What is asbestos cloth (and what was it used for?)

We are approaching a quarter of a century since asbestos was last a legal-to-use product in the UK. A ban was imposed on the importation and use of all types of asbestos in late 1999. But prior to this date, the fibrous mineral had been used for generations across such industries as construction and shipbuilding.

Today, many people still remember that asbestos – valued for a long time due to such qualities as its physical strength, effectiveness as an insulator, and fire resistance – was incorporated into such products as asbestos cement roof tiles, asbestos insulating board (AIB), and textured decorative coatings. What isn’t always remembered so well, is that asbestos was used in the manufacture of a variety of cloth and textiles products, too.

Not only is asbestos now widely recognised as an extremely dangerous material – inhalation or ingestion of its fibres being associated with various potentially life-threatening health conditions – but there are also stringent legal requirements applicable to management of the substance in the 2020s. For these reasons, it is crucial for building owners, managers, contractors, and other key stakeholders to know what asbestos cloth is, as well as how to combat the risks it can pose.

An introduction to asbestos cloth

The term “asbestos cloth” is used in reference to cloth or textiles products that happen to contain asbestos. As we mentioned above, this naturally occurring mineral is fibrous – in other words, it is characterised by fibres. This fibrous nature of raw asbestos led to the substance being woven into a broad range of textile products and garments.

The manufacture of asbestos cloth products was motivated by a wish in certain circumstances to produce textiles and garments that were highly resistant to extreme temperatures, flames, electrical fires, and corrosive substances. Furthermore, the all-round tensile strength and durability of asbestos meant that asbestos cloth products could be expected to stay in good condition and deliver effective performance for a very long time.

Such characteristics gave asbestos a reputation of being a “wonder material” for a while. By around the 1970s, however, public awareness of the substance’s very serious risks to human health was becoming much more widespread. This culminated in ever-greater pressure to introduce legal restrictions on the mineral’s use.

What does asbestos cloth look like?

Asbestos cloth and textile products were produced from the late 19th century right through until the end of the mineral’s legal period of use in 1999. So, it might be far from obvious at first whether a particular cloth material in your property is likely to contain asbestos.

As we will elaborate in the section below, asbestos was incorporated into a great variety of cloth and woven products, such as ironing board covers, oven mitts, fire blankets, fuse guards within electrical boxes, and rope seals.

So, if you see any products like the above in a property for which you are responsible, and you know or have good reason to believe a given item dates from before the year 2000, it is safest to assume the product contains asbestos until this is proven not to be the case. Perusing our online gallery of asbestos ropes, yarns, and strings should help give you a sense of what such items look like.

Asbestos textiles products have historically tended to consist of nearly 100% chrysotile (white) asbestos, although there may sometimes be other fibres mixed in. Occasionally, other types of the mineral, such as crocidolite (blue) asbestos, have been used in asbestos woven products. As a general rule, though, you can expect asbestos cloth or textile items to be white in colour.

What was asbestos cloth used for?

To reiterate what we stated above, asbestos cloth saw use in a very wide range of products throughout the time it could be lawfully manufactured in, and imported into, the UK.

Asbestos garments were frequently worn by workers in foundries, steel plants, and glassworks, with such clothes encompassing the likes of asbestos coats, gloves, aprons, and leggings. The introduction and use of asbestos garments was aimed at better protecting workers against extreme temperatures and minimising the risk of burns during work with molten materials.

There were many different industries and settings over the years where it was recognised that asbestos cloth and textiles products could help with a need for fireproofing, insulation, and protective coverings. Asbestos found its way, then, into items like fire blankets, gaskets, washers, theatre curtains, sash window cords, and paper linings, to suggest just a few.

How can you identify asbestos cloth?

Even if – following the guidance we set out earlier in this article – you are confident on the basis of visual inspection (and the age of your property or the material) that a particular cloth or textile product contains asbestos, you cannot treat this as definitive confirmation of asbestos being present.

There might, however, be clues elsewhere as to whether a given textile or cloth product at your site comprises asbestos fibres. You may have access to building or renovation records that provide information on this. You might also be able to consult an asbestos report arising from a professional asbestos survey previously carried out at your property, perhaps arranged by a past owner or dutyholder of the building.

Our use of the word “dutyholder” is in the context of Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012), which imposes a “duty to manage” asbestos on the person who is in charge of maintenance for a non-domestic property. Part of this “duty” is an obligation to take reasonable steps to determine whether there are asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) on the site, such as asbestos cloth products.

As we have explained previously here at Oracle Solutions, a dutyholder for a building dating to before the year 2000 typically fulfils this legal obligation by arranging to have a professional asbestos survey conducted at the property. If, however, you are able to safely capture a sample of a given cloth or textile product that you suspect contains asbestos, our asbestos sample testing and analysis service might also be of interest to you.

