Asbestos Hub Magazine Issue 2

2

ASBESTOS #

HUB MAGAZINE THE PREMIER INDEPENDENT, QUARTERLY MAGAZINE FOR THE UK AND GLOBAL ASBESTOS INDUSTRY September 2021

LLOYD LUDLOW: "THE EVOLUTION OF THE REVOLUTION" THE BRITISH DEMOLITION AWARDS 2021

MAVIS NYE ON CHATHAM DOCKS

Part of the Demolition Hub media brand

Asbestos Hub is in media association with

E

Erith provide exemplary levels of service across our diverse nationwide portfolio, ranging from social housing to highly regulated nuclear projects.

Our single source solution includes

• Asbestos Removal • Decontamination • Reinstatement • Management and Disposal For more information, please contact 0370 950 8800 or visit www.erith.com Due to continued growth, we are currently recruiting nationally for Contracts Managers, Supervisors and Operatives. Please send your CV to bd@erith.com

PUBLISHER Ben Chambers ben@chambers.media 01903 952 648

EDITOR Toby Wilsdon toby@chambers.media 01903 952 645

SALES MANAGER Wayne Bristow wayne@chambers.media 01903 952 642

DESIGN Aaron Lloyd aaron@chambers.media 01903 952 689

PRODUCED & PUBLISHED BY Global News Media Ltd Suite 5 & 6, Chapel House, 1-6 Chapel Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 1EX

Asbestos Hub is in media association with Asbestos Control & Abatement Division (ACAD) Asbestos Hub is published four times a year. Subscription records are maintained at Global News Media Ltd, Suite 5 & 6, Chapel House, 1-6 Chapel Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 1EX. Articles and information contained in this publication are the copyright of Global News Media Ltd and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publishers. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss of, or damage to, uncommissioned photographs or manuscripts.

ASBESTOS HUB | ISSUE 2 Welcome to the second issue of the now established asbestos industry magazine – Asbestos Hub, the magazine for this very specialised industry with the goal of #asbestosabatement.

We are firmly established in the publishing calendar now, offering readers all the industry news, technology, services and events to ensure you are informed, entertained and in the know every March, June, September and December.

In this issue we are packed with case studies and interviews from contractors and suppliers. I conducted a highly enjoyable Zoom chat with Lloyd Ludlow from Phoenix Brands. With his engaging and passionate explanation of the company and its products, I found him to be a very charming and personable man. You can read our interview on page 28.

We have a review of this year’s British Demolition Awards, at which the asbestos industry was well represented. With Asbestos Hub sponsoring the Asbestos Contractor of the Year (won by Erith) my team and I were delighted to be able meet and network with plenty from the industry. These included ARCA, Empire Asbestos, SMH, Asbestos Fighters, Oracle Solutions Asbestos and many more, as well as a whole host of demolition contractors that also specialise in asbestos removal and other services.

You can read a review of the evening on page 34.

Other than awards networking, Sales Manager Wayne and I met with MOD Environmental on a job close to our offices. We are putting together the video and story now ready for December’s issue.

A huge thank you to the industry that has collectively wrapped their arms around us to support the job we are trying to do – which is quite simply promote the industry.

I hope you enjoy this issue.

Best regards,

Ben Chambers Publisher, Asbestos Hub ben@chambers.media

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SEPTEMBER

CONTENTS

14

ACAD golf day & awards dinner sells out

06

ACAD welcomes business and marketing graduate Georgia Heath

08

ACAD recruiting for key positions

10

Mavis Nye recalls Chatham Dockyard

12

In du stry Exp er t Casella launches m ost tech n o log ically adv anced h i gh fl ow pump in air sampling m a rket

14

Government extends CE marking deadline

16

ATaC announces remote training for surveyors and analysts

18

Mavis Nye writen on asbestos at British uralite

20

Managing asbestos on the railway

22

Solotec Scientific: designing and manufacturing Waysafe® benchtop safety enclosures since 1991

26

Industry expert expert Casella launches most technologically advanced high flow pump in air sampling market

34

British Demolition awards

Asbestos Hub talks to Lloyd Ludlow about Phoenix Brands, the CapSure range of products and what he calls "The Evolution of the Revolution"

28

EDI Webinar: Removal of asbestos from 32 pavements, vertical surfaces and ceilings

46

UKATA Urges Workers to Take Asbestos Training More Seriously

54

Asbestos Hub at the 2021 British Demolition awards

34

Asbestos ‘ALERT Portable’ launching at Contamination Expo

44

UKATA Urges workers to take asbestos training more seriously

46

Dr Yvonne Waterman, President of The European Asbestos Forum

48

The wait is over for the 2021 the 2021 Contamination and Geotech Expo

50

Anglian – for all your asbestos needs

54

Demolition Expo returns bigger and better than ever

58

Anglian - for all your asbestos needs

26

ACAD golf day & awards dinner – sold out!

Thanks to a massive response from its membership, by late August ACAD had already reached capacity at the Celtic Manor Resort for the 7th Annual Golf Day and Awards Dinner to be held on Thursday 16 September, .

Those lucky enough to secure tickets would enjoy hearing from Welsh International rugby union referee Nigel Owens MBE as guest speaker, sponsored by Tracker from Root-5.

ACAD Audit Awards sponsored by Assure360 will be presented for 2020 and 2021, together with the Apprentice of the Year award sponsored by J&L Recruitment and Asbecruit.

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ACAD members are also be raising money to support Erase Meso on the night, the charity raising much needed funds for Mesothelioma research.

ACAD would like to thank all of the sponsors that were able to support it this year – Beacon International as main event sponsor; Thermac for sponsoring the Golf; IATP for sponsoring the evening reception drinks; Windsor Waste for keeping the golfers' energy levels up by sponsoring their breakfasts; SMH with a shiny new DCU up for grabs for a hole in one by the golfers and Bostik for helping the golfers keep hydrated on the course once again.

Graham Warren, ACAD Manager said: “It’s fantastic news to have sold out the Celtic Manor. This event has smashed our previous record attendance, which stands as testament to the growth of this association over recent years.

"For those who have missed out on tickets this year, we will shortly announce the 2022 venue, which will be even bigger and better as we work tirelessly to keep up with demand for all things ACAD.“

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ACAD welcomes business and marketing graduate Georgia Heath

G

eorgia is a recent Sheffield Hallam University Graduate, where she has achieved a First-Class Honours in her Business and Marketing Degree.

Originally from Lancaster Georgia has now made the move to the north east. This is her first full time role since finishing university in May and she will begin her career in marketing as the Marketing and Membership Administrator at ACAD. The association is really looking forward to integrating her skills into its existing team.

As a graduate she is looking forward to learning about how she can put into practice all the knowledge she has gained throughout her past three years at university, but also learning more about TICA and ACAD, the wider industry stakeholders and increasing her knowledge of marketing over the upcoming months.

To contact Georgia please email her on gheath@tica.uk.com or alternatively phone her on 07706 354 760.

In the coming months, members will see ACAD's regular publications and communications continued as part of Georgia’s role and all enquiries for ACADemy and advertising should be directed to her.

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ACAD recruiting for key positions

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or almost 30 years, ACAD has been promoting best practice at the forefront of the licensed asbestos industry. Based in Darlington, ACAD operates the NVQ centre for the asbestos industry, represents its members with the HSE, and in the wider construction industry they are represented through its membership of Build UK. ACAD is also a part of TICA, and works closely with its on-site awarding organisation, IETTL. ACAD has now reached a point where it is looking to reshape the association to meet the evolving challenges driven by its substantial membership growth in recent times.

The first role it is looking to recruit for is an individual to develop its extensive training and qualifications. This role would include training delivery and responsibility for the ongoing development of its highly regarded training, delivered face to face and remotely, as well as overseeing

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external training delivery. In addition, the ideal candidate will be a qualified assessor and Internal Quality Assurer, and will take a leading role in the NVQ centre for the asbestos industry.

