James Dodgson, chair of the Working Group on Asbestos in Soils at testing compliance specialist ESG, highlights the dangers of asbestos buried within site grounds.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recently estimated that there are more than 125 million people around the world who are currently exposed to asbestos as a result of their work. By tightly legislating to help mitigate the dangers of asbestos in the UK, the government has shown that it recognises this as a serious issue. For example, the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR) require UK landowners and developers to take steps to protect workers and the public from asbestos exposure.
Due to the history of asbestos use in UK buildings, risk of exposure is still high within the UK construction sector and, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), is the leading cause of occupational diseases to construction workers in the country. In fact, research by the HSE suggests that the mineral is responsible for more than two-thirds of cancer deaths within the industry.
The dangers of airborne asbestos have been known and discussed for decades. However, it’s only recently that health risks associated with asbestos-containing soils (ACS) have come into the spotlight. The release of asbestos fibres from soils into the air can occur via wind or physical disturbance during site development, making working on sites with high levels of ACS potentially extremely hazardous.
There is not a large amount of data available on the concentration and distribution of asbestos in soils in the UK, although the Construction Industry Research Information Association (CIRIA) has suggested that there are high levels of asbestos fibres buried in Britain’s brownfield sites.
Only recently have the risks of asbestos-containing soils been highlighted
It seems that developers are becoming increasingly aware of the health hazards of asbestos in soils. At ESG, for example, we have seen a significant surge in enquiries requesting analysis of soil samples for asbestos fibres, including an almost 25% increase in pre-emptive developer enquiries to determine whether construction sites have asbestos in the ground in the first three quarters of 2014 alone.
This is a positive development for the industry as we can see developers using affirmative action to mitigate the risks of asbestos before they become an issue. Through our results we have confirmed that there is a clear and present danger from ACS in the UK, as during the first half of 2014, more than half (55%) of the samples ESG analysed contained potentially harmful asbestos fibres.
Clearing up the confusion
Although it is encouraging that there is an increased awareness of ACS within the industry, there is a level of confusion around health and safety regulations.
Last April, CIRIA raised awareness of this issue for the industry. The group suggests that the widely used level of 0.001% asbestos fibre in soil may not be suitable in all cases, as it fails to take into account factors which could affect the danger posed, such as the range of soil types in the UK and their differing compositions.
To use one example: dry, loosely-packed, sandy soils could release more asbestos fibres when disturbed than wet clays – an issue which, if not taken into account during the testing and remediation stages of a development project, could lead to unsafe airborne asbestos levels on site. Conversely, some soil types with higher concentrations of asbestos may be able to be handled without releasing airborne fibres.
However, while CIRIA can draw attention to the issue, it is not in a position to alter official guidance and regulation as to what can be considered a safe level of asbestos in different types of soils.
As a result, many are still unsure how to assess and manage the risk. While the industry awaits further guidance, ESG is working with CIRIA to support the development of a site handbook for contractors to offer some best practice advice.
[Clarification 11 June – the original version of this article referred to a forthcoming update of existing document ‘LI43’. Please see comment section below for further information.]
Moving forwards safely
As you read this, the new government is looking to solve the housing crisis by remediating and redeveloping these brownfield sites, suggesting that there will be a significant amount of brownfield construction activity to come in the next five years. With this in mind, it is now even more urgent that regulations and guidance around asbestos in soils are clearly defined.
Until an updated, comprehensive framework for asbestos in soils is put in place, the construction sector will lack clarity on safety standards, and may struggle to minimise the effect of asbestos on worker health and well-being.
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