Asbestos News + Information

Asbestos tiles were a popular product used primarily for flooring, but also on walls and ceilings mainly up until the mid-1980s. Although asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999, still to this date there are a massive (but unquantifiable) number of UK properties which still have asbestos flooring. We are often asked to identify,…

Located across a central swathe of England the Midlands is a vital economic region of England connecting Northern England to Wales and Southern England. As in common with the UK as a whole, the area has a massive number of properties contaminated with asbestos. Even though asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999 it…

Located in central UK, the East Midlands is an important area of England connecting Yorkshire, the North East, and Scotland with southern English areas. As with the remainder of the UK, the East Midlands has a vast number of properties that still to this date have asbestos contamination, even though asbestos was banned in the…

If you are wondering what ACMs are, read on. The acronym ACM is used to refer to “asbestos containing materials”. Asbestos was used in many construction projects up until the end of the late 20th century due to its durability and affordability. However, it fell out of favour after its dangers were revealed and was…

If you have discovered illegally dumped waste and suspect that it could contain asbestos, help is available. Asbestos fly tipping can be incredibly dangerous, and if the fibres are disturbed, they could easily be breathed in by members of the public or yourself.  Asbestos is linked to several serious diseases, some of which can be…

If you have a shed or garage and are concerned that it could contain asbestos, read on. Asbestos history shows it was used in construction projects until as recently as 1999, which means it remains present in a huge number of buildings across the UK.  However, asbestos is only ever likely to harm you or…

Asbestos in soil has been causing big challenges for many years. If this asbestos isn’t dealt with effectively, the results can be catastrophic. However, the level of risk largely depends on the kind of material that is resent in the soil. Read on to find out more about asbestos in soil, creating an asbestos management…

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) state that employers, self-employed individuals, and those in control of work premises (“the responsible person”) are obliged to report specific kinds of serious workplace accidents as well as specific dangerous occurrences and occupational diseases. Find out more about RIDDOR in this article. When do…

Anyone who supplies, works with, or uses marble or other natural stone products need to be aware of the safety regulations around them. Naturally, occurring asbestos is likely to be found in many of these products and can pose a substantial health risk. However, some levels of asbestos are so low that the amounts contained…

As a licensed Health & Safety Executive asbestos contractor there are a wide range of asbestos services available from Safeline Environmental. One of these services is the encapsulation of asbestos, which is detailed on this page. Defining asbestos encapsulation? To define asbestos encapsulation, it is helpful to explain the two words: Asbestos – “Asbestos is…

Located in the heart of the UK, the West Midlands is a vital population and commercial area with transport links around the country. In line with the rest of the UK, the West Midlands has a large number of properties that were contaminated with asbestos prior to its ban back in 1999. If you need…

ALAARG 2012 is a phrase you may have heard from time to time when working with asbestos-related matters. Read this page for a quick overview of ALAARG 2012 and why it is of interest to all parties in the asbestos industry. What is ALAARG 2012? ALAARG stands for “Asbestos Licence Assessment, Amendment and Revocation Guide”.…

Have you ever typed “asbestos removal near me” into Google or another search engine? Generally, results are populated with local asbestos specialists, but if you want to find a national partner – a company that travels wherever you are in the UK (England, Scotland, and Wales), then Safeline is a great choice. Safeline Environmental Head…

Asbestos Closes an Inverness School The BBC is reporting asbestos closes an Inverness school.  It is a timely reminder that the amount of asbestos in the school portfolio is still a massive concern. Public health when it comes to asbestos is vital, as the time that exposure and then symptoms manifest is huge. It has…

HSE Dust Blitz Campaign October sees the start of the HSE Dust Blitz Campaign, aimed at preventing construction industry deaths caused by dust. The HSE Dust Blitz Campaign is aimed at educating construction site workers in identifying and mitigating the hazards associated with common types of dust found in the demolition and construction of buildings.…

