What Are The Risks Associated With Asbestos In A Fire?
Dr Tony Fogarty
Specialist in fire safety and emergency planning; safeguarding individuals and properties in the United Kingdom. RM Risk Management Ltd
Asbestos poses a major health risk, causing serious damage to the lungs and respiratory system upon exposure. When damaged by fire, asbestos can present even greater risks. In order to address this issue, we are examining the risks associated with asbestos and fire.
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One major concern with asbestos and fire is that it was commonly used in structural components within buildings. Materials such as support beam cladding, firebreaks, doors, and ceiling coatings often contain asbestos. While this was beneficial for fire protection due to the strength and heat resistance of asbestos fibre, it also poses significant health risks.
The issues caused by asbestos materials during fires are that the fire destroys the materials containing the asbestos fibre. The breakdown of these materials can lead to a significant release of fibre. Asbestos has a much higher melting point compared to other construction materials as you can see in the table below.
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Melting point of fibreglass = 1,121°C
Melting point of plaster = 1,200°C
Melting point of steel = 1,370°C
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Melting point of?Asbestos = 1,521°C
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Therefore, if the temperature of the fire does get too hot, the construction of the building will deteriorate as the building materials burn in the fire. This can not only make the building structurally dangerous to firefighters entering the building searching for people, but also hazardous from the asbestos fibre left damaged in the building. Damaged asbestos materials release asbestos fibre, which can then become airborne. Once airborne they can be inhaled. This exposure can lead on to developing asbestos-related diseases, although this may not be visible immediately. It can take anything from 15 to 50 years to develop any signs of lung problems caused by asbestos to make itself visible.
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Safety of Fire Fighters
People who are most at risk from these types of materials during fires are firefighters, who regularly have to enter buildings and attempt to rescue people who are trapped, or complete searches. While modern uniforms are outfitted with materials to try and prevent the inhalation of these hazardous materials, the risk is still present. People who spend a long time in the building when it is burning are also at risk, as they lack the protective equipment which firefighter and emergency services will have. Also, people who are located within close proximity to the fire will also be at risk from exposure to hazardous materials extruding from the burning building.
Overall, the risk of asbestos following a fire or during a fire is quite high. There’s a risk of the fibres being released into the atmosphere following an interaction with the intense heat, as well as being a risk to the structural integrity of the building
The risk was highlighted by the fall of the World Trade Center towers on 9/11, which released a massive dust cloud containing heavy metals, burning plastics, and hundreds of tons of pulverized asbestos. In the months that followed, thousands of firefighters from across the country, along with members of the New York Fire Department, dug through the contaminated rubble without adequate respiratory protection.
As a result,?first responders exposed to asbestos dust?have suffered and continue to suffer from various lung cancers . The death toll is expected to increase over the next few decades as asbestos-related cancers, such as mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer, typically take at least 20 years to develop after exposure suffer high rates of fatal lung diseases and dozens of different types of cancer.
In the UK the main law related to asbestos is the Control of Asbestos regulations 2012, more commonly known as the CAR 2012.
CAR 2012 applies to virtually all non-domestic buildings, and if you own, manage or operate a building it is your responsibility to make sure the workplace meets the required standards. HSG264 defines two types of asbestos survey that can be undertaken for locating and assessing the condition of ACMs: Management Surveys and Refurbishment and Demolition Surveys.
If you already have an Asbestos Management Survey for your property, you must periodically complete Asbestos Re-inspection Survey to check the condition of any identified ACMs, making sure they are clearly labelled and kept in a good condition
Risk management professional whose services include health and safety, fire risk assessment and environmental management
9 个月I advise that the results of your asbestos survey are kept in the emergency information pack handed to firefighters on arrival.