TECHNICAL BULLETIN
ISSUE 38
AUGUST 2021
ASBESTOS PIPE INSULATION THE RISKS AND REQUIREMENTS CALLUM SKENE BSC (HONS) ASBESTOS SURVEYOR/ANALYST, CASA ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
In this article, Asbestos Surveyor, Callum Skene, explains the main three types of asbestos-containing pipe insulation and reminds us of the requirements for safe removal. He then explores some of the legal implications of asbestos in the context of residential property. As we know, asbestos was used as a material in building products in the past because it had many great properties for the building industry: it was cheap, strong, insulating, and resistant to chemicals, electricity and fire. However, we now know that it is not so great for human health. Inhaling asbestos fibres can cause cancers such as mesothelioma and lung cancer, and other serious lung diseases such as asbestosis and pleural thickening – a lung disease where there is scarring, calcification, and/or thickening of the lining surrounding the lungs. According to HSE1 , in 2019 there
were 2,369 mesothelioma deaths in Great Britain, and it is estimated that there were, in addition, a similar number of deaths due to asbestos-related lung cancer. There were also 490 asbestosis deaths due to past exposures to asbestos. So, it is a risk that should be taken seriously and considered at all stages of buying, selling or refurbishing a home.
What is asbestos?
There are different types of asbestos fibres; the three most common types are ‘blue asbestos’ (crocidolite), ‘brown asbestos’ (amosite), and ‘white asbestos’ (chrysotile).
1. https://www.hse.gov.uk/sTATIsTICs/causdis/asbestos-related-disease.pdf
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