Your views on asbestos..

[stranton]

Funnily enough I have just sat my asbestos awareness course. Potentially ever building in the UK pre-2000 has asbestos in it - floors, walls, insulation, cladding, roofs, paint coatings gaskets and seals to name a few places. There's constant asbestos fibres in the air we breath as that much was used in buildings.

However as long as it's not disturbed it doesn't pose a serious problem. I'm always wary in old boiler houses especially if the metal thieves have been stripping lagging to get to the metal pipes. Was recently in a hospital that the metal thieves has pulled every cable out the walls, floors and roof, the positive side if there was any asbestos in any of that they had also popped the water pipes so everything was saturated.

Personally I wouldn't be concerned at all, as long as you don't go throwing fibrous stuff around or kicking up huge amounts of dust. I know there is a lump of asbestos in the back wall of my house, from my window I can see 3 garages with asbestos roofs and know there is some in an old mill about 50 meters away. I also come across the stuff most days at work, HSE requirements to work in these areas is do not disturb the stuff.

A P3 paper mask is adequate, but how far do you go? If you are breathing fibres in they are also getting on your clothes, hair and any kit you have taken in. Strip off after an explore and put clothes in a sealed bag to dispose of, have a shower, needs to be done at the site otherwise you contaminate your car too, quarantine your equipment until an expert cleans it and says it safe to use.

Asbestos shouldn't be underestimated, however if you're not daft and avoid disturbing it I'm still happy to explore.

Clayton Hospital?

 

[Theonewhokills]

How does one identify if theres asbestos in a building, and how does one identify what type of asbestos it is? And does spraying water really help?

 

[JemCymru]

I had to watch my My father die from mesothelioma 12 years ago, it lay dormant inside for around 30 years before his health started to rapidlly deteriate he was exposed to asbestos during the 70's and 80's whilst he was working as an engineer, most of his work was in hospitals in the uk, europe and the middle east.

asbestos kills people. Fact. and there is a lot of it about. saying dont worry about the past is really bad advice and very nieve and stupid.

I personally avoid buildings that has warning signs.

Either protect yourselves properally, or dont bother.

Its just not worth it.

 

[dweeb]

Its just not worth it.

While I'm not going to tell anyone that there is not a danger, we live and die by our decisions. I was fully aware of asbestos the day I set foot in Denbigh hospital in 2003, and I'm aware of it now.

I'm sorry to hear about your father, and I have sympathy with anyone that dies of an industrial disease but if that is what shuffles me off this mortal coil I can't blame anybody but myself.

The fact is I smoke, I drink, I work in a dirty/noisy/dangerous factory as I have done since I was 16. Some people that do all of those things and live till they are 90, others drop dead at 50.

What will be will be... but as JemCymru has rightly said it IS real and I guess it is sensible to avoid it if you can!

 

[Speed]

What it boils down to is, i'd happily die in my 50s knowing i'd lived the amazing life i'm living now than die in my 80s knowing i'd stayed at home the whole time because there might be asbestos out there somewhere that might kill me one day.

It's a different thing entirely when it's related to your job or past exposure that you were not aware of, its sad when people die from it when they were exposed because they didn't appreciate there was an issue but that isn't relevant to UE. In UE we all know theres a possibility it might be out there (along with all the other dangers) but we choose to take the risk as if we didn't we would have a pretty dull existence.

Wear a mask if you like. You may reduce the risk but you certainly won't eliminate it so it all comes down to the same thing at the end of the day. Stay at home and miss out or go for it and enjoy yourself..

 

[Theonewhokills]

I had to watch my My father die from mesothelioma 12 years ago, it lay dormant inside for around 30 years before his health started to rapidlly deteriate he was exposed to asbestos during the 70's and 80's whilst he was working as an engineer, most of his work was in hospitals in the uk, europe and the middle east.

asbestos kills people. Fact. and there is a lot of it about. saying dont worry about the past is really bad advice and very nieve and stupid.

I personally avoid buildings that has warning signs.

Either protect yourselves properally, or dont bother.

Its just not worth it.

But how does one tell if a building does or doesn't contain asbestos? Yeah there may be a sign but 99% of the time, there are no signs.

 

[ledgehammer]

its nice with chutney... ;-)

 

[Dan1701]

Most of the asbestos used in buildings was white asbestos, also known as chrysotile. The other common types of asbestos are brown and blue asbestos, which are much, much more toxic than the white form is. 95% of the asbestos used in buildings was white asbestos, and large-scale use of it only started in the late nineteenth century, ending in the late twentieth century when epidemiology spotted the connection between asbestosis and asbestos exposure.

Most asbestos in old buildings comes in the form of cement strengthened with asbestos; "asbestos" roofing is the commonest example of this. Heat and fire-resistant boards are the other forms it comes in; neither sort is dangerous unless it is disintegrating. The dangerous forms of asbestos are where it was used as insulation, so that the asbestos fibres weren't bound onto anything else. Insulating fabric is another form of this stuff; again the fibres aren't bound onto anything so can get free.

