FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Asbestos is the name given to a group of fibrous minerals which occur naturally in the earth. These are grouped into two mineral types known as serpentine and amphibole. The most common types of asbestos fibre used are Chrysotile (white) asbestos which is a serpentine mineral, while Amosite (brown) and Crocidolite (blue) asbestos are amphibole minerals. The colours are seen in clean fibres and may not be clearly visible when the fibres are mixed with other material.
Asbestos was widely used in buildings, vehicles and domestic and industrial items because of its chemical and physical properties of high tensile strength, flexibility, chemical and heat resistance and good thermal and electrical insulation properties.
Asbestos related diseases are caused by breathing in very fine fibres. As asbestos fibres accumulate in the lungs, the following diseases may occur:
Asbestosis: This is a scarring of the lung tissue caused by breathing in asbestos fibres over a period of many years. This leads to a progressive loss of elasticity and lung function. It is a slowly developing disease with a latency period of 15 to 20 years.
Mesothelioma: This is a cancer of the lining of the lungs (pleura). Mesothelioma has a long latency period, averaging between 35 to 40 years; however this may vary between 15 and 60 years. The disease is almost always associated with asbestos exposure.
Lung Cancer: is a malignant tumour of the bronchi of the lungs. The tumour grows through the surrounding tissue, invading and often obstructing passages. Individuals exposed to asbestos have an increased risk of developing lung cancer which is further increased by smoking. Again the disease has a long latency period of approximately 20 years.
Diffuse Pleural Thickening: This is a non-malignant disease where the lining of the lungs (pleura) become scarred. Pleural plaques do not normally cause impairment of lung function or associated disability.
The risk of developing an asbestos disease is related to the type of asbestos and the duration and level of exposure
Asbestos was most commonly used as a spray coating on steel work, concrete walls and ceilings for fire protection and insulation. Insulation lagging was used in buildings and factories, on pipework and boilers. Asbestos insulating board, such as Asbestolux and Marinite, was used in wall partitions, fire doors, ceiling tiles, etc. Asbestos cement products include corrugated and flat sheeting on walls and roofs, tiles, cold water tanks, gutters, soffits and pipework. Bituminous asbestos products may be found in roofing felt, gutter linings, damp proof courses, mastics and adhesives used for floor tiles and wall coverings. Most asbestos containing materials were installed between the 1960s and the mid 1980s with asbestos cement in use up to 2000. The use of asbestos containing materials was banned on a phased basis under legislation.
The principal legislation which regulates work with asbestos includes:
• The Chemicals (Asbestos Articles) Regulations 2011
These regulations specify how the Health and Safety Authority may issue a certificate to exempt an asbestos-containing article, or category of such articles, from the prohibition on the placing on the market of an asbestos-containing article provided for by Article 67 and Annex XVII of the EU REACH Regulation 1907/2006
• Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Exposure to Asbestos) Regulations 2006 – 2025 & the 2025 Code of Practice for the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Exposure to Asbestos) Regulation 2006-2025. These regulations aim to protect the health and safety of all employees who may be exposed to dust from asbestos containing materials, during the course of their work activities. The regulations apply to all work activities and workplaces where there is a risk of people inhaling asbestos dust
• The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations, 2006 (S.I. No. 504 of 2006)
These regulations are of relevance with respect to the renovation, repair and demolition of older buildings where asbestos containing materials may have been used
Yes, you must be competent to work with asbestos containing materials and this means that you must have appropriate training.
There are two main types of asbestos survey:
• Management Surveys which are designed to get information on the location, type and condition of any asbestos containing material. This information is used to make an assessment of any risk and to prepare an asbestos management plan (Previous guidance referred to this as a Type 2 survey)
• The second type of survey is called a pre-demolition or pre-refurbishment survey and it is required so that all the asbestos containing materials can be identified and removed from a building before other work commences (Previous guidance referred to this as a Type 3 survey)
All buildings which are non-domestic should have an asbestos register which shows where any asbestos containing material is present. This information must be readily available and must be given to anyone who is liable to disturb the asbestos. Anyone undertaking work in the premises can ask to see the register if they suspect that there is a possibility that they may disturb any asbestos containing material.
No. The supply and re-use of asbestos containing materials is prohibited in Ireland.
In Ireland asbestos containing materials can only be disposed of at a waste facility licensed by the Environmental Protection Agency. Only a small number of the landfills in Ireland actually accept asbestos waste and, of those sites, the Local Authority landfills generally only accept small quantities of this type of waste from private dwellings. Large quantities of waste, such as that from a factory roof removal, will require disposal at a private landfill licensed by the Environmental Protection Agency or be exported to a similar facility.
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