What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a term for a group of minerals made of microscopic fibres. Before its dangers were known, asbestos was often used in buildings for insulation, flooring, and roofing, and was sprayed on ceilings and walls. It is now banned in the UK. Buildings constructed before 1999 may still contain asbestos. If the asbestos-containing materials within these buildings remain intact, they pose minimal risk.
It’s only when these materials are damaged or disturbed that tiny asbestos fibres can be released into the air and breathed into your lungs.
The symptoms of asbestos-related disease take many years – even decades – to appear after the original exposure to asbestos, so exposure a long time ago might only be showing up as a disease today.
Why is Asbestos Dangerous?
Asbestos still kills around 5000 workers each year, which is more than the number of people killed on the road.
Around 20 tradesmen die each week as a result of past exposure
However, asbestos is not just a problem of the past. It can be present in any building built or refurbished before 1999.
When materials that contain asbestos are disturbed or damaged, fibres are released into the air. When these fibres are inhaled, they can cause serious diseases. These diseases will not affect you immediately; they often take a long time to develop, but once diagnosed, it is often too late to do anything.