Asbestos

Asbestos was a popular building material until it was found to be a dangerous substance and subsequently banned in 1999

Is Asbestos Present On Your Farm?

A recent case where a farmer died following years of exposure to harmful asbestos fibre highlights how the material is a significant hazard to health that cannot be ignored. There is a very good chance that on most farms, asbestos may still be lurking leading to the possibility of more people being exposed to its fibres while they work.

People who breathe in asbestos fibres are at an increased risk of developing a rare form of cancer called malignant mesothelioma. Unfortunately, the illness has no cure, which means it is vital to ensure that asbestos is made safe and any risk of contamination with fibres is removed.

If asbestos is present on your farm it is often far to easy to disturb it through various tasks such as repairing clutches on old vehicles, carrying out repairs on insulated pipes and boilers and especially when demolishing old buildings.

The most common type of asbestos found on farms is white asbestos but there may be other types used in the construction of building prior to 2000 as well. White asbestos can typically be found in corrugated roofing, cladding and in wall panels.

Removal of asbestos can be expensive, but the good news is it can be encapsulated so that it can be made safe. Undisturbed asbestos poses no risk and encapsulation ensures that it remains undisturbed.

Posted by admin in Asbestos, Environmentally Friendly Materials, Metropolitan Insulation

The Hidden Danger Of Asbestos And How To Deal With It

The number of deaths resulting from exposure to asbestos has peaked according to statistics, however there may still be hidden asbestos dangers lurking in homes as well as commercial building and schools.

A type of lung cancer called mesothelioma can result from even low levels of exposure to asbestos fibres and in 2014 2,567 people died as a result of the disease. While most people are aware of the dangers of asbestos it can be unwittingly disturbed during renovation projects leading to fibres finding their way into the surrounding air.

The use of asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999 as a result of the risks, however this doesn’t mean that the risk is eliminated either now or in the future in older properties that have yet to be modernised.

While having asbestos in the home is ok if it is left undisturbed, the risk to health is acute when it is disturbed. The cost of having a professional remove the material safely, however, can be high and there will be significant disruption during removal works.

To avoid this, homeowners can opt for asbestos encapsulation which coats the asbestos preventing fibres from escaping. The process is cheaper and faster than removal and in most cases safer.

Posted by admin in Asbestos, Metropolitan Insulation