While candidates who are qualified in these roles are preferred, applications from those looking to develop into elements of this role will also be actively considered.

The association is also looking for a senior site auditor who will take over responsibility for its nationwide audit programme, including quality assurance of its network of auditors. Good experience of licensed asbestos work is essential, and experience of licence renewals would be an advantage.

In addition to these more senior positions, ACAD has vacancies throughout the UK for trainer/auditors/assessors, who are experienced in any of these roles and would like to develop their career with a supportive employer. In addition, ACAD is happy to receive applications from individuals without direct experience of these roles who have a good background within the asbestos industry and would like to

develop via trainee roles to these positions.

For all these roles, you will have an enthusiastic, self-motivated and flexible approach to work. You will have good communication skills, take pride in your work and relish a challenge. Previous applicants are encouraged to reapply.

ACAD offers extremely rewarding and varied career opportunities with a supportive employer who will invest in your continued personal development. Competitive salaries and benefits including 25 days annual leave are available for all roles.

In the first instance applicants should get in touch with the ACAD Manager, Graham Warren, on 07787 507 215 for an informal discussion about the roles, or you can submit a copy of your current CV to gwarren@acad.uk.com.

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Chatham dockyard

by Mavis Nye Chatham Dockyard was the workplace of my great grandfather Edward, who came with his wife from South Hilton Durham to Chatham and lived in Luton Chatham. He had my grandmother and she married Thomas and lived a few doors away where my father, his brother Jackson and three sisters were born. My grandfather died at 42 when he dropped dead over my grandmother as she was holding her newborn, my Uncle Jackson.

The men all worked in the dockyard, walking in or going by bicycle.

Now the dockyard has closed it has become a tourist attraction, a happy place and yet Mesothelioma is the deadly disease this dockyard has left the Medway towns suffering with.

Asbestos was a wonder material and was used as insulation in the shipbuilding industry from the end of the 19th century until the dockyard closed in 1984/85 and everything was moved to Portsmouth.

Engine rooms, generating rooms, pipework and boilers, wherever the asbestos was used to lag, was a danger to the workers. Even after asbestos stopped being used Chatham dockyard, workers were still exposed to high levels of asbestos fibres from stripping out old asbestos lagging on refits.

Because asbestos was commonplace on ships and submarines, many Chatham dockyard employees could have been exposed to asbestos while building or maintaining ships and submarines. This included shipwrights, joiners, engine fitters, electrical fitters, caulkers, labourers, rope makers, supervisors, cleaners and asbestos laggers.

Dangers from exposure to high levels of asbestos (especially blue and brown) and its association with asbestosis and lung cancer had been established by the second world war. However, it was not until the mid 1960s that the real dangers of asbestos became well known. In 1965 the Sunday Times published an article warning of the link between exposure to low levels of the more commonplace white asbestos and the fatal disease mesothelioma. This eventually caused responsible employers at Chatham dockyards and elsewhere to take proper precautions to protect their workers from asbestos.

Sadly, for too many workers there was too long a delay between this knowledge and action to prevent asbestos exposure. Hundreds of them have found that the supposedly harmless white asbestos fibres they inhaled at Chatham dockyards have led to serious and often fatal diseases, such as asbestosis, diffuse pleural thickening, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.

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CHATHAM DOCKYARD

Chatham dockyard has gained the nasty title of employer responsible for the most deaths from asbestos, lung cancer and asbestosis.

My father was wrongly diagnosed and died in 1989 having lived through the pain of emphysema with a frozen shoulder due to a small stroke. The symptoms I saw in him are the same as I have had – swollen legs, lymphedema, and shortness of breath. He didn’t have the proper treatment, although there was even less than today.

The Medway area, is in the UK’s top four for asbestos related deaths. A total of 104 people died from mesothelioma in Medway between 2006 and 2010.

When you sit down with Ray he describes the asbestos as being piled up everywhere on the dockside and on the boats. Men were sawing the material, cutting it, even throwing and kicking it about as they worked, and the dust in the air when it was swept up.

Unlike Plymouth Dockyard they didn’t have a laundry service, so Ray came home in his work clothes and I shook the dust and put them into the washing machine. Ray has lost all the pals from his apprenticeship in the 1953 entry.

Health and safety is too often referred to in derogatory terms, but a more conscientious attitude to the health and safety risks of asbestos in the 1950s, 60s and 70s would have prevented such diseases as mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer. It is because of such careless attitudes that employers like the Ministry of Defence at Chatham dockyards are often liable to compensate for diseases caused by asbestos. Unfortunately, no amount of compensation can make up for a fatal illness.

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Industry expert Casella launches most technologically advanced high flow pump in air sampling market Asbestos-related diseases take the lives of 20 tradespeople every week. Despite being banned in the UK, asbestos can still be found in older homes and industrial properties built between the 1950s and 70s, posing a threat to anyone who disturbs the dangerous material.

Global occupational hygiene and workplace hazard monitoring expert Casella has launched the Vortex3, the most innovative high flow pump on the market, designed to simplify asbestos and air sampling.

Continuing to fulfil its mission to improve health in the workplace and community with lifechanging monitoring technology, the high flow pump offers a flow accuracy better than +/- five per cent, ensuring consultants, contractors and specialists have confidence in results.

Using Casella’s patent-pending, interlocking design, the Vortex3 has an ergonomically comfortable handle and weighs just 2.17 kg, allowing users to carry multiple units in one hand with ease.

The Vortex3 has an IP65 rating, providing protection from dust and water ingress. Casella’s ergonomic design has ensured the high flow pump’s smooth body finish is free from small crevices that could hold fine airborne asbestos fibres, allowing for safer decontamination and cleaning.

Built to impeccable standards, the Vortex3’s two-and-a-half hours at 12L/min with a typical filter ensures continuous performance.

Available in two versions, the Vortex3 Pro model is compatible with Casella’s innovative Airwave App and Bluetooth connectivity, enabling users to remotely start, pause or stop a measurement run, monitor battery life and memory capacity and check measurement progress direct from a mobile device.

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Data can be emailed alongside photos and site details, adding context to the sampling and further simplifying the reporting process. This remote access facility makes monitoring and data collection easier and faster, while providing additional traceability.

Casella has a long history of manufacturing air sampling pumps and the Vortex3 completes the family,” said Tim Turney, Casella Global Marketing Manager.

“The Vortex3 brings genuine innovation in terms of new technology and ease of use, designed to save time for those working on-site with air sampling pumps.”

Casella is dedicated to reducing environmental and occupational health risks by developing equipment and technology for dust, noise and vibration monitoring.

Casella’s core purpose is to create technology aimed at improving the working environment of employees, while providing robust data and equipment platforms to enable organisations to remain compliant with health and safety regulations. The company is an expert in the integration of sensor technology and data management systems that further improve productivity and overall safety in the workplace. Casella’s range of instrumentation includes real-time dust monitors, personal sampling pumps, sound level meters, personal dosimeters, hand-arm vibration and boundary/fenceline monitors. Casella is a global business, part of the IDEAL Industries Inc. group of companies, with offices in the UK, US, Australia, China and India.

H i gh F l o w Pum p

The company has provided precision instrumentation since 1799 and supplied eminent figures, including Charles Darwin, with instrumentation for exploration and scientific work. Casella works with a network of specialist distributors to provide local service and client support to those searching out solutions for risk reduction and management.

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CE marking extended post Brexit

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ollowing calls from the CLC, the government has delayed changes to product marking rules by 12 months, allowing CE marked products to continue to be sold in Great Britain until 1 January 2023.

Construction and other sectors had raised concerns about the availability and capacity of testing for products under the new UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking regime introduced postBrexit.

From 1 January 2023, products will be required to carry the new UKCA mark if they are to be sold in England, Scotland and Wales. For products to be sold in Northern Ireland, the CE marking will continue to be recognised due to the Northern Ireland protocol.

Companies exporting to the EU market will still need a CE mark on their products as the UKCA mark is not recognised by the EU. The CLC has updated its guidance on product markings to reflect the delay.

