Types of Asbestos.
ATG Edinburgh was are commonly asked “What is asbestos?” on my roof, or my Artex ceiling. Unfortunately its not as a straight forward question, as there are several types.
Chrysotile – Known as white asbestos. The fibers are soft and fine which can resist high temperatures. Chrysotile was banned in the UK in 1999.
Amosite – Known as brown asbestos. The fibers are spikey and have good tensile strength. Used mainly between the 1920s and the late 60s. Amosite was banned in the UK in 1986 and was commonly used in buildings in Edinburgh.
Crocidolite – Known as blue asbestos. The fibers are like needles and are the strongest. Crocidolite has been used since the 1880s and was finally banned by the Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations in 1985.
Regulations, asbestos, and the law
Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous material that has been a popular building material since the 1950s. It is used as an insulator, and had good fire protection properties and protects against corrosion.
If you own, occupy, manage or have responsibilities for non-domestic premises in Edinburgh which may contain asbestos get in contact with us at ATG Edinburgh, or if you are responsible for the non-private, ie common parts of domestic premises like hall and lift areas in flats, you will either have a legal duty to manage the risk from this material; or a duty to co-operate with whoever manages that risk.
There are three main types of asbestos still found in premises. These are commonly called “blue asbestos” (crocidolite), “brown asbestos” (amosite) and “white asbestos” (chrysotile). All of them are dangerous carcinogens, but blue and brown asbestos are more hazardous than white. You cannot identify them just by their color.
Because asbestos is often mixed with another material, it’s hard to know if you’re working with it or not. But, if you work in a building built before the year 2000, it’s likely that some parts of the building will contain asbestos. Plastering work should be checked before removal.
Asbestos is most commonly found in a sprayed coating (fire protection on structural supports, eg columns and beams), pipe insulation, ceiling and door panels, window panels, floor tiles, cement roof sheeting and textured decorative coating such as Artex.it was finally banned in 1999.So if you know that your property is built after this time its safe to do plastering and painting decorating also renovation work with no worries.
Painting and Decorating Glasgow