What Is Asbestos? A Clear Guide to the Risks and Safe Disposal

Asbestos is one of those words most people recognise as “dangerous” without necessarily knowing what it actually is, where it turns up, or what to do if they come across it. If you’re renovating an older property, clearing a building or simply want to understand the risk, here is a straightforward explanation.

Importantly, this is general information rather than a substitute for a professional asbestos survey. If you think you may have found asbestos, the safest thing you can do is leave it alone and get it assessed by a qualified professional — this guide explains why.

So what is asbestos?

Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring minerals made up of fine, fibrous crystals. It was mined from the ground and, for much of the twentieth century, treated as something close to a miracle material in construction.

The reason is that its properties were genuinely useful. Asbestos is heat-resistant, fire-resistant, strong, a good insulator, resistant to chemicals and, crucially, cheap. That combination saw it built into an enormous range of products, from roofing and insulation to floor tiles and textured ceiling coatings.

The problem is that the very thing that made it useful — those tiny, durable fibres — is exactly what makes it dangerous.

The main types of asbestos

There are several recognised types of asbestos, but three were used most widely and are the ones usually referred to:

• Chrysotile (white asbestos) — the most common type used in the UK, found in a wide range of building materials.
• Amosite (brown asbestos) — often used in insulation boards and thermal products.
• Crocidolite (blue asbestos) — considered particularly hazardous.

You can’t reliably identify the type — or even confirm whether a material contains asbestos at all — just by looking at it. That requires testing by a professional.

When was asbestos banned, and where is it still found?

Asbestos use was phased out in stages. Blue and brown asbestos were banned in the UK in 1985, and white asbestos followed in November 1999, when it became illegal to buy, sell, import or use asbestos-containing materials.

The key point for anyone working on a building is this: asbestos may be present in any property built or refurbished before the year 2000. The ban stopped new asbestos going in; it did nothing to remove the vast amount already installed in existing buildings.

Common places it still turns up include cement roofing and panels, pipe insulation and lagging, insulation boards, textured decorative coatings (such as some older “Artex”-style ceilings), floor tiles and the adhesives beneath them, and various other building materials. Some are more dangerous than others, but all should be treated with caution.

Why is asbestos so dangerous?

Here is the crucial part. Asbestos that is in good condition and left undisturbed is generally not an immediate danger — the risk comes when it is disturbed.

When asbestos-containing materials are cut, drilled, sanded, broken or demolished, they release microscopic fibres into the air. Those fibres are easily inhaled, and once in the lungs they can cause serious, often fatal diseases, including mesothelioma (a cancer of the lung lining), asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis and pleural thickening.

What makes asbestos especially insidious is the delay. These diseases can take decades to develop after exposure, so someone may disturb asbestos today and feel completely fine, with the harm only becoming apparent many years later. There is no safe level of exposure to aim for — the sensible approach is to avoid exposure altogether.

This is why the golden rule is simple: if you suspect a material contains asbestos, do not disturb it. Don’t drill it, break it, sand it or attempt to remove it yourself.

The law around asbestos

Because of the health risks, asbestos is tightly regulated. The main legislation is the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, which sets out how asbestos must be managed, worked with and disposed of, and by whom.

For non-domestic premises, there is a legal “duty to manage” asbestos, which falls on the building owner, landlord or whoever is responsible for maintenance. In practice this means identifying whether asbestos is present, assuming materials contain it unless proven otherwise, keeping a record, and managing it safely.

Higher-risk asbestos work must be carried out by contractors licensed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and anyone who might disturb asbestos as part of their work is expected to have appropriate asbestos awareness training. Enforcement is real: businesses have faced very substantial fines for failing to manage or remove asbestos properly.

Why asbestos can’t just go in a skip

If you’re clearing a property or carrying out building work, this is the part that matters most day to day.

Asbestos is classified as hazardous waste, and it must never be placed in a general or mixed-waste skip. Doing so is not only illegal, it puts everyone who handles that waste at risk — from the person loading the skip to the workers processing it later, who have no way of knowing dangerous fibres are hidden inside.

Asbestos waste has to be handled through a specific route: sealed and double-wrapped in appropriate, clearly labelled packaging, transported by a registered carrier, accompanied by the correct consignment documentation, and taken only to facilities that are licensed to receive it. It cannot be mixed with ordinary construction or household waste.

This is exactly why, if you’re clearing an older building, it’s worth identifying any potential asbestos before the job starts, so the right disposal can be arranged separately rather than the whole load becoming a problem.

What to do if you find or suspect asbestos

If you come across a material you think might contain asbestos:

• Leave it alone. Don’t touch, cut, drill or move it.
• Keep people away from the area if the material is damaged or disturbed.
• Get it assessed by a qualified asbestos surveyor, who can test the material and tell you what it is and what condition it’s in.
• Use professionals for removal. Higher-risk asbestos must be removed by HSE-licensed contractors, and even lower-risk materials are best left to trained specialists rather than tackled as a DIY job.
• Arrange proper disposal through a hazardous waste service that can handle asbestos legally and safely.

The extra time and cost involved is small compared with the health risk of getting it wrong — and getting it wrong can have consequences that don’t show up for decades.

How Select A Skip can help

Asbestos is not a standard skip job, and it shouldn’t be treated like one. But it does still need to leave site safely and legally, and that’s where we can help.

Select A Skip provides hazardous waste services across the UK, including the correct handling and disposal of asbestos and other specialist waste streams, through appropriately licensed suppliers. If you’re clearing a property, carrying out a renovation or managing a construction site, we can help you separate hazardous materials from your general skip hire and arrange the right collection for each.

If you’re not sure what you’re dealing with, tell us before you book. It’s always better to plan the disposal properly than to discover a problem once the waste is already mixed together.

Contact the Select A Skip team to discuss asbestos or hazardous waste disposal, and make sure it’s dealt with the right way.

This article is general guidance only and does not replace a professional asbestos survey or advice. Always have suspected asbestos assessed by a qualified professional.

Frequently asked questions

Can I put asbestos in a skip?

No. Asbestos is hazardous waste and must never be placed in a general or mixed-waste skip. It has to be sealed, labelled, transported by a registered carrier and taken to a licensed facility. A hazardous waste service can arrange this properly.

How do I know if something contains asbestos?

You can’t tell reliably just by looking. Any building constructed or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos, so suspect materials should be tested by a qualified asbestos surveyor rather than assumed to be safe.

Is asbestos dangerous if you don’t disturb it?

Asbestos in good condition and left undisturbed is generally not an immediate danger. The risk arises when it is cut, broken, drilled or demolished, releasing fibres into the air that can be inhaled. That’s why suspected asbestos should be left alone.

When was asbestos banned in the UK?

Blue and brown asbestos were banned in 1985, and white asbestos was banned in November 1999. However, asbestos-containing materials remain in many buildings put up before 2000.

Can I remove asbestos myself?

It’s strongly advised not to. Higher-risk asbestos must legally be removed by HSE-licensed contractors, and even lower-risk materials are best handled by trained professionals. Attempting DIY removal risks exposing yourself and others to dangerous fibres.