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uild UK and CSCS have published guidance on ‘How to be a Smart Site’ to help members realise the benefits of using smart technology to check cards carrying the CSCS logo.

It covers how to check cards that are already using smart technology, how to identify those that are not yet smart, and what to do in the event of finding a fraudulent card.

There is also a handy poster for use on site.

How to be a Smart Site

The guidance follows the update to the CLC Industry Card Schemes Recommendation in December 2020 to include a requirement that all cards displaying the CSCS logo must use Smart Technology by 31 March 2022, in order to provide the industry with a consistent means of recognising that individuals working on construction sites have the required qualifications and training for their occupation.

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ARCA announces remote training for surveyors and analysts ARCA is pleased to announce the availability of remote training for both asbestos surveyors and analysts to support their goal in achieving an RSPH qualification.

We have listened to feedback from members and the overriding request was for greater flexibility of when and how candidates undertake training and exams

Candidates can now either undertake a full qualification at an ARCA centre over consecutive days, or if candidates’ employers can provide the necessary practical training, there is now a new option for taking the theoretical training remotely, before sitting examinations at an ARCA centre.

What does this mean?

Candidates will be able to take one day of remote training a week, that is three separate training days for surveyors and four for analysts.

This gives candidates time to read further and gain practical experience in the workplace, before undertaking another remote training day.

Following this there will be an

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exam day held at an ARCA Centre, which will be arranged for around 10 working days after the last remote training day.

“We have listened to feedback from members and the overriding request was for greater flexibility of when and how candidates undertake training and exams,” said Satish Patel, Training Manager for ARCA. “After July / August this year we will be arranging training one day a week to give the candidates time to consider the training in stages and gain the specific practical skills, before progressing further. This method has less impact on the business as training is spread over a number of weeks.”

Candidates now have three options available to support their goal in achieving an RSPH qualification: centre-based training and exam, remote training and exam, or exam only option.

ARCA saw an increase in requests for additional site audits from member contractors during the first half of this year.

ARCA sees increase in additional site audit bookings

ARCA’s in-house auditors have supported members by undertaking 80 additional site audits in this period, that is in addition to the ARCA unannounced membership audits.

These additional external audits support contractors auditing programmes and provide a further quality control mechanism to help keep standards high.

All ARCA audits follow the same criteria so provide a consistent form of measurement, and follow the ‘Plan, Do, Check’ approach to health and safety management.

Members can request ARCA to organise additional audits by arrangement, whereby the member can ask for a specific site to be audited, or unannounced, whereby the contractor has no prior notice of an audit.

Further information on additional site audits is available online.

ARCA a keynote speaker at Contamination Expo 2021 At this year’s event ARCA will discuss how the association has taken further steps to promote professionalism and continues to drive high standards in the asbestos industry, so supporting the safe management of asbestos.

Also, to support the quality and provide added reassurance of competency of short-term asbestos removal operatives to member contractors, ARCA took the initiative to develop the first performance rating app for asbestos labour, The Asbestos Labour Feedback App, ALFA. Join ARCA in the Keynote Theatre on Thursday 23rd September at 11.45.

Entrance is free to Contamination Expo at the NEC Birmingham on 22 and 23 September. Register online.

Steve Sadley, Chief Executive of ARCA, will highlight how ARCA requires high standards from member contractors on asbestos removal sites, as contractors need three satisfactory unannounced (no prior notice) site audits each year to maintain membership. This provides a strong level of reassurance for end-clients who have a duty to use competent contractors.

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Asbestos at British Uralite

by Dr Mavis Nye My next door neighbour had a brother die of Mesothelioma in the 1970s. He went to court and won a sum of money enough to buy a house but he died soon after. I was trying to find his case but I can't at the moment. It was on front page of the daily papers.

I came across British Uralite and that was where Ray had worked when he left the dockyard. He only worked there six months.

But it only takes one fibre as I keep saying.

We couldn’t make a claim here as a secondary claim as it was still before the 1964 point that they claim they didn’t know it was dangerous.

Of coarse if Ray (God forbid) ever needed to claim then old cases are great to have evidence of people who have won claims.

We were very interested to see my Solicitor has won such a case.

Harminder Bains (Leigh Davy) acted on behalf of Mrs Joyce Holley, who worked at the British Uralite asbestos factory in Higham from 1943 to 1949. Initially she worked in the women’s pipe shop and then finally in the canteen. She was exposed to asbestos while making asbestos products such as pipe bends, pipe terminals, pipe cowls and garden boxes. She also cut wet asbestos sheets, wrapped the asbestos around moulds and finally took the moulds to a fire to dry out. After drying she would smooth the asbestos products down with an emery board and polish them with French chalk. Mrs Holley was diagnosed with mesothelioma in July 2009.

At the British Uralite factory in Higham, chimney pots, pipes and tiles were made from raw asbestos.

Similarly, it was also used in power stations and heavy engineering plants in the towns.

I can’t believe that Ray hasn’t told the story of the six months' employment he did here. He said when

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I interviewed him “You have never asked, but I have written it down for our solicitor.

Ray said “We were manufacturing window boxes, which entailed multiple trips to the hopper, where sheets of wet asbestos were laid out on giant tables, about six foot by eight foot long. Using a giant rolling pin between, two men, we would roll a sheet onto the rolling pin and carry it back to our work stations. There it would be unrolled on the table and various sizes would be cut from the wet sheet. These would be placed in wooden moulds and beaten into shape with a metal spatulas.

These moulds would be placed in a rack overnight.

The following day these moulds would be back on the bench where the semi hard asbestos would be trimmed with a knife or hack saw blade, the mould placed back in the rack.

The following day these moulds that had been trimmed would be dismantled to remove the window box, these window boxes would be stacked on the floor around the work area, where they would be left to cure or harden.

The next day the cured window boxes could then be filed, sandpapered and all edges cleaned, they would then be dusted down with a powder where they would be taken to the stores.

With all the filing and sand papering being carried out, this inevitably created asbestos dust, which settled on the benches on the floor and on your clothes and all other sections in the open factory area. The same dusting, cleaning, sawing and sandpapering created dust everywhere and on everything with no attempt by management to clean up.

In the event that the window boxes or other asbestos items were damaged and refused acceptance in the stores they would be broken up and the pieces thrown in the bin.

When there was a strike you were made to tear open the sacks of asbestos ready for the hopper in an enclosed area in which asbestos dust and fibres were over all the machinery, up the walls and about half inch all over the floor. The air was thick with dust. At no time did British Uralite offer any breathing protection nor offer any warnings.

Asbestos was also used as a building material in schools and homes between the 1950s and 1980s. While the dockyard and British Uralite have long since closed they have left behind a legacy of death.

Ray lost a wonderful friend that we visited. A 31-year-old fit man who died of cancer. This was our first meeting with Mesothelioma.

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Managing asbestos on the railway

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s with any other sector, it is essential that sufficient information regarding the potential location of asbestos in the rail network, both within buildings, rolling stock (trains) and rail infrastructure is recorded prior to any demolition, repair or refurbishment works taking place. With this in mind, it is equally important for rail workers to know what to do if an ACM is disturbed, while also being aware of the health risks associated with the inhalation of asbestos fibres.

The general rule of thumb is that ACMs will only pose a risk to health if they are disturbed or damaged. If they are in good condition and are left untouched, they should not pose any danger. However, if a building or location has no known information about whether or not it contains asbestos, it must be assumed to contain the fibrous mineral, with action immediately taken to determine if this is the case.

Where might asbestos be located on rail premises/rolling stock?

It is possible that any train, station or depot constructed before the year 2000 may contain asbestos. In buildings, it is often found in ceiling tiles, insulation boards, vinyl floor tiles, roof sheeting and pipe lagging, and railway buildings are no exception.