Safeline Environmental are experts in commercial asbestos removal and all end-to-end asbestos services ranging from audits, sampling, and testing through to eventual asbestos disposal. We assist all commercial organisations to meet their duties under asbestos law, whilst also protecting everybody from the life-threatening diseases associated with asbestos. Duty of care to manage asbestos Under regulation…

Residential Asbestos Surveys, Testing & Removal in Birmingham Safeline Environmental is the number one residential asbestos removal company in Birmingham and west midlands based contractor. Fact. We completed over 500 residential asbestos survey and removal projects in the greater west midlands area in 2021 alone! Try Safeline’s asbestos clearance services at home Our residential asbestos removal…

Our recent Walsall asbestos encapsulation job was one of our more interesting ones, we provided an asbestos removal quotation for the encapsulation of the walls surrounding the old boiler. A pre-world war two structure was going to be repurposed during the modernisation of the building. The original brief was for an inspection and covering (encapsulation)…

One of our latest jobs was just down the road from the Safeline HQ, the asbestos removal Stourbridge job was a factory survey job. The survey was required as the factory was being repurposed and had previously been heated using an old boiler. The lines of the ducting need to be checked and clarified on…

Safeline Environmental recently undertook a Smethwick Asbestos Removal Project,  this project was a domestic job, for a homeowner who was remodelling their home. The property was a 1920’s built home, which had had many updates over the years, most of them it seems from before the installation of asbestos was legislated against in 2000. The…

A recent report suggests that some of the modern building materials containing nanotechnologies pose health risks. The report suggests that the nanotechnologies health risks similar to asbestos exposure. This suggests this could be a timebomb for future contractors or demolition workers. Loughborough University has issued the following report; “Nanotechnologies being used in building materials could…

The HSE has reported that it has taken a case to court and two asbestos contractors fined as a result of this litigation. As you read, it becomes apparent that you should select a company with the scale and skill to complete its own surveys and that those contractors should have the mindset to challenge…

It has been reported today (via Twitter and the international news outlets) about accessory store Claire’s Asbestos Recall. In this recall, the UK is affected by some of the products, and as such if you have shopped at Claire’s you should read the link here to the statement from Claire’s. Below is an Extract from…

When it comes to large-scale asbestos removal, Safeline is one of the most competent contractors in the business. From our Midlands base, our national and sometimes international reach for all scales of projects is second to none. Many of our larger-scale projects involve months of pre-planning and liaising with all of the other subcontractors and…

Motherwell Asbestos Infringement A contractor has been fined for exposing its employees to asbestos during work at Anderson Tower in a Motherwell asbestos infringement. Hamilton Sheriff Court heard that during the Motherwell Asbestos Infringement, four electricians employed by IQA Operations Group Ltd had been drilling through door transom panels to fit electric cables into each…

Oldbury Asbestos Removal Safeline’s Oldbury Asbestos Removal project was born out of an enquiry we received from a homeowner… They had bought a home in Oldbury which was built pre 1980. Lots of us live or have lived in Pre 1980’s homes and it makes great sense to get your new home checked in you…

Sutton Coldfield Asbestos Survey The majority of the work Safeline Environmental does is Commercial project consultancy and then commercial asbestos removal as in the case of the Sutton asbestos removal contract we have recently completed. The removal as in a lot of our contracts, required several different methods to be employed in the “making safe”…

Below is a report of another Asbestos Contractor fined for poor management of asbestos removal. The report is an extract from the HSE website; Speaking after the hearing HSE Inspector David Norton said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices. Companies and individuals…

Asbestos is sadly a part of everyday life for building trade workers and those whose jobs are closely related to working with properties. Although asbestos was banned as long ago as 1999, the material is of course prevalent in buildings and products from before this time. We are often asked, “where is asbestos found?” There…

ASBESTOS ADVICE IN THE UK Safeline Environmental,  as well as being a professional asbestos removal company, we are also customer service driven, with this customer service we are keen to promote The National Asbestos Helpline and its website. The National Asbestos Helpline is a fantastic resource for any member of the general public who may…

