Being a popular building material since the 1950s, asbestos was widely used in homes and commercial buildings up until it was finally banned in the UK in 1999. As a result, buildings built or refurbished prior to 2000 have a high chance of containing asbestos.
The Health and Safety Executive put together the following illustration highlighting where you might find asbestos in either a domestic or industrial property.
Asbestos in a domestic and industrial property
Inside a domestic property
- Asbestos cement water tank
- Pipe lagging
- Loose fill insulation
- Textured decorative coating e.g. artex
- AIB ceiling tiles
- AIB bath panel
- Toilet seat and cistern
- AIB behind fuse box
- AIB airing cupboard and/or sprayed insulation
- Coating boiler
- AIB partition wall
- AIB interior window panel
- AIB around boiler
- Vinyl floor tiles
- AIB behind fire
Outside a domestic property
- Gutters and asbestos cement downpipes
- Soffits – AIB or asbestos cement
- AIB exterior window panel
- Asbestos cement roof
- Asbestos cement panels
- Roofing felt
AIB = Asbestos Insulating Board
Inside an industrial property
- Sprayed coatings on ceilings, walls, beams and columns
- Asbestos cement water tank
- Loose fill insulation
- Lagging on boilers and pipes
- AIB ceiling tiles
- Toilet seat and cistern
- AIB partition walls
- AIB panels in fire doors
- Asbestos rope seals, gaskets and paper
- Vinyl floor tiles
- AID around boilers
- Textiles e.g. fire blankets
- Textured decorating coatings on walls and ceilings
Outside an industrial property
- Asbestos cement roof
- Asbestos cement panels
- Asbestos cement gutters and down pipes
- Soffits – AIB or asbestos cement
If you think you have found asbestos, do not put yourself and those around you at risk. Call Carymar today on 0141 842 8070.
For example, loose fill asbestos was widely used to insulate industrial and domestic premises and can be found between cavity walls, under floorboards and in loft spaces. Loose asbestos is one of the most dangerous asbestos containing material as it is made up of pure asbestos, and if disturbed can release large amounts of fibres into the air, where they can be breathed in. This type of work should only be worked on by HSE-licensed contractors.