Its fire resistant and insulating properties also made it a highly popular material for the construction and maintenance of trains. Located predominantly within engine rooms, brake pad linings and piston cylinders, asbestos in its varying forms has also been discovered in such materials as:

• Millboards in catering vehicles, exhaust pipes in engines/locomotives and skirting within seating partitions (chrysotile – white asbestos) • Paste under locomotive frames and insulating boards (amosite – brown asbestos) • Sprayed fibres on the sides, roofs, ends and floors of rail vehicles (crocidolite – blue asbestos) • Textiles and arc chutes – many old rolling stock still incorporate ACMs within textiles and arc chutes, the latter of which are used in circuit breakers within all types of electrical equipment to insulate and protect circuits from shorting • Asbestos cement – the fibres in asbestos cement products are firmly bound in the material and will only be released if the product is subjected to breakage.

Asbestos cement products that are used externally will weather slowly, so risk of exposure from fibre release is low if the material is left undisturbed • Ballast – can often have some asbestos contamination present as a result of material dropping from trains/stations and trackside debris coming into contact with the tracks. When ballast is recycled, an opportunity arises to check the material and remove any contamination prior to it being used after processing.

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How can you identify ACMs on rolling stock/rail premises?

Where a material or component is suspected of containing asbestos, the item must be treated as an ACM until proven otherwise. This will then be identified by a qualified person such as an ACM or non ACM, and where appropriate, the type of asbestos will also be determined. There are a range of materials incorporated within rolling stock and related infrastructure that could potentially contain asbestos, with sampling and analysis serving as the definitive way to decipher whether the fibrous mineral is present. Some components are identified as being asbestos-free by stamping or having two ‘v’ notches cut into the material.

Does legislation concerning asbestos management affect my rail organisation?

It is a legal requirement to determine whether asbestos is present or reasonably expected to be present within a building or on rolling stock, with failure to comply having serious consequences for owners and contractors. Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2012 requires duty holders of non-domestic premises to identify, locate and manage the risk from asbestos, and this includes railway line-side structures, railway vehicles, train stations, depots and other buildings constructed for rail-related purposes.

In order to comply with CAR 2012, duty holders must: • • • •

Locate ACMs throughout the premises/on rolling stock and assess the risk posed to health Keep accurate, up-to-date records about the location/s of ACMs Ensure that anyone who might disturb asbestos is aware of its location and condition Develop a risk management plan and update regularly.

While the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) Regulations 2013 prohibits the use of asbestos in building fabrics, the Office of Rail Regulation issued an Exemption Certificate in 2014, which has eased restrictions against the marketing and use of a railway vehicle or component containing ACMs where there is no risk to workers and the general public. To meet the requirements of Schedule 5A of REACH, the following actions are required: • Confirm that the vehicle/ component was in service or installed before January 2005 • Take reasonable steps to remove ACMs, unless removal could increase the risk to health • Ensure risks to health are properly assessed and controlled • Keep accurate records about the location of ACMs in the vehicle or component.

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Finally, the Waste Classification WM3 2015 provides guidance on best practice when controlling waste that is suspected to contain asbestos. To meet the guidelines, rail organisations should assess whether asbestos is present in the form of free dispersible fibres, as well as whether it makes up more than 0.1 per cent of waste. They should then take steps to safely dispose of waste where high levels of asbestos fibres have been detected.

What is the recommended course of action upon discovering or disturbing ACMs? Caution is advised when undertaking tasks that require drilling holes or breaking out/pulling cables when the surrounding material is suspected or known to contain asbestos, as such activities are highly likely to release the hazardous fibres into the surrounding environment. In the event of a known or suspected ACM being disturbed, rail workers are required to adhere to the following steps: • Immediately cease activity and evacuate all employees working in the area • Secure the area and restrict access using appropriate measures • Report the suspected or known ACM to the site/line manager • Await confirmation that no asbestos is present before resuming work. If confirmed, the ACM should be sealed and labelled or, where necessary, removed.

How can SOCOTEC support rail organisations with asbestos management?

SOCOTEC’s Asbestos team is well equipped to support the rail network with asbestos management and consultancy services, adopting a client-focused approach to ensure that your organisation remains fully compliant with its duty to manage.

SOCOTEC also provides Asbestos Awareness e-learning training, which is available to purchase via its online shop.

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www.modenvironmetal.co.uk

Solotec Scientific: designing and manufacturing Waysafe benchtop safety enclosures since 1991

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ach of our enclosures are individually made to order in the UK by our skilled and experienced team. They are used on a daily basis throughout the world in research and hospital laboratories within the food, asbestos, chemical, life sciences, pharmaceutical and aerosol production industries.

Our enclosures are suitable for balances, microscopes, microbiology, and aerosol testing applications to name but a few.

Designed for easy ductless benchtop installation, the Waysafe® range includes hoods for balances, microscopes, microbiology, MDI and aerosol testing and also powder mixing.

We recognise that innovation is the key to our continued success, and we’re committed to providing exceptional customer service and the best in bench-top safety enclosures. This year, we are also very proud to be celebrating our 30-year anniversary and look forward to making enclosures for many more years to come.

and pharmaceutical industries – full details of these projects can be found on our website at www.waysafe.co.uk.

As well as our mainstream range of products we also offer bespoke enclosures made to your own unique specifications at highly competitive prices.

We carry a wide stock of replacement filters, motors, and accessories for all our models, ready for immediate dispatch, which can be ordered from our online store.

We pride ourselves on being problem solvers, and we love a challenge! We have recently developed unique custom enclosures for the petrochemical

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THE EVOLUTION OF THE REVOLUTION

Asbestos Hub talks to Lloyd Ludlow about Phoenix Brands, the CapSure range of products and what he calls “The Evolution of the Revolution”

How did you get to where you are with Phoenix?

I started Phoenix Brands about a year ago. I’ve been in the heavy demolition and industrial demolition and civil construction world for nearly 38 years, all over the world working on major projects and with major companies.

Back in the day I was working in Europe on other projects like industrial demolition, nuclear demolition and decommission projects.

Over the years, I had problems with colleagues with mesothelioma, high lead levels in their blood and everything else. It became a pet peeve of mine.

Four or five years ago I started to have some ideas on improving things.

Everybody was spraying water on debris. When I talked to colleagues, especially scientists, I knew that the water wasn’t actually encapsulating any of the dust. People didn’t grasp that the water evaporated and so it was just suspended in the air, or bounced off the floor. So I came up with a few ideas and I went to scientists that I knew, including Dr Arthur Frank from Drexel University in the US. Then I teamed up with a manufacturing company with scientists in the UK called Rutpen. So about four years ago I came up with this idea. In the demolition world, what do

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In the demolition world, what do we use the most?

Magnets we use the most? Magnets. So I thought, we’re using magnets anyway, asbestos is positively charged so if I could get a formula that could be suspended in the air, that could draw these in like a magnet. So we created that formula.

Negative charges were created for the asbestos and positive charges were created for silicon, etc.

We had these variants of this surfactant foam based material that could encapsulate the particles and create a zero release, then it becomes heavy and sticks to the floor. So I came up with this idea and put a patent together for the process and the product.

I’ve got four patents on it, and I own the trademarks on all the names. My wife Nicola came up with the name CapSure™ and helped with the branding.

As we got into it and as I did the trials with scientists in the UK, I came up with another idea. One of the biggest problems in the UK and the States is fly tipping and not knowing where the material came from.

So I patented an idea for a taggant (Tracing Agent) in the mixture. It’s a natural product that goes into our products so we can trace the material all the way from manufacture to wholesale, use and then to the landfills.

We’re not using that technology in the UK at the moment, but we have that technology patented and ready for future use.

When will that be ready to go in the UK? It could be any day. In 2019, the European Specialist Forum awarded us the innovation prize for this technology, which we patented. Right now we’re in early days of manufacture and production. We’ve trialled it and it works perfectly but the only reason we haven’t put it in the products at the moment is because we’re working closely with getting the brand out there with the market leaders, Thermac Hire Ltd. Thermac is our only distribution for the UK and the Republic of Ireland and they work really closely with companies In the demolition industry. It’s doing really well in the marine industry and in Artex especially. We’ve got four products out there. TriMax™ is a base for removing Artex through paint. It’s the only product you can spray that works within 30 seconds.

encapsulates all the asbestos containing materials.

