Where Can You Find Asbestos?

The use of asbestos in the construction industry wasn’t banned until the year 2000. It is possible for any building, built or refurbished before this date, to contain it. Asbestos was widely used in many common building materials. You may be surprised to learn where you might find it.

An asbestos survey is the only way to accurately identify the locations of asbestos within a building. It is advisable to appoint a UKAS accredited surveying team to complete this for you. This article outlines where asbestos can be found but isn’t site specific.

Where can you find asbestos in an industrial building?

The illustration below (produced by the Health and Safety Executive) highlights areas that are likely to contain asbestos. 

Each numbered location has a corresponding label in the list below.

Inside the building asbestos can be found in:

1) Sprayed coatings that can be found on ceilings, walls, beams and columns
2) Asbestos cement water tank
3) Loose fill insulation
4) Lagging on boilers and pipes
5) Asbestos insulation board (AIB) ceiling tiles
6) Toilet seat and cistern
7) AIB partition walls
8) AIB panels in fire doors
9) Asbestos rope seals, gaskets and paper
10) Vinyl floor tiles
11) AIB around boilers
12) Textiles e.g. fire blankets
13) Textured decorative coatings on walls and ceilings e.g. artex

Outside the building you can find asbestos in:

14) Asbestos cement roof
15) Asbestos cement panels
16) Asbestos cement gutters or downpipes
17) Soffits - AIB or asbestos cement
18) Asbestos cement flue

Where can you find asbestos in a residential property?

The illustration below (produced by the Health and Safety Executive) highlights areas that are likely to contain asbestos.

Each labelled location has a corresponding letter in the list below.

Inside your home or property you may find asbestos in the following:

A. Asbestos cement water tank
B. Pipe lagging
C. Loose fill insulation
D. Textured decorative coating e.g. artex
E. AIB ceiling tiles
F. AIB bath panel
G. Toilet seat and cistern
H. AIB behind fuse box
I. AIB airing cupboard and/or sprayed insulation coating boiler
J. AIB partition wall
K. AIB interior window panel
L. AIB around boiler
M. Vinyl floor tiles
N. AIB behind fire

Outside you can find asbestos in:

O. Gutters and asbestos cement downpipes
P. Soffits - AIB or asbestos cement
Q. AIB exterior window 
R. Asbestos cement roof
S. Asbestos cement panels
T. Roofing felt

N.B. This article contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.