Asbestos is a fibrous mineral which is resistant to heat, fire, chemical and biological breakdown. Due to these properties, asbestos was widely used in the construction and infrastructure of UK buildings over the last century, especially between 1950s and 1980s, this was until a total ban on the use and import of all asbestos was introduced in 1999.
As long as asbestos is in good condition and is not disturbed or damaged there is negligible risk. However, if it is disturbed or damaged, it can become a danger to health, because asbestos fibres are released into the air and people may breathe them in. There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos.
Due to the extensive use of asbestos in healthcare buildings over the past decades, healthcare workers have potentially been exposed when working in/regularly accessing areas where asbestos is in a poor condition. The high level of asbestos remaining in healthcare buildings is of concern and made greater by the condition of the NHS estate and reports on the deterioration and poor maintenance of those buildings.
Asbestos is the single greatest cause of work-related deaths in the UK.
