Asbestos Disposal: How Dangerous is Asbestos & How to Remove it

When it comes to clearing out a garden or a piece of land, one of the most annoying problems is when you come across asbestos.

Sometimes people make an attempt at disposing their asbestos waste by throwing it in a skip they have hired to remove all of their garden waste, but the problem is, we are not qualified asbestos removers and therefore, are not allowed to remove a skip containing asbestos.

Read our asbestos awareness blog, written to inform you of the dangers of asbestos and of asbestos services available.
 

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral which comes in fibres. Asbestos fibres are microscopic, yet they are fire-resistant and durable. It was due to the properties of asbestos that originally made them so popular to use inside homes and products.
 

Types of Asbestos

There are six different asbestos types:

• Chrysotile – This type of asbestos was often used in homes and businesses, in the roof and ceiling along with the walls and floors.
  It was also used was for brake linings, pipe insulation, gaskets and boiler seals.
• Amosite – Amosite is also known as brown asbestos. Often used in cement sheets, insulating board, ceiling tiles and for pipe insulation.
• Crocidolite – Crocidolite is also known as blue asbestos and was mainly used as insulation for steam engines. Meanwhile, it was also used as pipe insulation and it was contained in cement products and spray-on coatings.
• Tremolite – This type of asbestos is a contaminant that was often found in items such as talc powders, paint and roofing materials. Meanwhile, it comes in multiple different colours: green, grey, white and it can also be transparent.
• Anthophyllite – Anthophyllite asbestos is a contaminant asbestos, which was mainly discovered in composite flooring. In addition, it is a greyish-brown colour.
• Actinolite – Actinolite asbestos has not been used in products and is another asbestos which often contaminates asbestos products.

How Dangerous is Asbestos?

“Is asbestos dangerous” is a question that we find many people asking.

While all types of asbestos have different danger levels, certain ones being more harmful over others, they are all classed as a dangerous substance that can cause cancer and other severe diseases.
 

Is Asbestos Safe if Undisturbed?

Items such as asbestos ceiling tiles and asbestos floor tiles are fine and should not release any fibres, so long as they are not disturbed or damaged. This is the same in all asbestos cases, for instance with asbestos sheets.

If asbestos is left in your home, it is recommended to occasionally check it, to ensure no damage has been done that could pose any asbestos hazards or asbestos health risks on you or your family.

We also recommend, should you for example find you have an asbestos roof or an asbestos ceiling in your home that you are unsure whether to leave or remove, that you call out asbestos experts to see what they would recommend.
 

How to Remove Asbestos

An important question that many people wonder when they find asbestos on their property, is how to safely remove asbestos.

When it comes to the removal of asbestos from your property, there are a lot local companies online who provide asbestos removal and asbestos disposal services. It is also worthwhile checking out your local council’s website, to see if they offer any hazardous waste disposal or asbestos waste disposal services.

For further information on what you can and cannot put in our skips, email TJC Transport today at anthony@tjcottis.co.uk or give us a call on 01268 780 700.