Asbestos was commonly used in construction and building maintenance during the 1940s-1990s. Any building built or refurbished before 2000 could contain asbestos. It can be found in floors, walls, ceilings and roofs, as boards, tiles or textured or sprayed coatings. It can also be present as lagging on pipes or in items such as fire blankets and oven gloves. Asbestos can also be found in contaminated soils.
What you must do
If you work on the fabric of a building and are at risk of disturbing asbestos you must make sure that you and your employees are able to identify it in case you find it unexpectedly.
Asbestos surveys
If you own or occupy a building, you must have an asbestos register. The register must contain detailed information on the location, type, condition and risk of any asbestos-containing materials within the structure of the building that may be hazardous to the health or welfare of people within the premises or to the surrounding environment.
As the owner or occupier, you are responsible for obtaining this information. You may be able to conduct an in-house survey or you may need to employ an accredited specialist. You must make sure that the person conducting the survey has the correct experience and training, and they must conduct the survey in accordance with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance.
If you are in rented or shared premises you need to check whether you are responsible for obtaining this information. The person responsible may be the leaseholder or the owner, it may be shared between a number of leaseholders, or it may pass to a managing agent. Check your tenancy agreement or contract to see if you are responsible for the maintenance and repair of your premises.
Building maintenance
If you are planning any maintenance or demolition work at your own premises you will need to carry out an asbestos survey to locate and identify any materials containing asbestos. You must complete the survey before any structural work begins. Alternatively, you can presume that any building or other materials you encounter are asbestos and organise work via a licensed contractor accordingly.
If you are a maintenance, demolition or construction contractor, the owner or occupier of any building that you work on must supply you with detailed information on the location, type and condition of asbestos-containing materials within the structure of the building that may be hazardous to you or your employees’ health or welfare.
HSE: Asbestos surveys
Where is asbestos found in buildings?
- Sprayed asbestos and loose asbestos packing were used as fire breaks in ceiling voids.
- Hand moulded or pre-formed coatings and lagging were used as thermal insulation for pipes and boilers.
- Sprayed asbestos and asbestos in a cement matrix were used as fire protection in ducts, firebreaks, panels, partitions, soffit boards, ceiling panels and around structural steel work.
- Sprayed asbestos and board materials were used for sound proofing in walls and ceilings, usually as a coating or as tiles.
- Asbestos cement products include corrugated roofing sheets, corrugated sheets for wall cladding, gutters, rainwater pipes and water tanks.
- Millboard, paper and paper products containing asbestos were used for the insulation of electrical equipment, and as sandwich or backing materials, eg on wood veneers or linoleum.
- Asbestos fibres were woven into ropes and cloths, eg fire blankets and heat resistant gloves.
- Asbestos was used in textured coating, decorative plasters and paints, eg ‘Artex’ type finishes and cornices.
The HSE provides detailed information on the locations and types of asbestos found in buildings.
HSE: Where can you find asbestos?
In this guideline:
What is asbestos?
Identifying asbestos
Working with asbestos
Disposing of asbestos waste
Asbestos further information
Asbestos legislation