Most of the time, as long as you aren't actually stirring up dust, you ought to be OK in most buildings. The dangerous times are when metal thieves are active, or when there is significant air flow through a building. If metal thieves seem to be about, my advice would be to get away from the area sharpish. Not only will these idiots be kicking up dust, but they will also be considered criminal vermin by property owners and police and anyone in the near vicinity will also get picked up on suspicion when the police arrive.

I'd suggest a P3 mask most of the time, though, but that's only my paranoid nature coming to the fore.

 

[Theonewhokills]

Most of the asbestos used in buildings was white asbestos, also known as chrysotile. The other common types of asbestos are brown and blue asbestos, which are much, much more toxic than the white form is. 95% of the asbestos used in buildings was white asbestos, and large-scale use of it only started in the late nineteenth century, ending in the late twentieth century when epidemiology spotted the connection between asbestosis and asbestos exposure.

Most asbestos in old buildings comes in the form of cement strengthened with asbestos; "asbestos" roofing is the commonest example of this. Heat and fire-resistant boards are the other forms it comes in; neither sort is dangerous unless it is disintegrating. The dangerous forms of asbestos are where it was used as insulation, so that the asbestos fibres weren't bound onto anything else. Insulating fabric is another form of this stuff; again the fibres aren't bound onto anything so can get free.

Most of the time, as long as you aren't actually stirring up dust, you ought to be OK in most buildings. The dangerous times are when metal thieves are active, or when there is significant air flow through a building. If metal thieves seem to be about, my advice would be to get away from the area sharpish. Not only will these idiots be kicking up dust, but they will also be considered criminal vermin by property owners and police and anyone in the near vicinity will also get picked up on suspicion when the police arrive.

I'd suggest a P3 mask most of the time, though, but that's only my paranoid nature coming to the fore.

How does one identify Blue, White or Brown asbestos, and is the yellow fluff the insulation containing asbestos? If a building has smashed/open windows won't the fibres flow into the air so less will be breathed in inside the building or is that not how it works?

 

[Speed]

The truth is it's not actually that simple or even possible to tell the difference and if metal thieves are kicking up dust then you will be kicking up the same dust yourself so theres no logic there either! I dont think you can play the game of identifying and avoiding it, you can just make a basic assessment if you think it might be there or not.

Obviously a mint building is unlikely to have it floating about, as is a damp derelict one. Dampness is your friend for sure! Dry smashed up places are probably going to be the worst, especially the plant or boiler rooms but then again it's in floor tiles and all sorts so you never know.I would say you're much more likely to have a high exposure to it in confined spaces than those with ventilation. You can physically see particles floating in the air when crawling through service tunnels for instance, it may or may not be asbestos but that's when you probably going to be in most need of your P3 masks.

The yellow stuff you mention is fibreglass insulation. A modern safer replacement for asbestos lagging but not totally without risk itself.

 

[JaneEyre]

We (me, the hubby and the sister) tend to wear p3 masks in quite a few of the older buildings as a precaution, but this is more down to the amount of dust, animal poop (pigeon, rat, urbexer )

After being in Wakey cinema for a few hours WITH a mask on, my throat still felt like hell! On a similar note, baby wipes tend to be in the bag for when we get outside, just for a quick "festival wash" afterwards, and the clothes get chucked in the wash when we get in, but even dust and crap ends up in the car.

I figure with the amount of crap floating about in the air in lots of old derps that even though I look silly in a mask, I will wear one to be on the safe side.
My grandad (who loves looking at the photos) is forever ranting about Wiel's and Pigeon Lung, however the only time I have nearly ended up in hospital so far is from falls and stepping on stuff!

Every hobby has its hazards, cheerleaders get dropped on their heads/necks, ice hockey players loose teeth and we might breathe in crap, have run ins with secca and fall through floors, it is part of the fun

 

[xexxa]

I once had an anti fouling paint and asbestos fight with my mates at a scrapyard. I'm still here.

 

[Snake Oil]

...Try avoiding ...raw sewage... etc etc.

Thats me (and quite a few others!) f00ked!

 

[xexxa]

I got a P2 respirator ( I hope that's adequate enough... Is it?) after being in a cinema and making a climb through a hole in the ceiling and getting a face full of dust from my buddies foot further up the ladder. Then spotting asbestos stickers. Wonder if that was enough? How much is too much? Happened more than once too

 

[DrGonzo]

", however the only time I have nearly ended up in hospital so far is from falls and stepping on stuff!

Get some steel toe cap boots with puncture-proof soles, saved my feet from a few nails.

Seems to be everyone just guessing on risk and amounts. As others have said a mask will certainly help but if the fibres are in the air they will stick to your clothes, could always get those cheap paper suit things. Going to look like bit of a dick though.