Asbestos may have been banned from use in the UK since 1999, but the hazardous material continues to pose a serious danger to the population. Low levels of asbestos are naturally present in the air, water and soil, which usually doesn't cause people to become ill. However, regular exposure to asbestos—in the workplace, for example—is a real health risk.
Asbestos exposure can have an insidious effect on health. It can take decades for symptoms to become noticeable, but once diagnosed, most patients die within two years. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety, more than 5,000 people die from asbestos-related diseases each year, making asbestos the leading cause of work-related deaths in the UK.
Perilous but popular Asbestos is a group of dangerous but naturally occurring fibrous minerals widely used for decades for their heat-resistant and insulating properties. The primary types of asbestos include the most commonly used chrysotile (white asbestos), amosite (brown asbestos) and crocidolite (blue asbestos). These fibers are highly durable and resistant to heat, electricity, and chemical damage, which made asbestos a popular material in various industries, particularly in construction and manufacturing throughout the 20th century .
Worryingly, despite the known dangers of asbestos, it remains a common material in many UK school buildings. According to a 2019 Department for Education survey , more than .
