The Birmingham Asbestos Survey Exposed

Birmingham asbestos survey

The Birmingham Asbestos Survey was undertaken by an Asbestos Management Company in the mid 1980’s. It is a voluntary effort and is funded through an annual fee from the manufacturers of asbestos. The aim of this survey was to bring together management companies, particularly those in Birmingham, to work together on measures to remove the threat of asbestos. The resulting report, produced for the then Mayor of Birmingham, was entitled a Birmingham Asbestos Survey.

The report was issued by the then Birmingham Asbestos Management Company as a document of evidence to the London Borough Council, who were conducting a review of the situation in Birmingham. This included aspects of the Asbestos Survey which was directly related to removing the threat of asbestos. The above included a note that said that “the survey shows that asbestos has been successfully removed from the locations where it poses the most serious risk.”

The survey report went on to say that “removing asbestos has been achieved through the use of aerial technology, a highly intrusive method which involves the drilling of tiny holes within walls and ceilings in order to find the vulnerable places where the fibres are stored”. It went on to say that “removing the fibres from the wall or ceiling is likely to be quite a messy process, and so it is not recommended for most premises”. It also went onto state that “although there may be some difficulties and disruption in the removal of asbestos, these problems will be addressed through the use of high-quality asbestos removal equipment.” The survey went onto state that the ” Birmingham Asbestos Survey has shown that the amount of asbestos waste has fallen considerably over the last few years as a direct result of the many local companies undertaking their own asbestos surveys.” The survey went onto state that more than one hundred companies had taken up the offer to take part in the survey. It went onto state that a further eighty companies were still in the process of getting together the specifics of how they would conduct their asbestos surveying.

The survey did however point out that “whenever possible” the asbestos survey should be done by people who were qualified asbestos assessors and who had undergone relevant training. It went onto say that “it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that appropriate people are trained and fitted with protective gear prior to undergoing a demolition or removal process. It is important to ensure that all staff are aware of the need to wear protective clothing at all times. As the result of this information, I believe that the recent developments in the area of asbestos surveying in Birmingham have saved residents much needed peace of mind, and helped to boost confidence in this area of the UK. I sincerely hope that this article has helped you to follow the content.

It was also pointed out in the survey that there is currently no legal restriction covering the type of asbestos materials that could be removed from any property. This was pointed out to be a major issue as it means that if asbestos is found on your premises, it could potentially be sold or released onto the public when it is removed. This was a main cause of concern because of the health risks associated with asbestos and the fact that it has been known to cause deadly diseases such as cancer. The Birmingham survey went onto state that one in ten buildings in Birmingham had asbestos in them.

A Birmingham Asbestos Survey was carried out in July 2021 following reports from a local asbestos survey. This survey covered the entire Birmingham area which is an area of high deprivation with many low income households. It found that there were almost eleven thousand buildings that contained asbestos in them and that the majority of these buildings had high levels of disturbed debris that contained asbestos. It was also found that nearly one hundred and twenty companies were supplying asbestos materials to the public. The majority of these companies were able to clean the debris without putting the occupants of the buildings at risk. It was found that almost nine percent of all materials that had asbestos in them were incorrectly removed or disposed.

A spokesperson for the survey said that as the result of the review ninety-three buildings had to be demolished due to the danger they presented. Of those forced to come down on the material were negatively affected. It was found that a large amount of people were coming into contact with asbestos through clothing, teeth fillings, siding and insulation. This is important as it shows how serious the consequences can be for those who are in close proximity to asbestos.

Birmingham Asbestos Survey has caused outrage amongst residents in the area and this is because they feel as though justice has not been served. There are now calls for a Justice for Asbestos Task Force to be set up to investigate what happens when asbestos material is removed from a property. The survey results show that eighty-one percent of material removed from a property did not contain Asbestos. However, when the material is found to have Asbestos it is required to be cleaned up. If the employer is found to be in breach of the law then action will be taken.