The BBC recently reported that there are concerns around Hospital Asbestos Safety in London. The concern is that the buildings we use to treat our sick and injured may in fact be exposing them to the dangers of asbestos dust. Here is an extract from the BBC’s article. “The number of people who could contract…

I was reading a recent piece in the Guardian, concerning school Asbestos Safety. Politics aside, the article was very well written. Here is a small extract from the Article by  Lola Okolosie; “Mesothelioma, a disease usually linked to asbestos, is typically diagnosed 40-60 years after initial exposure. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – that…

Need the Latest Asbestos news? Safeline Environmental news brings you the latest asbestos news and updates from the United Kingdom! The latest asbestos news comes in the terms of a contractor prosecution, HSE will investigate and take the appropriate action on any contractor or subcontractor that fails in their duty of care to the job…

Safeline Environmental recently completed a refurbishment for a care home in Kent, we are pleased to have received this feedback for Safeline Environmental. It is always pleasing to received great feedback for Safeline and the teams that deliver Safeline’s work, and customer brand. The latest good news comes from a project we managed for a…

Reading in the trade news this week that a company had been fined for not completing or adhering to an Asbestos Survey requirements. The HSE is quite specific about the “Duty” here is an extract of the requirements; “The duty to manage asbestos is directed at those who manage non-domestic premises: the people with responsibility…

Coventry Schools Survey Reveals Massive Asbestos Issues Like most midland cities, Coventry had a huge amount of rebuilding in the 20th Century, this has meant that Coventry Asbestos Removal is higher than the average. A 2014 survey reported that over half of the schools in Coventry still had Asbestos in place. The following was first…

Replace Asbestos Contractor Safeline Environmental is a truly national company, we are also the local asbestos removal company too. The west Bromwich asbestos removal contract proves this! On the west Bromwich asbestos removal, we were initially only asked to double-check the findings that a competitor had produced for a prospective customer. Even after our survey…

A Buckinghamshire Asbestos Fly-tipper fined over £10000 in fines, costs and clean up for fly-tipping asbestos and green waste, not once, but twice in Fulmer emergency vehicle ramp near the M40 motorway. The offence took place in July of 2016, a little over 11 months later the defendant was found guilty of two counts of…

https://www.safelineServices for Asbestos Removal in Newcastle If you live in the North East of England and throughout Northumberland, then Safeline Environmental are here to serve you: Residential – let us resolve asbestos issues in your home, no job is too small for us! Businesses – working with businesses large and small, we can resolve all…

Working for Safeline Environmental – Kidderminster At Safeline Environmental, we pride ourselves on being great asbestos employers, with many of our teams being with us for many many years. So, it is with much pleasure that we can announce that we have one of our former team members returning to the Safeline Environmental Family –…

Solihull Asbestos Removal Solihull Asbestos removal by Safeline Environmental Ltd. Safeline Environmental completed a Solihull Asbestos Removal job recently, this job was a bit of a rescue job, as the project had been started by the property owner, who by his own admission, possibly didn’t really understand the implications of the work at hand. Safeline…

Safeline recently was tasked by a homeowner with asbestos removal in Cheltenham. Now the town has a wonderful array of architecture ranging from the beautiful Georgian style all the way through to the modern buildings that have added to the lives of the people of Cheltenham. The problem here is that the asbestos boom in…

Safeline Environmental recently completed a Telford asbestos removal project for a national electrical online retailer at their product recycling facility. This is part of a large ongoing project. The Telford asbestos removal project involved a full removal of the Asbestos Concrete materials (ACM’s) from their boiler room, we did toy with an encapsulation but given…

As most of our avid readers will know, Safeline Environmental is a truly national company and recently we were asked to complete a major Wolverhampton asbestos removal project on an old factory that is being converted into apartments. As major projects go this one was a fairly simple affair, as the factory had reached its…

Safeline has been called in to complete asbestos remedial works for a new client after they had another HSE recognised asbestos contractor in to complete the initial job. HSE investigation The HSE has launched an investigation into the initial job after the previous contractor left Asbestos insulation board debris throughout the client’s site. This is not only…

