Health & Safety in our homes Safety focus: Asbestos

Many older properties, including schools, hospitals, and homes have been built using Asbestos. If left alone, it presents no danger to people. However, when it deteriorates or gets damaged or disturbed, the risk of fibres being released into the air is greatly increased. It is these fibres that, if breathed in, can result in Asbestosrelated diseases.

From the 1950s, the use of Asbestos was widespread. It was used in all kinds of household items including oven mitts. Due to its strong, fireresistant properties, it was also used as a building material, however this was banned in 1999. This means that any building built after the year 2000 should not contain Asbestos and are not surveyed for the substance. In some older properties, you may find Asbestos was used in many areas. These could include fire doors, pipework and guttering, roof felt, floor tiles garage roofs, decorative coating (Artex) and even heating equipment.