The Importance of Asbestos Awareness

Asbestos is a very challenging part of the past which continues to rear a head today. A harmful and lethal material, asbestos remains in the older buildings that still stand, which means you need to be aware of it. Take our asbestos awareness course online.

Having a general awareness of asbestos is important for any situation in case you run into something you didn’t expect to. However at the same time, there’s plenty of reasons for having a high level of asbestos awareness.

Alright, So What Actually is Asbestos?

So, let’s take a look at what asbestos is for a moment so that we can help to best protect people from it. Asbestos is a substance which was once used to help build things. It’s made of many tiny fibers all together as a solid.

It was favoured years ago for its incredible strength and versatility. For that reason it was employed in a variety of buildings across the UK, and indeed most parts of the world.

However, it came to light that the asbestos fibers are actually very dangerous for the human body on a long term basis. They discovered it can cause conditions in later life which are dangerous, so they were banned from construction work.

Different Types of Asbestos

Unfortunately, further compounding the problem of asbestos is that there are multiple types of these fibres that you could come into contact with. Now, you can’t remove any of them safely by yourself, but it’s important to understand there are multiple types. Take our asbestos awareness course.

White Asbestos

White asbestos is one of the most common types out there, and you usually find it in the roof, walls, ceilings, and floor of a business. These fibres are often quite fine, so they don’t easily show up in the air.

Brown Asbestos

Brown asbestos is very heat resistant, which meant it was often used for plumbing and electrical insulation purposes. This particular type of asbestos has a higher cancer risk among all of the different types.

Blue Asbestos

Next up, you’ve got blue asbestos, which has thin, brittle fibres. Because it has a composition that breaks down easily, it’s one of the most harmful types of asbestos out there. Green, grey, and white asbestos are all found in paints and sealants. Dark coloured asbestos is very lightweight, and you often find it inside sealants and drywall.

Brown Asbestos

Finally, you’ve got a grey brown type of asbestos which is used in products containing talcum powder, and is often a contaminant in composite flooring.

In conclusion, there are many different types of asbestos for you to explore, and you should be aware that none of them are things that you can deal with on your own. Never, ever, ever try and remove asbestos by yourself. Always consult with a professional, because they are trained to handle it safely. If you disturb the asbestos, you need to seal off that area, and then call professionals immediately.

Can You Remove Asbestos Without Specialist Help?

The Short Answer?
No. No way. Not a chance. You need to understand the dangers by taking our asbestos awareness training.

Regardless of how careful you think you might be, or what you understand about asbestos. You should never try and remove it from any location by yourself. This is definitely a job for the professionals, so you need to get in contact with them, and cordon off that area until it can be safely dealt with.

The problem with asbestos is that once you disturb it, you release the fibres into the air. If someone then inhales those fibres, they put themselves at serious risk of health problems. Cancer is one of the biggest issues to come from asbestos, and the problem is, you won’t know it’s happened for about a decade or so.

What Releases Asbestos?

While asbestos is a challenging material to deal with. It is only released by certain external factors and pressures. Let’s check some of them out here.

The erosion and decay of deposits which contain asbestos beneath the surface of the earth, as well as materials which contain the substance.
The improper handling of products which contain asbestos.
The sanding, cutting or crushing of products which contain asbestos during repair or construction works.
The disposal of asbestos products when proper safety measures are not put into place.
The disturbance of asbestos through gardening or other renovation products.
The clearing away of dirt and debris which contains asbestos in old buildings.

Protecting Yourself From Asbestos

It is important to protect yourself and others from asbestos because you never know when you will accidentally unearth asbestos. It’s a danger to all of the people in the immediate area and you will need to make sure that you cease whatever actions caused the release to begin with.

Asbestos has been known to cause many long term conditions, such as things like cancers and respiratory problems. So a swift course of identification and quarantining of the area is mandatory.

In conclusion, these are just some of the different things that you should keep in mind when it comes to asbestos. Asbestos is and has always been a serious challenge for any business to deal with. It is understandably a massive risk to staff and patrons alike. It is heavily recommended that you look for all the best possible ways to deal with asbestos, and notify the correct authority in your local area to have them safely remove it for you. Doing this will help to prevent the spread of the substance and will ensure you stay safe.

Do You Comply With Asbestos Regulations?

Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health 2002 (COSHH) regulations. Employers have a legal duty to provide adequate control of employees’ exposure to harmful substances in the workplace.

Regulation 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 states that any employee liable to be exposed to asbestos must be given adequate information, instruction and training. This is to ensure they can safeguard themselves and other employees and carry out their work effectively. This level of training is known as Category A Asbestos Awareness training.

Who should complete this course?

This course is suitable for anyone who may work with asbestos-containing materials such as those in maintenance, joinery, electricians, plumbers or any other trade in the construction industry.

Asbestos Awareness Course Content

Module 1 – Asbestos Explained
Module 2 – Asbestos Identification
Module 3 – Health, Safety, and Regulations
Module 4 – Surveys and Obligations of Employees
Module 5 – Risk Assessments
Module 6 -Asbestos Containing Materials
Module 7 – Dealing with Emergencies

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