Where can asbestos cloth commonly be found?

Asbestos cloth and textile items have been known to be present in a broad variety of residential, commercial, and industrial settings across the UK. If you own or are responsible for any building that was constructed or renovated prior to the year 2000, you will have particular reason to be mindful and vigilant about the potential presence of asbestos cloth in the property.

We have previously provided information and illustrations to help educate building owners, dutyholders, and other stakeholders on where asbestos textiles, strings, ropes, and gaskets can be found in a building, and what they generally look like.

Your suspicion might be initially aroused by the sight of woven white material around pipes, boilers, or electrical installations at your premises. Sure enough, asbestos textiles and similar products can be present in these areas. However, they could also take the form of asbestos ropes and strings on windows and doors, insulation materials on exhaust vents, and/or asbestos fire blankets serving as coverings for heating elements.

The possibilities for where asbestos cloth and textile materials may exist on your site are very broad, potentially encompassing any room in a building. Such ACMs are especially likely to be present, though, in parts of a building where thermal insulation and resistance to chemicals and moisture would have been desirable at the time the materials were installed.

How dangerous is asbestos cloth?

The tendency for asbestos cloth to consist of close to 100% asbestos is one factor that can make these products especially dangerous. A high percentage of asbestos content is particularly likely in the case of items that were meant to be subject to extremely high temperatures.

All forms of ACMs are considered hazardous, for the simple reason that disturbance or damage to an asbestos-containing product can easily result in loose asbestos fibres being released into the air. Such asbestos particles, if they do become airborne, are barely visible to the human eye. So, they could be released and subsequently breathed in or ingested by someone close by, such as a construction or demolition worker.

The inhalation of asbestos can lead to its fibres becoming lodged in the lungs of the exposed individual. The breathing-in of asbestos does not immediately cause visible illness, due to the long latency period – of potentially many decades – associated with asbestos-related disease. However, such an incident of exposure can greatly increase the affected individual’s risk of eventually developing a possibly fatal health condition, such as mesothelioma or asbestosis.

ACMs – including asbestos cloth products – are generally considered to pose negligible risk to health if they are in good condition and left undisturbed. Asbestos cloth and textiles materials, however, can be at risk of disturbance during renovation or demolition projects at a building, where workers may not have been made aware that ACMs were even present.

Asbestos cloth can be particularly susceptible to releasing loose asbestos fibres in the event of the material becoming torn or frayed. So, we can barely emphasise enough how important it is to manage ACMs at your site in a safe and responsible manner, in compliance with the stringent requirements set out under CAR 2012.

Do you need a licence to remove asbestos cloth?

Most higher-risk work with asbestos must only be carried out by a contractor holding a licence from the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE). However, the ultimate decision on whether a given asbestos task will require a licence, will be based on the risk.

The Oracle Solutions team has written in detail in the past about the aspects that distinguish licensed asbestos work from non-licensed asbestos work.

The HSE has cited several possible tasks involving asbestos cloth or textiles products, as examples of work that would not require a licence. These include maintenance projects involving asbestos in ropes, yarns, and woven cloth.

Maintenance work involving asbestos gaskets or asbestos rope cords (including removal as part of the repair and upkeep of equipment) can also be done without a licence, subject to this being achieved without substantial breakage. Nor is a licence needed for encapsulation and sealing-in work on ACMs that are in good condition.

So, broadly speaking, asbestos textiles and paper are not regarded by the HSE as products requiring a licence in order for work (such as removal) to be undertaken on them. However, you should double-check the situation for the specific task you propose to carry out, and if you are in any doubt, we would urge you to consult a qualified asbestos professional.

What should you do if you suspect asbestos cloth?

If you notice materials at your residential, commercial, or industrial site that you suspect could be asbestos cloth, you should take steps to ensure those materials are not disturbed. This will need to include immediately stopping any work presently taking place at that location, and preventing anyone from entering the area if they aren’t wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and respiratory protective equipment (RPE).

By reaching out to professional asbestos surveyors and removal experts, you can soon have the suspected asbestos cloth investigated and tested. If it emerges from this testing that the given product does contain asbestos, you will then be able to make informed management decisions.

Please feel free to consult our previous guide on what to do if you find potential asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) at your property.

Conclusion: the risks presented by asbestos cloth shouldn’t be overlooked

While asbestos cloth and textile products are not necessarily the best-remembered ACMs today, they can theoretically be present in any room of any UK property dating from prior to the year 2000. So, it is of critical importance that you are mindful of the risks these items can pose to human health, and vigilant in ensuring your compliance with relevant asbestos law.

Contact the Oracle Solutions team today, and we will be pleased to give you a fast and free quotation for any of our well-regarded and in-demand asbestos services.