All of the products can have our taggant system in, so if somebody disposes of asbestos tiles over the hedge, the new system will be able to identify if CapSure™ had been used in any of the process. Our aim is to work with governments to mandate the use of CapSure™ technology within their health and safety plans and specifications.

Why Thermac?

I knew they understood my concept and believed in a safer workplace because I was involved in the industrial demolition world.

Thermac have been industry leaders for nearly 30 years and so naturally with their experience they understood my concept, especially their MD, Seán Doyle. I was aware |of their association with demolition companies in the UK and I wanted to be able to get samples and test the products with this calibre of company.

Our aim is to work with governments to mandate the use of CapSure™ technology

Alpha™ is a sanitizer in tablet form. We’re selling this to the Australian market right now and getting ready to sell it into the US and the UK. It has been tested and will kill COVID. We also have Capture Dissolve™, which is a totally natural product. Capture Dissolve™ and Dissolve Plus™ go onto bitumen, they can go on steel they can go on concrete and they completely break down the material. There’s no grinding necessary.

We’ve also just produced another product called Capture Lift™, which is a natural acid based product that works really well with the pH of concrete. It makes a clean finish and if the client wants a really clean finish to be able to re-varnish the concrete and it’s done that but this

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Seán contacted me one day and said he’d heard that we were developing our products and they’d love to test them. Seán and I are on the same page. We’re not out there to sell a product once and make money, we’re there for two reasons.

First of all is the safety side. We want to create a product that’s going to make this industry safer.

That’s why I worked with world renowned people like Dr Arthur Frank at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Dr Yvonne Waterman at the European Asbestos Forum and Dr Mavis Nye and her foundation to make Mesothelioma known as the silent killer it really is.

The second thing is that Seán said, “Look, this is going to revolutionise the industry but we’ve got to do it slowly.” We wanted to get it right. We didn’t want it to be sold cheaply and used incorrectly.

The methodology is the secret and it must be followed correctly using our specialised and certified equipment “Foam Box”, manufactured by the Hayes Group. Benefits of this methodology and products will enable clients to save up to 60 per cent on project costs from labour and time.

How you envisage Phoenix Brands over the next 10 years?

We want to make the industry safer, especially with silicon dust and heavy metals like mercury.

We are working very closely in the US on radiation encasement and encapsulation. We already have that technology and are also ready to release CapSure Prometheus™. We’re looking to be able to encapsulate radiation and heavy metals, especially in nuclear power plant demolition.

We work with a partner in Europe called Spray Cannon™, creating Capture Mist, a natural air purifying product that will be applied through spray

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cannons and drones, encapsulating and lasting five times longer than water. Using these methods, we also have a natural firefighting foam mist that is being tested in the wildfires of California.

We are also working with partners such as GSR Services from Hamburg, Germany on Marine

Water does not encapsulate, it bounces dust around” demolition and maintenance of ships around the globe to make the process safer with products such as CapSure Pure™.

What’s your pitch to asbestos or demolition contractors?

The elevator pitch would be that we are creating a revolution in technology and ideas (The Evolution of the Revolution), so they have to be open to new ideas. Right now, we’re using up-to-date technology and this sometimes goes against what people think. When you put something like Capture Dissolve™ on the floor it’s working itself, but to people who are watching, they’ll think we are just waiting around. But you adopt new technology, take the labour that you used to use on a grinder and put it on something else, do two processes at the same time with one set of labour and save costs.

This methodology is completely different, but it works. We’ve tested it, we’ve trialled it and we have the best companies in their industry that we’re working with to make this happen.

One of the things that I want to make sure people understand is that water does not encapsulate, it bounces dust around. All water does is move dust around. If you say, “Well, we can just put water in our mister and mist all day long,” you’re not getting to the root of the problem. You’re just pushing that dust and those heavy metals to the ground, or into someone’s lungs.

There was a big power plant demolition in the UK last month. You’ve got heavy metals, you’ve got silica,

you’ve got mercury, you’ve got lead, asbestos all being released into the atmosphere. Now that’s going to blow somewhere so they’re spraying water on it. All that water does is bounce it somewhere else. So we created Capture Mist™, which could have been applied by the misters on the ground, through spray cannon or drone technology to encapsulate the dust.

We couldn’t patent drone technology because it’s already out there, but we’ve adopted a system where it can spray this mist. We could be spraying on that dust as it happens. We’re also looking at the technology and I’m working with Controlled Demolition on this.

We’re trying to come up with an idea of implosion release so that milliseconds before an implosion, a spray is released encapsulating the material. We tested it in New Zealand when I was working with a large demolition company out there after the earthquakes, so we know what the problem is and we can come up with a solution to fix it. We’ve just got to get the clients understanding that water is not encapsulating.

We encapsulate dust with Capture Mist™, then it doesn’t evaporate. It lasts five times as long as water so they have to understand that they’re going to pay to put that into their system but it’s going to be a very small payment in the long term because you’re not having to buy water and spray it five times.

You put this on once. There’s labour and material savings, they have to understand that. It doesn’t create as much waste because it compounds down and it goes into a solid that is scooped up in an absorbent.

And when they’re making bids, they’re offering your technology, which isn’t a particularly expensive solution, but for them it’s an environmental help. It will push them further up the ladder in terms when it comes to tenders.

We work with professionals as far as Colombia South America right now. We’re working at a governmental level trying to get specifications changed across the world. We’re working really well in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Netherlands and Switzerland, where they know they will use our technology.

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EDI Webinar: Removal of asbestos from pavements, vertical surfaces and ceilings

T

he decontamination of hazardous substances is a fundamental part of demolition and, therefore, a topic of great interest to professionals in the sector. Are you one of them? You will surely enjoy this webinar.

On Wednesday, September 15, from 3pm to 4pm (Brussels Time, CET), EDI (the European Decontamination Institute) is holding the session ‘Removal of asbestos from pavements, vertical surfaces and ceilings’. A webinar to be conducted by Mr. Patrick Grandchamp, from BLASTRAC, and Mr. Pierre-Antonine Botazzi, from IETS.

Speakers PATRICK GRANDCHAMP BLASTRAC

PIERRE-ANTONINE BOTAZZI

In it, Mr. Patrick Grandchamp will review general concepts, such as what asbestos is and why it is dangerous, and will delve into its removal from pavements and vertical surfaces.

And Mr. Pierre-Antontonine Botazzi will do the same with the removal of asbestos from ceilings. In addition, they will present a series of case studies and, of course, will reserve a space to answer questions and comments from the participants.

IETS

Participation in these webinars is completely free for all attendees, they just need to register in advance because the number of participants is limited (registrations will be accepted in strict order of entry).

16:00 – End of webinar

asbestos hub magazine | 32

WEDNESDAY 15, SEPTEMBER 15:00 – Start of webinar

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ASBESTOS HUB OUR TIME AT THE BRITISH DEMOLITION AWARDS 2021

British Demolition Awards 3 September 2021, American Express Community Stadium Run by Global News Media Ltd / Demolition Hub Magazine Contact Ben Chambers – ben@chambers.media | 07803 844 806

#DEMOAWARDS 3

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The third staging of the British Demolition Awards, a prestigious celebration of all things demolition, took place on Friday 3 September at the American Express Community Stadium in Brighton.

The ceremony was attended by more than 300 guests, including industry giants such as Keltbray, Erith and Cawarden, a large proportion of all UK-based contractors and global machinery specialists Luigong, McCloskey Equipment and Sliepner. Also in attendance was the National Federation of Demolition Contractors (NFDC) leadership, with Chief Executive Howard Button, President William Crooks and former President, Holly Price.