Asbestos Survey & Removal Services in Bristol Choose Safeline Environmental for all your asbestos-related work in and around the southwest. No job is too small, we work on small residential jobs, work for businesses as well as sizable contracts for local authorities. Safeline Environmental Hello Safeline News Readers, we recently completed a huge Bristol asbestos…

Safeline Environmental, the west midlands based national asbestos removal specialists, recently completed a factory asbestos removal project in Birmingham. Our clients, a very famous aviation parts manufacturer based in Birmingham, required us to make safe their entire factory roof. This was a great job for us as we are experts at asbestos removal in factories.…

Safeline Environmental’s aim is to be the go-to asbestos removal experts in the UK. This aim has been at the centre of the company since its inception. From the standards of our customer service to the equipment we use and the quality of work, Safeline are a safe choice for asbestos removal service provision across…

Most people would be unaware that talcum powder and asbestos have a long history as talc used to be made from a form of asbestos. Read this piece from the www.mesothelioma.com blog: “The problem is that some talc is contaminated with a form of amphibole asbestos known as tremolite. This type of asbestos is related…

If you are looking for professional asbestos removal, then you need look no further than Safeline Environmental. We have a vast amount of experience in asbestos surveys, asbestos awareness training and everything associated with the professional removal of asbestos in both workplace and domestic settings. Safeline Environmental is very proud to have some of the…

Safeline has a national reach when it comes to asbestos removal, but the core of our mission is based in the west midlands and the Walsall asbestos removal is yet another further example of this removal. During the Walsall asbestos removal job we had to ensure that the factory was still able to function whilst…

On March 10th 2017, Stirling Council fined for asbestos ignorance! Stirling council ignored warnings of asbestos dangers in the basement of its headquarters for over nine years!  In Safeline’s experience, Local Councils are usually the most diligent when it comes to identification and dealing with asbestos in their property portfolio, so this is a highly…

In February Safeline wrote a blog piece on the School asbestos worries, since we wrote that news there has been a new Government Report on School Asbestos.  Published on 27/02/2017 the report by the Education Funding Agency (EFA), found that around 20 per cent of schools were were “not fully compliant” with asbestos procedures “in…

Asbestos Compensation Claims Limits are Raised In March of 2017, The Lord Chancellor Elizabeth Truss changed the way in which asbestos compensation is calculated when she lowered the compensation discount rate. When the amount a person receives from a compensation payment is calculated, it is adjusted according to the interest they can expect to earn…

Not all Asbestos companies hold the same level of asbestos licensing. The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) has an extensive and exhaustive process that all Asbestos removal companies are required to adhere to before the HSE determines the level of asbestos licensing that they grant to the individual applicants. The HSE (Health and Safety Executive)…

(Photo: UGC TNW) In the news this week was a report that a north wales man found asbestos in the playground that his children were regularly using! The Daily Mirror reported on 5th April that ; “The man who found the asbestos, Tim Watson, said: “I was just passing through the playground last Tuesday when…

Morning everyone, did you know that if you own a building that has ACMs (asbestos-containing materials) built into it before your ownership and you are a company then you could be entitled to asbestos Removal tax breaks? The cost and time delays related to the process of asbestos removal can be daunting for any company,…

Dudley Asbestos Survey We at Safeline Environmental carry out all types and sizes of surveys, a recent Dudley Asbestos Survey was completed by Safeline to a domestic property, a lovely old couple that was having an update to their home before they retired. On-site, the survey highlighted small amounts of asbestos in the home, and…

The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) regularly publishes cases, proceedings and prosecutions on its website, and we were dismayed to discover a Midland Asbestos Company had been fined, we just want to reassure our readers, clients and customers, and our construction partners that the company was not SAFELINE ENVIRONMENTAL. The Midland Asbestos Company concerned with…

