About Asbestos Insulation / Lagging
Asbestos Insulation / Lagging is a highly friable material which flakes and powders easily. It is mostly found around heating systems such as boilers or calorifiers and around pipework. When applied to pipes it is often covered in a plastic coating or wrap and is often found sealed within ducts, wall cavities and boiler rooms.
Due to the application method of lagging and insulation, debris may be found within the vicinity including on walls (often called ‘snots’) nearby surfaces and pipe collars.
Insulation and lagging can be found in a variety of forms including:-
Pipe lagging
Loose fill Insulation
Vermiculite
Boiler insulation
Sprayed coating
Insulation and lagging can often be found within maritime and military shipping.
The manufacture of asbestos in thermal products and lagging was eventually phased out in the mid 19.70’s, however any insulation installed prior to 1999 should be assumed to contain asbestos until proven otherwise.
Asbestos In Insulation / Lagging
Insulation and lagging will generally contain anywhere between 8%- 100% asbestos depending on its form. This will generally be a mix of chrysotile (white asbestos), amosite (brown asbestos) and crocidolite (blue asbestos).
Asbestos insulation and lagging can be left in situ if in good condition and left undisturbed. However in many cases the presence of these highly friable materials will pose a risk to human health and should be removed as soon as possible.
This is one of the most dangerous materials containing asbestos. You are more at risk from breathing in asbestos fibres because disturbance of the lagging or insulation releases fibres very easily into the air that you breathe.
Do not attempt to work on these materials under any circumstances unless you are a HSE-licensed contractor.
Asbestos insulation and lagging are considered to be a licensed product by the HSE. You will need to employ a HSE licensed contractor to carry out any removal, encapsulation or repair works on asbestos boards and require a 14 day notification from the Health & Safety Executive.