This year, to coincide with Chambers Media’s launch of Asbestos Hub magazine (sister title to Demolition Hub), a contingent of asbestos contractors and suppliers attended alongside the Asbestos Control and Abatement Division (ACAD). There was one

award dedicated to the asbestos abatement industry, the Asbestos Removal Contractor of the Year, which was won by Erith Group.

The judges deemed that Erith demonstrated the highest standards of health, safety and project planning while carrying out works in complex and public-facing environments.

A further nine awards were up for grabs on the night. The judging panel was made up of Richard Vann from specialist engineering consultancy RVA Group; Holly Price, Skills and Communities Director for Keltbray and former President of the NFDC; and Paul Argent, renowned demolition and construction journalist who works as Demolition Hub magazine’s Demolition Editor.

“a hugely successful event, already looking to next year” Ben Chambers Managing Director

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Having been apart for so long, a frequent comment was that it was rather strange, but very welcome to be all together once again.

Having been away for two years due to the pandemic, organiser Global News Media Ltd set the date of 3 September, put the British Demolition Awards firmly in the industry calendar and made the event a roaring success.

Pictures available via: https://placeimagesdavidkennedyphotography.pixieset.com/bda2021/awards/ The ten awards and their winners are as follows: 1) Demolition Contractor of the Year, sponsored by McCloskey Equipment Cawarden 2) Supplier of the Year, sponsored by Demolition Hub LiuGong 3) Health and Safety Award, sponsored

by Fireflux Erith 4) Safety Innovation of the Year Innovation of the Year, sponsored by Demolition Careers FHOSS 5) Asbestos Removal Contractor of the Year sponsored by Asbestos Hub Erith 6) Trainee/Apprentice of the Year sponsored by the National Demolition Training Group Shirrin Travers from Tilley and Barrett 7) Waste Provider of the Year sponsored by Coveya O’Donovan Waste and Disposal 8) Environmental Innovation of the Year sponsored by Coyle Equipment Services Dragon Equipment 9) Demolition Project of the Year sponsored by Total Metal Recycling Tilley and Barrett 10) National Federation of Demolition Contractors Award Aaron Davis from Keltbray

asbestos hub magazine | 36

“It was wonderful to experience the asbestos and demolition industries coming together once again” Be n C hambe rs Event Owner

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Asbestos Hub was in attendance supporting sister title Demolition Hub at the third staging of the awards in Brighton on Friday, 3 September.

We had our own stand there and while publisher, Ben was working the floor our Brand Manager Wayne Bristow stood proud at the Asbestos Hub stand, informing both the demolition and asbestos communities of what we have in store, who are and what we have done so far.

It was great to be able to welcome from our industry Graham Warren and his ACAD colleagues, First Environmental Services, Asbestos Fighters, Oracle Asbestos Solutions, SMH and Empire Asbestos to the event and what a relief it was to once again be able to fully socialise and champion demolition and on this occasion asbestos abatement.

Erith deservedly won Asbestos Contractor of the Year. Watch this space for news of many more events from us.

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Asbestos ‘ALERT Portable’ launching at Contamination Expo Alert Technology Ltd, aims to relegate exposure to airborne asbestos as a danger to the past, with the long-awaited launch of ALERT – the world’s first real-time monitoring device for airborne asbestos.

Until now, no real-time method has existed to warn people if asbestos containing materials has inadvertently been disturbed and fibres released into the air.

Current testing relies on postevent analysis providing results at best, in hours and worst, in days.

Designed and intended to provide a vital early warning, it will prevent prolonged

exposure. Intended for use by knowledgeable professionals as a complementary technology in conjunction with existing asbestos regulations, it is most effective when used indoors.

ALERT does not negate the need for traditional asbestos clearance testing.

Years in development, ALERT’s patented design uses light scattering technology, the unique paramagnetic properties of asbestos fibres and a complex algorithm. It can warn the user in a matter of minutes if asbestos is airborne by analysing up to 600 particles a second, with a visual and audible alarm and post event downloadable report.

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ALERT’s continual and immediate analysis of the air will only enhance safe asbestos working practices and introduces a whole new level of best practice and risk reduction for forward-thinking businesses in many sectors.

2020 and 2021 have seen considerable refactoring and improvement of ALERT’s firmware and software plus enhancements to the mechanical design to boost robustness.

To learn more visit Alert at stand 4-H20 at the Contamination Expo, Birmingham NEC, 22 to 23 September 2021 for demos and to discuss commercial opportunities.

Register for free tickets or visit www.alerttechnologyltd.com.

T: 01462 410 255 Southern Office: 01462 410 255 Midlands Office: 01922 215 215 Wales Office: 01639 899 808 info@omega-enviro.co.uk www.omega-enviro.co.uk

Asbestos Removal Contractor Omega Environmental Services Ltd has established itself as a leading asbestos removal and remediation contractor in the UK. The company’s ethos then, as it is today, is one of unrivalled quality of service and client satisfaction.

ASBESTOS REMOVAL

1. Pirton Grange Pirton Road Shillington Hitchin Hertfordshire SG5 3HB

LAND REMEDIATION

DEMOLITION & SOFT STRIP

It’s been more than 20 years since asbestos was banned in the UK but the deadly building material is still claiming the lives of more than 1,000 tradespeople people every year because of a lack of awareness of the dangers, says the UK Asbestos Training Association (UKATA).

Imported into the UK from countries such as Canada and South Africa, asbestos started to be widely used in the industrial revolution during the late 1800s.

Because of its resistance to heat, corrosion and electricity, asbestos was used widely in construction for 100 years prior to its ban. So much so, that it is estimated that even today there is six million tonnes of the highly toxic material in as many as 1.5 million buildings in the UK. The shipbuilding industry also used large amounts of asbestos-containing material to insulate pipes, boilers, and incinerators.

Deaths

from

asbestos

exposure

have

UKATA urges workers to take asbestos training more seriously increased dramatically in the last 15 years after widespread use between the 1950s and 70s. Asbestos is now considered the largest single industrial killer ever seen in the UK. Asbestos is thought to have been used in more than 4,000 products including ceiling tiles, cement fireplaces and textured ceilings, mixed in with other materials making it almost impossible to detect.

Other common products that contain asbestos include asbestos insulating boards, sprayed coatings on ceilings and walls, loose fill insulation and soffits.

When undisturbed, asbestos rarely poses a threat, however if the microscopic fibres are released, people are at risk of inhaling them and developing deadly asbestosrelated diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma (cancer of the lung linings).

A worrying lack of awareness of the deadly construction material by tradespeople means

asbestos hub magazine | 46

they are unwittingly putting their own, and other’s lives at risk every time they undertake work that disturbs the fabric of a building built before 2000.

Asbestos-related health issues, such as lung cancer and mesothelioma, are not identified immediately after exposure to asbestos.

It takes from 15 up to 60 years before deadly asbestos-related diseases present themselves.

The latency period of asbestos, coupled with a substantial drop in training numbers during the pandemic, could mean that the UK will be facing a greater amount of deaths from asbestos over the next 15 to 60 years.

The HSE recommends that asbestos refresher training courses should be undertaken to help ensure knowledge of asbestos awareness is maintained. The asbestos regulations also make it clear that asbestos training for nonlicensable and licensable asbestos works should be carried out at least annually.

Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015), tradespeople are also legally required to ensure construction work and repairs are undertaken safely and without damaging worker’s and other people’s health.

Craig Evans, Chief Operating Officer of UKATA, a leading authority on asbestos, urged contractors to take asbestos more seriously: “Since UKATA was established over 10 years ago, our members have provided asbestos training to over two million people, but this is still not enough particularly when you consider how many construction workers there are in the UK.” Low cost UKATA-approved asbestos training is widely available throughout the UK. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UKATA saw a fall of over 66 per cent in asbestos training delivered by its members from March 2020 to August 2020. Thankfully, in 2021, the number of certificates being produced is increasing.

Prior to the pandemic, the association saw an average of 18,000 workers completing a UKATA approved training course.