What is asbestosis? Asbestosis is a terminal lung condition in the form of pneumoconiosis and is caused specifically by microscopic asbestos fibres. The disease is characterised by scarring and inflammation of lung tissue. It is irreversible and the condition takes decades to reveal itself following asbestos exposure. Infact many people die (not of asbestosis directly)…

Today’s blog is all about Asbestos in the Environment! As most of you will know Asbestos is a natural fibre that has been used by humanity for over 7500 years, mainly because asbestos has fantastic fire retardant qualities. Recently, we have read several articles in the news relating to worries about asbestos in the environment…

Morning Safeline news Readers, we are so please to have received more great safeline environmental feedback about our customer focus from one of our contractor clients. We often complete works for a company call MA assist, which are involved in domestic insurance repairs, and they received some feedback yesterday on one of our teams being…

Stourbridge Asbestos Removal Safeline Environmental can cater for a huge scale of works, from commercial asbestos removal in the largest commercial units to the smallest domestic jobs similarly to the Stourbridge asbestos removal and survey works we recently completed. The Stourbridge asbestos removal job was for a domestic house renovation, and we were called in…

Kidderminster Asbestos Removal Do you live in or around Kidderminster? Safeline Environmental is the premier Kidderminster asbestos removal company, with over ten years of asbesto removal nation wide. Safeline is a local asbestos removal company, based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire. We are proud to be one of Kidderminsters premier employers who pride themselves on employing local…

Safeline Environmental is proud to be attending the Worcestershire Schools-Business Fair today with our stall. The team will be there to promote awareness in asbestos to Worcestershire schools business managers. So if you are around today at the business fair why not drop in and say “Hi” to Matt and the team at Safeline Environmental.…

One of the core services offered by Safeline Environmental is asbestos surveys. These surveys reveal whether there is a need to dispose of and remove asbestos on a property. What is an asbestos survey? If you suspect asbestos is present on your property, you should have an asbestos survey carried out. This survey will tell…

The biggest group of asbestos-related disease victims from the historic data are usually people working in general industry, this is still the case so asbestos advice for contractors is vital for that group of potential victims. At Safeline Environmental the majority of our work comes from contractors, usually, a contractor will be employed by a…

The Government issues new safety warnings as a study finds asbestos in schools, 83% of schools contain asbestos with 19 per cent failing to safely manage the risk – As a Family man with kids, I find this alarming, as an asbestos professional utterly unacceptable. Around one in five schools across England, according to a…

Safeline Environmental has been providing Birmingham asbestos removal services for over ten years now. We have a dedicated team of professional asbestos professionals, who are trained, skilled and experienced in all aspects of removing the hundreds of asbestos products from buildings up and down the United Kingdom. Birmingham asbestos removal is a huge undertaking, as…

One of the main questions we get asked by our customers is how and who should be managing asbestos in buildings? This is quite a broad question to answer, as asbestos was used extensively in most types of building for many years, both Business and Domestic. Since 2012, the Control of Asbestos Regulation has included…

Regular readers of the Safeline Environmental Blog will be aware of CAR 2012 or the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 to give them their full title, in those regulations, there is a provision to ensure that relevant persons are given asbestos awareness training. Whilst we are based in the West Midlands, Safeline Environmental is a…

Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012? I am often asked by clients and customers “What are the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012?” The next question is “What do they Mean to Me?” Read on to learn all about the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and what they mean to businesses in the UK. The Control of…

Asbestos removal licenced or unlicensed, that is the question. I’m fairly sure that the bard was unaware of asbestos when he wrote that line that I have butchered in a literary sense. However, from an asbestos removal perspective, it is a very valid question for anyone undergoing renovation or remodels. As a regular reader of…

Below we have listed some of the most prevalent jobs with higher than average Asbestos Occupational Exposure risk. As I’m sure you all know the use of asbestos has been extensive since the 8 century but peaked between the late 1940s until the end of the turn of the century. Asbestos Occupational Exposure is the…

Secondary Asbestos Exposure We recently did a piece on the dangers of asbestos exposure and we include the possibility of being exposed through doing the laundry of an exposed asbestos worker, or secondary asbestos exposure. Yesterday this was highlighted in the national press with the case of  Jill Moore, a retired chief. It is a…

