Asbestos Management Strategies - To Demolish or Not - That is the question?

Asbestos Management Strategies

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral and is easily found. It was highly used years back due to its increased performance and especially because it was fireproof. It was only during the Industrial Period that the danger of the mineral was found out when a huge number of workers exposed to asbestos dust and fibers both primarily as well as secondarily started dying at very young age. After then, the use of this mineral was limited and at many placed banned resulting in the introduction of asbestos management for better safety.

After the discovery of the mineral to be quite harmful for human, European Union banned the use of asbestos for its use in buildings. Some of the threatening diseases resulting from inhaling asbestos include mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis and lots more. The worst part of this disease is that the signs and symptoms appear very late and cannot be diagnosed until the disease reaches the later stages. This is why asbestos management was brought about as a significant measure.


There are still arguments going on for the use of asbestos in buildings as there are a particular section of people claiming asbestos to be of no harm if they are not disturbed. This is because, only the spores when released into the air and thus inhaled by people that produces any kind of fatal illnesses. Therefore a majority states that the buildings are to be left intact as any disturbance to demolish and remove can lead to serious damage by the dispersal of spores into the atmosphere thus risking a lot of lives. The damage which occurs when an asbestos building is demolished is due to the dust particles that are released into the air. If one were to leave old asbestos buildings alone, then the damage is less. That said a building just cannot be left with asbestos in it as it poses a health & safety risk.

For this the asbestos surveyors are being introduced who are eligible and can do the work of estimation of the mineral in those buildings which are either subjected to damage, repair or remodeling. They are appointed to take note of the quantity and the presence of asbestos in the structures which are subjected to either repair or demolition.

According to the asbestos management plan, the managers are the ones subjected to strict rules on evaluation. They should give proper reports and must presume the presence of the mineral and should validate it very clearly. A detailed report stating the quantity of the mineral should also be mentioned in the statement. Apart from all this, they should also set out a plan so that they act according to the asbestos management plan. It states that the surveyors are responsible for producing a plan to manage the asbestos content present in the buildings inspected and also should bring it into practise.

Also, it is always stated that the risk is pretty low if the ACM or the asbestos containing material is left as such if and only if it is in the best condition. There are several options left forth for the estimated asbestos content. They can depend on any of these to do their job well!