What is an Asbestos-Containing Material?

Building materials that contained asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) were vastly popular in the past. Contractors favoured their durability and heat-resistant attributes. However, asbestos fibres presented serious health risks – resulting in a government ban in the UK.

Since then, building owners are now legally obligated to manage asbestos substances found on their premises. Failing this is a serious legal offence for employers. You could end up facing unlimited fines, company closure, and even imprisonment in extreme cases.

In this guide, we’ll look at what asbestos-containing materials are, what they’re used for, and how to remove them safely from your building

What is an asbestos-containing material?

An asbestos-containing material (ACM) is any item, product, or debris that contains asbestos fibres. These materials only need to contain 1% of asbestos to classify as an ACM. Even at this level, it could lead to serious health and safety risks. 

ACMs possessed qualities that worked well in construction; like durability and heat-resistance. Contractors would use them in all kinds of building areas; like, flooring, ceilings, roofs, and even decorations.

However, the dangers of asbestos fibres were soon known, leading to a nationwide ban in 1999. Long exposure is responsible for thousands of fatalities in the UK alone. Breathing particles caused serious respiratory issues. It’s also hard to detect fibres because you can’t see, feel, or taste it.

Are there different types of asbestos-containing materials?

Yes, most examples of asbestos-containing materials can be categorised into two types:

Friable asbestos

Friable asbestos is loose and dry in nature; meaning, it can be crushed into fine dust with a small amount of pressure. The high fibrous levels are easily released into the air – affecting all people in close proximity.

Friable asbestos should only be dealt with by professionals, like a licenced HSE contractor. Common items that contain friable ACMs include pipe lagging, boiler insulation, and fire-resistant materials.

Non-friable asbestos

Non-friable asbestos is often used as a bonding compound. Fibre particles are tighter, so they won’t become airborne unless disturbed on purpose. For example, if you were drilling a hole into a drywall made with ACMs.

Because of the low risks, employers can manage safety risks with appropriate steps. Common items with non-friable ACMs include cement, wall sheeting, and vinyl tiles.

Where are asbestos-containing materials commonly used?

Asbestos-containing material is commonly used in the construction industry. But you can find them in domestic places, too. Here’s a list of asbestos-containing materials found in both environments:

Decoration

A common place ACMs are found is through decorating articles. Paint, plaster, adhesives, filler, and caulk can contain asbestos fibres. For example, popcorn ceilings were often made with ACMs to attain certain textures.

Textiles

Because asbestos has fire-resistant qualities, it was commonly used in safety equipment. Fire blankets, oven gloves, industrial clothing, and even firefighting equipment were often made with ACMs.

Cement

In construction, it was deemed normal to lace cement with ACMs, as it encouraged durable properties. Buildings made with corrugated roofing and wall cladding were also made with this type of cement-mix.

Walls, floors, ceilings, and roofs

ACMs could be found in various building structures; like walls, floors, ceilings, and roofs. Contractors embedded them into building infrastructures to help encourage longevity and sustainability.

Insulation

Insulating ACMs were still used despite the high risks. Most of these can be categorised into three:

• Loose fill: Used for filling large areas, like wall cavities and floorboards. The HSE considers this to be the most harmful insulation ACM, due to high asbestos content and fibre release levels.
• Asbestos insulating board: Used to form ceiling boxes, partition walls, and door linings. Boards may look like other non-asbestos boards commonly used in construction.
• Asbestos sprayed coating: Used for insulation and fire protection in walls and beams. Again, it’s considered as another dangerous form of insulation ACM due to high fibre release levels.

What is the law on asbestos-containing materials?

In the UK, the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 outlines legal guidance for building owners who have asbestos on their properties. It states owners must:

• Take responsibility for managing asbestos within their property properly.
• Understand what type of asbestos can be left undisturbed and what must be removed.
• Know when licenced contractors need to be informed to minimise safety risks.

Failing to comply with legal regulations means you could end up facing serious consequences. These include unlimited fines, company closure, and even imprisonment in serious situations.

How can you spot asbestos-containing materials in your building

It can be hard to know if your workplace contains traces of asbestos inside. Despite that, it’s your responsibility to ensure your staff and visitors are protected from such harmful substances.

Let’s look at how to identify asbestos-containing materials in your building; and more importantly, how to deal with them safely:

Conduct an asbestos survey on your building

The first step employers should take is conducting an asbestos survey on their building. These surveys help highlight low and high-risk areas where asbestos-containing materials are found.

They can also determine which employees could be in regular contact during work, and how to minimise health and safety risks. From here, you’ll be able to determine whether to contact professional advice or deal with it internally.

Decide on ACM seriousness

Your surveys could present various examples of asbestos-containing materials. To manage them, you’ll need to decide on the seriousness of the ACM being in your workplace. For example:

• Licenced work: This involves high-risk areas which must be assessed by a licenced contractor. For example, removing loose-fill insulation.
• Notified non-licenced work: This involves mid-risk duties which should be assessed by a competent contractor. For example, drilling holes into textured decorative coatings.
• Non-licenced work: This involves low-risk duties which don’t require in depth professional input. For example, sweeping up a small number of debris containing ACMs.

Present a management plan

Employers should then present a management plan to help deal with ACMs in the workplace. A written plan will help outline what to do with asbestos-containing building materials. This includes:

• The details of areas involved (like location).
• Details of people directly (and indirectly) linked to the area.
• Risk assessments and method statements related to the hazard.
• Emergency arrangements in case of unexpected exposure.

Provide ACM training to staff

The next step involves providing training to employees who work with materials containing asbestos. This should include dealing with low and high-risk matters.

Working safely with asbestos-containing materials allows them to identify, manage, and even reduce risks related to the fibres. Training can also help employees understand how to minimise injuring themselves, as well as those around them (like customers or clients).

Is it possible to damage asbestos-containing materials?

There are rules on who can handle asbestos-containing materials – particularly when it needs to be damaged.

If it’s a non-friable ACM, you may be able to deal with it internally. However, this should only be done with the right training and qualifications. For example, a competent person should know how to reduce asbestos dust fibres.

Friable asbestos is more high-risk, which should be dealt with by licenced contractors. You may need to hire someone or even contact their HSE to send a surveying contractor. They can also highlight who can remove asbestos-containing materials and who can’t.

Get expert advice on asbestos-containing materials (ACMs)

It can be hard to detect whether there’s asbestos lurking in your workplace. However, once it’s spotted, employers must ensure its dealt with an appropriate (and legal) manner.

Peninsula offers expert advice on asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). We offer 24-hour H&S advice – ensuring your employees work in the safest and most secure manner.

Want to find out more? Contact us on 0800 028 2420 and book a free consultation with one of our Health and Safety consultants today.