Uses of asbestos: a brief overview

Asbestos is one of those things which everyone has heard of, but would you be able to define it precisely? In fact, it’s the generic name for a collection of fibrous and silicate minerals which are also carcinogenic, and which occur naturally.

Properties

Asbestos fibres are characterised by not dissolving in water or evaporating, plus they’re strongly resistant to heat, fire and chemical and biological degradation while also being mechanically strong.

And, as is now well known, inhaling the fibres can lead to a number of significant health problems, including cancer.

Different types

Essentially, there are two broad categories of asbestos – serpentine and amphiboles. The former, also called ‘white’ or chrysotile asbestos, was the most commonly found variety. It’s also the least dangerous of the two types, with fibres which are soft, pliant and curved.

Amphibole fibres (encompassing crocidolite-blue and amosite-brown asbestos as well as tremolite, actinolite and anthophyllite) are brittle and frequently look like needles or rods. This type of asbestos is the most perilous to human health, while crocidolite was previously the most frequently used amphibole asbestos type.

Use in the UK

Use of asbestos-containing materials in this country has its roots as far back as the 1870s, when the stuff was found mainly in power-generating plants, ships and steam engines. And while the dangers started to become apparent at the start of the twentieth century, all types of asbestos were only banned in the UK in 1999. (Previously, imports of blue and brown asbestos had been halted in 1985.) And people still use it and mine it in some parts of the world, while asbestos remains present in a number of older homes and commercial buildings in the UK.

When it was legal, asbestos was common in various building materials plus various everyday household products from oven gloves and ironing boards to talcum powder, deodorants and some cosmetics.

Between the 1950s and the mid-1980s, asbestos was widely used in construction due to the properties mentioned above, especially its strength, which made it ideal for this sector.

Specific applications included:

• Insulation: e.g. in pipes, buildings and boilers
• Fire protection: in ceiling tiles, fireproof panels and sprayed coatings
• Roofing: in roofing sheets and tiles
• Walls: in bulkheads plus partition walls
• Flooring: in floor tiles
• Pipe lagging: in the insulation of plantwork and pipes

Asbestos training from Pragmatic Consulting

The lethal nature of many asbestos-related conditions makes proper training in the substance essential. Indeed, the Health and Safety Executive states clearly that every employer must ensure that anyone who may disturb asbestos during the normal course of their duties, or who oversees staff who could do so, must have the right level of training so that they’re able to work safely and competently with no risk to themselves or anyone else.

Read more about What asbestos awareness training is and who it is for.

At Pragmatic Consulting, we provide accredited training solutions across the construction and utilities sectors, with a range of industry-approved courses to give your teams the expertise they need. We’re highly experienced and focus on hands-on, practical learning to suit your needs, including bespoke options and online training or in-person courses at our centres in South Wales, Manchester and Stoneleigh, Warwickshire.

Learn more about our half-day EUSR-endorsed asbestos awareness training, designed to give attendees an overview of the hazards this material poses if they’re exposed to it following the disturbance of a building’s fabric. Get in touch with us today to book your course.

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