What is Asbestos And How To Safely Dispose Of It

At Reliable Skip we want our customers to remain as safe as possible when renovating or building. We want to provide you with knowledge of potentially hazardous materials, including asbestos. Asbestos is widely known for being harmful when disrupted.

What is asbestos?

Asbestos is a natural fibre that has been used in construction for 100+ years, the use started within ships and steam engines, but then expanded into the construction industry until 1989 when it was finally deemed unsafe.

Within buildings, you could find asbestos on the ceilings, used as insulation, flooring, roofing and walls. Any buildings built before 2000 may still contain asbestos, it poses little to no threat to humans if it remains in tact. However, any damage can have catastrophic consequences.

Why Is It Dangerous?

When asbestos is damaged or disrupted, it releases fibres that are very harmful if inhaled. This as been a huge problem within construction workers, however, they usually develop over a long period of time and diagnosed years after exposure. Approximately 5000 workers die each year due to asbestos, which equates to around 20 a week. Asbestos can cause cancer, mesothelioma and lung-cancer when relevant. Along with this, exposure can also cause asbestosis and pleural thickening.

How Should I Dispose Of Asbestos?

When handling asbestos, you should always make sure you are very careful to not damage it due to the expose of fibres. Ideally, the best option is to employ an experienced tradesman who has access to the correct equipment and experience. In general, it is safe as long as it isn’t broken, if this does happen make sure to spray water in order to reduce asbestos dust.

If you are removing the asbestos yourself, you may be able to take it to your local tip. Please be sure to contact your local authorities to check they can dispose of it safely before taking it.

If you have a large amount or do not want to risk taking it to your local tip, you can use skip hire. Here at Reliable Skip, we can provide you with a quote for an asbestos only skip. Other materials that are similar, such as corrugated fibre cement roofing sheets, will need to be tested by a specialist before being placed in an ordinary skip. To do this you will have to inform us of the item(s) and send an up-to-date report.

In summary, Asbestos was once seen as a harmless building material, thankfully in 1989 it was finally banned due to its dangers. Unfortunately it is still present in some buildings and needs to be removed safely, to benefit everybody. We are able to help you with asbestos skip hire and always recommend using a specialist to remove it from buildings. Check out our waste guide if you are unsure what other materials can’t be placed in a general waste skip, much like asbestos.