The half-day Asbestos Awareness course is designed for demolition workers and those workers in the refurbishment, maintenance, and allied trades where it is likely that their work will disturb the fabric of the building and therefore asbestos containing materials may become exposed during their work.

Similarly, UKATA also offers an Asbestos Awareness course for ground workers, where ground drilling and manual excavations, fencing installation, on site remediation and waste disposal, may be likely to disturb asbestos containing materials.

Craig added: “These courses do not train people to work with asbestos containing materials, but it does ensure they have awareness of potential hazards and know how to protect themselves and people around them from an invisible killer.

"It is vitally important that all construction employers and workers ensure that all asbestos training is up-to-date.”

In addition, UKATA offers Non-Licensable Work with Asbestos and Licensable courses delivered by its members.

Other courses being offered include Duty to Manage Asbestos, RPE Competent Person, Asbestos Project Manager, Asbestos Awareness in Soil and Made Ground and Management of Asbestos in Soil and Made Ground.

To find a UKATA training provider in your area visit www.UKATA.org.uk, call 01246 824437 or email info@ukata.org.uk.

asbestos hub magazine | 47

Different times, different perspectives Dr Yvonne Waterman, President of the European Asbestos Forum When it comes to asbestos, there are different kinds of people. You have the ones who say that their grandfathers used to have asbestos snowball fights in the harbour and they died in their nineties, so there, stop fussing. Then there are those who will say that asbestos is a natural mineral ‘and therefore harmless’, as if nature is not chock-a-block full with all sorts of things that can kill you. There are also those who will jump a mile high when they think that there is a single fibre of asbestos nearby.

What all these different perspectives lack is the scientific evidence and understanding on asbestos health risks – and there has been plenty of that out there since the late sixties. All the major global organisations that relate in some way to health agree: asbestos is lethal and there is, theoretically, no safe exposure level and no cure.

Asbestos is all around us and that is a fact we have to deal with. It is also true that asbestos is always, to some extent, present in the air we breathe, and that alone is enough to know that a single fibre is not about to kill the entire population in one fell swoop. You and I are both breathing in asbestos as you are reading this.

We know that the more asbestos you inhale, the more chance you have of becoming ill, and therein lies the reason to be careful with asbestos – to prevent the unnecessary exposures that stack up. Nobody needs to die of asbestos, it is a wholly preventable disease.

That is why raising awareness on asbestos dangers is so important.

Over the past decades, our understanding of asbestos has increased. The list of asbestos-related cancers is growing, as stomach, laryngeal, ovarian, colorectal and other cancers are added to it.

asbestos hub magazine | 48

T h e synergetic relationship between asbestos and tobacco is finally gaining awareness. Being badly exposed to asbestos as well as being a heavy smoker drives the chance of getting lung cancer through the roof, it’s a terrible combination.

The relation between asbestos related lung cancers and mesotheliomas appears to be about six to one. Yet in the efforts to raise awareness and support victims, asbestos related lung cancer victims are often ignored, practically and statistically. The asbestos disaster is so much bigger than we realise.

We ban asbestos in our homes and think ourselves safe, but import asbestos contaminated crayons, makeup and brake pads. Awareness has some way to go there yet. Banning asbestos is just the start, it is by no means the eradication of asbestos.

As I write, it is just before the twentieth anniversary of 9/11, which cost so many lives of first responders and workers in the twin towers. Many survivors have gone on to develop fatal immunodeficiency diseases and cancers. The group with asbestos related cancers is mostly still to come – the death toll of 9/11 will increase steadily as years go by. We are learning much on the health effects of this disaster; and it's a very sad way to do so. I’m taking a moment of quiet reflection to remember these victims, and perhaps you will too.

CELEBRATING OVER 1 YEAR OF #CHAMPIONING DEMOLITION The positive voice of the UK and the global demolition industry Bimonthly www.demolitionhub.com

demolition@chambers.media 01903 952 641

The wait is over for Contamination & Geotech Expo 2021!

The 2021 Contamination & Geotech Expo is here!

Start planning your day and prepare for the UK’s largest event for contamination, geotechnical and environmental professionals. Taking place on 2223 September at the NEC, Birmingham, it’s time to connect the industry once again.

It is fair to say that the last year and a half has been unpredictable, which has made business extremely challenging. Alongside this, the contamination, geotechnical and environmental industries already find themselves in an ever-changing environment, from government legislation to new projects and the increasing threat of climate change.

time to reconnect the industry.

20 21

The recent lockdowns across the globe prove that opportunities like participating in The Contamination & Geotech Expo are more important than ever before to connect with industry peers and prospective business connections. The exhibitors, sponsors, speakers, partners and of course the attendees are vital for the industry's continued development – making it the most important two days in the calendar for contamination, geotechnical and environmental professionals. It is

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The Contamination & Geotech Expo is a unique twoday event which connects industry professionals from all aspects of land, water and air contamination. It prides itself on presenting the most innovative solutions, technology and market leading products. Make sure to head over to the networking area, which provides the opportunity for meetings or informal conversations with like-minded industry peers and business connections.

Education at The Contamination & Geotech Expo

Insight and learning are high on the agenda with their seven specialised zones and a seminar programme full of expert led, CPD accredited sessions, panels and demonstrations.

Witness market leading companies, equipped with the industry’s finest solution-led products and services.

What’s on the agenda?

Protecting our Most Valuable Asset: Preventing Harm to Worker Health when Dealing with Contamination.

Kevin Bampton, Chief Executive Officer at BOHS will be discussing “How approaches used for environmental

protection, planning, construction and architecture can contribute to worker and end-user health protection.

Latest scientific and practical developments in groundworker protection are investigated.” Watch BOHS’s CPD accredited seminar on 23 September at 12:30 in the Hazardous Materials theatre.

How asbestos hits a family Dr Mavis Nye, President and Co-Founder of the Mavis Nye Foundation and Dr Ray Nye, Vice Chair of Mavis Nye Foundation will be discussing the story of the patient and carer and how they turned it around to raise awareness and became health and safety experts.

Mavis Nye says: “I have reached my 80th birthday, which has surprised all the doctors and the NHS, so while I have the energy, I will keep talking about how every year, 5,000 people die from asbestos exposure in the UK. That’s more than the number of people who die in car accidents.”

connections, creating these opportunities between experts and professionals in both public and private sectors – locally and internationally. Expect to see companies such as AECOM, Shield Environmental Services and local authorities from across the UK. There are a range of networking areas and cafes located on the exhibition floor for informal meetings and business discussions – all of which will provide social distancing in line with government guidance.

Cutting-edge suppliers You can meet cutting-edge suppliers that address the latest trends and solutions surrounding all things Contamination, Geotechnical and Environmental.

Exhibitors Asbestos Hub Magazine recommends visiting include: Thermac, which works in a wide range of sectors including asbestos removal, demolition, decommissioning, industrial/hazardous cleaning, land remediation and more. Within these sectors, Thermac is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of decontamination and surface preparation equipment, providing machinery, consumables, PPE, RPE, machinery and equipment servicing and RPE face fitting.

It offers a range of hire products for every industry, including mist cannons (dust suppression) and air movers for dust suppression, floor grinders, NPUs, breathing apparatus, site welfare cabins and canteens plus shower units for decontamination.

CONTAMIN ATION & GEOTECH EXPO The global asbestos disaster: new understanding of the social and economic toll of asbestos on society In this keynote session, hear from Dr Yvonne Waterman, Founder & President of the European Asbestos Forum foundation, for jaw-dropping insights into the economic and humane repercussions of asbestos and understand the urgent need for new innovative techniques to manage and treat asbestos. By considering the impact of asbestos on society and looking at the lessons learned, we can build towards a better and more innovative future.

ARCA - The role of the Asbestos Removal Contractors Association Stephen Sadley, Chief Executive at ARCA will be discussing how ARCA drives high standards and good practices across membership to provide safeguards for clients and ultimately the public.