An overview of the dangers of asbestos fly tipping and what to do if you’ve become a victim of this. What is asbestos fly tipping? This is the illegal disposal of asbestos waste onto land where the disposer does not have a license to dispose and/or does not have the landowners permission. The rise in…

Asbestos History People often associate asbestos as a modern invention, the truth of asbestos history is far, far more ancient. Asbestos is a natural mineral fibre and is located all over the world on every continent. In this article, we explore asbestos history throughout the ages. Ancient History It is believed that the first recorded use…

Most people today still don’t realise the dangers of asbestos, nor do they realise what the effects of exposure to asbestos can actually do to them. Asbestos exposure can take decades to develop into a number of fatal diseases. It is vital that awareness of the risks is increased, and action is taken to reduce the…

Asbestos at Home? If you find asbestos in your home you should take the following advice; Leave the suspected Asbestos well alone, especially if it’s been drilled or disturbed. DO NOT penetrate or adhere anything to the suspected Asbestos surface. DO NOT use any Abrasive products or sandpaper on the suspected Asbestos surface – This…

Can you identify products with asbestos in your home? Most people would pick out most of the obvious, eve boards, heating insulation etc… However, it is estimated that only 20% of the population would correctly identify 100% of asbestos products used in the 50 or so years that it was used as a building product.…

There are many asbestos types currently hidden in buildings and products throughout the UK. Here at Safeline Environmental, we have worked with a massive variety of types of asbestos, this is the topic of our latest article. Common asbestos types in the UK Asbestos is not one material per se, the term Asbestos is coined…

The HSE Asbestos gallery As the old saying goes, “seeing is believing”, and we at Safeline Environmental want to ensure that we promote the education of home and business owner in the dangers of Asbestos. Most of our customers say to us that they are unsure where to look, and more importantly, what to look…

Safeline Environmental on Facebook Want to find out the latest news from Safeline? Find Safeline Environmental on Facebook for the latest news and exciting developments. Most of our guys will post on our company Facebook page, especially local events or unusual examples of Asbestos us. We get lots of feedback following the pictures we post…

The legal Ramifications of Asbestos Exposure Most of our customers are surprised to learn about the action that the Health and Safety Executive take when an asbestos exposure is reported to them. Asbestos can have life-threatening effects on health even years after exposure, and as such, the HSE take the most stringent of views. We…

At Safeline Environmental we value the work our asbestos teams do and how they interact with our customers. With this in mind, we recently received some fantastic feedback for safeline from one of our customers concerning one of our asbestos removal experts teams (Nick and Ben) that we would love to share with you; “Nick…

It’s now 15 years since 9/11, and yet it seems the legacy of the destruction of the World Trade Centre collapse will continue for years to come. As the world prepares to mark the fifteenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the UK Asbestos Training Association (UKATA) says the horrors of that day are not…

You might need an asbestos management plan. Here’s why and how to go about creating it. If you’re reading this from the USA, you’ll need to check out the relevant ahera regulations, this document deals exclusively with the UK requirements from the HSE. Asbestos has been around for a very long time, and given that its widespread…

Here we will give an overview of asbestos best practices. Workplace related deaths Asbestos is a category 1 carcinogenic material that is currently the greatest cause of workplace-related death due to asbestos diseases related to the lung. As there is the potential for serious harm when the material is found in the course of building…

There are many aspects involved in professional asbestos management. We discuss many of these aspects here so that you can bring a professional approach to your organisation. A background to asbestos Asbestos is a carcinogenic fibrous mineral found in an array of building materials. Problems with asbestos arise when such materials are disturbed or damaged…

If you are wondering “what is asbestos?” it is a natural and versatile mineral that is known for its heat and fire resistance as well as insulating properties. These useful properties resulted in the importation of approximately 6 million tonnes of raw asbestos into the United Kingdom over a period of 100 years.  Many different…