbestos specialist. In the majority of asbestos surveys the inspection is visual and non-disruptive. If the risk of asb ..read more

Asbestos Risk Management in the Workplace Avanti spends a good deal of time carrying out asbestos management surveys in commercial premises. Many of the building owners and managers we speak to worry that if we find asbestos they’ll have to halt business to get it removed. Actually, this is a worst case scenario that happens very rarely. The most likely outcome of an asbestos management survey is that Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) are discovered but in an inert state. This means that they are not an immediate danger in the workplace, but need to be carefully monitored in order to comply ..read more

A Guide to Asbestos in Plaster Walls At Avanti we get a lot of people contacting us with queries about asbestos in plaster walls. Many of them live in older houses and are planning renovations, or refurbishments. They suspect that plaster on their walls contains asbestos, but they don’t know how to check, or what actions to take. That’s why we’ve written a guide to asbestos in plaster walls, which covers: Is Asbestos In Plaster Walls Dangerous? How to Check for Asbestos in Plaster Removing Plaster That Contains Asbestos 1. Is Asbestos in Plaster Walls Dangerous? Asbestos was commonly added t ..read more

What to do About Asbestos in Your Garage Roof Materials containing asbestos were widely used in garages throughout the 20th century. Believe it or not, asbestos was initially extremely popular as a construction material, partly because it was cheap and plentiful, but also because it was a great insulator. Whilst it’s not unknown for asbestos to be found in garage walls an asbestos garage roof is far more likely. Is an Asbestos Garage Roof a Health Hazard? The Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) most likely to have been used in a garage roof is ‘asbestos cement’. This is a cement mix containing ..read more

What Is a Demolition Survey? Anyone planning the demolition of a building, or part of it, is legally required to carry out a demolition survey. This is also know as a ‘refurbishment & demolition survey’. The aim of the survey is to locate, wherever possible, all asbestos containing materials (ACMs) in the building. Where ACMs are located, they will need to be removed prior to the demolition. Why Does Asbestos Need To Be Removed? Asbestos is made up of microscopic fibres which, if dispersed into the air, can easily be inhaled. These sharp fibres can lodge in airways and lungs, where the pre ..read more

What are the Health Risks of Asbestos? It wasn’t until the latter half of the 20th century that the UK public became aware of the health risks of asbestos. Until then it had been used extensively in the construction industry as an insulating material, and anyone working in shipbuilding, railways, heating engineers, or building would have been regularly exposed to it. Despite the increased awareness, it would take a few more decades for asbestos to be completely banned for use in construction materials. By the time the ban came into force in 1999, many thousands of people were living with the l ..read more

Asbestos at Home We’re far more aware of the threat to health asbestos poses now than we were even 20 years ago. Unfortunately our increased understanding is thanks to the thousands of people who unknowingly inhaled asbestos in their workplace for years, and suffered long term chronic, and often fatal, effects. Thankfully we now have the knowledge that ensures no-one need suffer this fate in the 21st century. Asbestos wasn’t just used in workplaces prior to its ban in 1999. As a cheap, effective and readily available insulating material, it was widely used in the construction of houses. Floor ..read more

Is All Asbestos Dangerous? Asbestos is 100% natural. It’s found in rocks and iron ore and has been mined for hundreds of years because of its strength and insulating properties. And yet, it’s been responsible for thousands of deaths over the past century. As a cheap, naturally occurring mineral, asbestos was used extensively in the construction industry throughout the 1900s. By the 1980s the hazards of asbestos exposure were clear, and asbestos was banned for use in 1999. What are the Dangers Associated With Asbestos? Asbestos is made up of millions of microscopic fibres. If these fibres becom ..read more

Avanti Provides Asbestos Removal in Colchester Earlier this year an Essex restaurant owner was fined for exposing his employees to asbestos fibres. He commissioned the removal of a number of insulating boards. The boards were broken up and stored on the premises without an asbestos survey being carried out. The problem came to light when an asbestos survey was eventually carried out – but only after the harm had already been done. “Those in control of works have a responsibility to manage the risks from asbestos in non-domestic premises. To achieve this the duty holder must ensure that a suit ..read more