Let’s get back to networking The Contamination & Geotech Expo 2021 will not only provide an environment for education, but also networking. Events such as this are very important for facilitating business opportunities and making new

Sundstrom: “Your Breathing. Our Expertise.” Sundstrom designs and manufactures world class respiratory protection equipment.

Hazardous Safety Products specialises in hazardous industries and the decontamination sector. It is a UK based manufacturer of specialist decontamination equipment predominately for the global asbestos removal industry. Using its technical knowledge and experience and by listening to its clients, HSP has been able to manufacture in house various specialist products to a high standard – these include negative pressure units, modular systems, decontamination units, welfare facilities and water management systems.

Focused zones The Contamination & Geotech Expo plays host to seven zones, covering an assortment of topics from across the field. The zones include Hazardous Materials, Land Remediation, Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental, Clean Air Technology, Spill Response, Wastewater, and Nuclear Decommissioning and Remediation. By combining seven areas from across the contamination

asbestos hub magazine | 51

and geotechnical industry, The Contamination & Geotech Expo is a comprehensive event that truly positions itself in the centre of the environmental sector.

The Hazardous Materials zone is designed to showcase the latest innovations that support the detection, management, testing and removal of hazardous materials and the protection of the environment. This area will provide all professionals working with or within the hazardous materials industry a raft of valuable insight into the current challenges and solutions available through a wide range of exhibitors, seminars, panel debates and networking opportunities.

These areas give research, environmental, remediation and development professionals the opportunity to connect with suppliers showcasing new technology, innovations and cost-effective solutions to help improve operations. It also offers professionals the chance to interact, connect and learn from a range of seminars and opportunities focused on the current challenges and successes in the industry.

Keeping you safe at the Contamination & Geotech Expo Your safety is the event organiser's number one priority, which is why they are doing all they can to ensure you feel at ease when attending the Expo. The unmissable seminars from leading environmental experts will have added capacity, networking zones will include more space and access, plus, high touchpoints and interactive show features are subject to enhanced sanitising and cleaning regimes. See the full list of safety measures you can expect at www.contaminationexpo.com.

The Contamination & Geotech Expo is Europe’s leading event for contamination, geotechnical and environmental professionals and is one not to miss if you are an individual, business, or local authority dealing with contamination, risk and response.

“We had a great time at the Contamination Expo Series. Well done to all of the extraordinary companies out there who are helping to make our air and environment cleaner!” – Knitwire Products To discover the latest innovations, technology and latest legislation within the contamination, environmental and geotechnical industries register for your free ticket by scanning the QR code with the camera on your smartphone or visiting www.contaminationexpo.com.

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FOR ALL YOUR ASBESTOS NEEDS SECTORS WE WORK IN Anglian Demolition and Asbestos Ltd carries out work across all sectors, including but not limited to: Industrial and commercial projects From office blocks to large scale factories, aircraft hangers and everything in between Education sector We work around the client's needs and offer flexibility to fit in with the academic year

Licensed & Non Licensed Asbestos Removal

Residential Private homeowners and housing associations Government and public sector Including local authorities and health authorities Ministry of Defence Including works at various airbases.

Asbestos Management Environmental Cleaning Asbestos Surveys asbestos hub magazine | 54

ACCREDITATION, QUALITY AND HEALTH & SAFETY Anglian Demolition and Asbestos Ltd is fully insured, licensed by the HSE and experienced in our field.

HSE Licensed Asbestos Remover Accredited member of ARCA (Asbestos Removal Contractors Association) Accredited member of CHAS (Contractors Health & Safety Assessment) ISO 9001:2015 certified ISO 14001:2015 certified ISO 18001:2007 certified Accredited member of Constructionline Environment Agency Licensed Waste Carrier Construction Skills Certification Scheme

THE ASBESTOS DIVISION Asbestos Surveys & inspections.

All asbestos surveys and inspections are carried out to the highest standards by our in-house qualified surveying inspectors.

Anglian Demolition develops each survey to the specific requirements of our customer. Additional types of testing can be incorporated into our surveying package such as:

- Lead paint testing.

- Anthrax testing.

- Soil contamination.

Reports can be produced either electronically or as hard copies according to the customer's preference.

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ASBESTOS REMOVAL AND REMEDIATION WORKS

CONTACT US

We take on all facets of asbestos remediation works from consultation to project management.

Anglian Demolition and Asbestos Ltd Anglian Business Centre West Carr Road Attleborough Norfolk NR17 1AN Tel: 01953 608 050

We pride ourselves on the high standards we uphold and the additional services we can supply, making Anglian Demolition asbestos removals unique, with our in-house services such as: - Scaffolding access, - Reinstatement work, - Passive fire protection, - Waste disposal, - Demolition, - Earthworks and land remediation.

By enabling us to use our internal services we can easily project manage any size of removal and remediation project at competitive rates.

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We welcome all enquiries, regardless of size, scale or complexity.

Asbestos Removal enquires Sam Horsfall: 07970 385 295 Email: samh@angliandemo.co.uk Asbestos Surveying enquires Nick Davenport: 07971 702 758 Email: nick@angliandemo.co.uk All other services enquiries Telephone: 01953 608 050 Email: mail@angliandemo.co.uk Or visit www.angliandemo.co.uk

AREAS WE COVER

With our HQ in Attleborough, we predominately cover all of East Anglia, but are able to facilitate projects throughout the UK.

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One week until Demolition Expo returns with bigger show than ever The UK demolition industry’s top trade exhibition is back for 2021, and this year it’s co-located with LetsRecycle Live at The National Agricultural Exhibition Centre (NAEC) at Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, from 9.30-16.30 on Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 September 2021.

The world’s leading equipment manufacturers and suppliers to the industry are exhibiting including JCB, Liebherr, Blue Group and Hitachi Construction Machinery. Visitors will find them showcasing throughout the Demo Expo Zone, the neighbouring Plant and Machinery Zone and live in action within the outdoor demonstration areas. A full exhibitor list for the co-located show can be found at: www.letsrecycle.live/2021-exhibitors.

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A top-drawer conference programme is being delivered in the NFDC Conference Theatre over the duration of the two-day show. A range of experts will be giving talks on topics including net zero and the circular economy, the high-profile Ferrybridge Power Station demolition, attracting talent to the demolition industry, and how HS2 clients are leveraging NFDC accredited demolition contractors to their advantage.

The full conference timetable can be downloaded from: https://demoexpo2021.com/ conference-programme.

The National Federation of Demolition Contractors (NFDC), the leading industry body for the demolition sector, will be exhibiting alongside National Demolition Training Group (NDTG) at stand F7 to talk about all things demolition, as well as giving industry stalwarts and demolition newcomers alike a chance to show their skills on the everpopular demolition simulator.

Co-locating with LetsRecycle Live brings fantastic opportunities for cross-industry collaboration between visitors and exhibitors operating across the demolition, waste, and recycling sectors. The first trade event since the pandemic also provides a fantastic opportunity to reunite and network face-to-face after a year of virtual meetings.

Entrance to the show is free and visitors are welcome to explore everything both Demo Expo and LetsRecycle Live have on offer. Guests are well catered for with the Inn on the Green pop-up pub and numerous alternative food and drink outlets available.

The NAEC is centrally located and easily accessible from the M40, M1, & M6 motorways, as well as by rail, with a free shuttle service running between Coventry station and the venue on event days.

On-site parking as also free and vehicles can be left overnight.

Visitors can save time by pre-registering for the show online via the websites for both Demo Expo and Letsrecycle Live, or directly via: https://eventdata.uk/ Forms/Form.aspx?FormRef=LRL91Visitor.

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QUALITY & SERVICE YOU CAN TRUST

EXPERT DECONTAMINATION SOLUTIONS Our range includes mobile & static decontamination units, negative pressure units, water management systems, PPE & RPE.

CALL US TODAY ON 0800 678 5091 BRANCHES NATIONWIDE • HIRE & SALE AVAILABLE WWW.SMHPRODUCTS.COM