What is asbestos insulating board (AIB) and how can you identify it?

Although the importation and use of asbestos has been banned in the UK since 1999, this does not mean the substance has ceased to be an issue in commercial, public, and domestic properties up and down the country.

In the event of any of a range of ACMs – such as asbestos cement roof tiles, thermal insulation, sprayed insulation, vinyl tiles, or textured ceiling coatings – being disturbed, there could be a risk of them releasing dangerous asbestos fibres.

Asbestos insulating board (AIB) is just one more type of ACM that contractors need to be aware of, including when they are refitting UK properties that date to before the year 2000. So, in this article, we have set out the essential things to know about AIB, and how to identify it.

What is asbestos insulating board (AIB)?

The term “asbestos insulating board”, or AIB, refers to low-density boards that were used for a variety of construction purposes during the time asbestos was a widely and legally used product in UK buildings.

AIB was especially commonly used from around the 1960s until the 1980s, its popularity declining once the health risks of asbestos became better-known and recognised. It was frequently incorporated into the likes of ceiling tiles, partition walls, and soffits, consisting of usually square or rectangular panels of asbestos worked into the masonry.

AIB was also known by the trade names, Asbestolux and Turnabestos. The former was the trade name of the AIB that Cape Asbestos manufactured from around 1951 until 1980, while its principal competitor, Turner & Newall, produced AIB under the latter name.

It is important to not confuse AIB with asbestos cement boards, which are more compressed and have a lower asbestos content. Indeed, the typical asbestos content in AIB – around 20% to 45% – is approximately double the proportion of asbestos content in asbestos cement.

AIB was produced by mixing raw asbestos fibres from other materials. The type of asbestos used was typically amosite (brown) asbestos, although AIB could also sometimes contain crocidolite (blue) asbestos and/or chrysotile (white) asbestos. The asbestos was usually combined with a calcium silicate material or plaster to give AIB’s characteristically rigid finish.

What does asbestos insulating board look like?

Part of the difficulty of managing the risks of AIB, is that it can be extremely difficult to distinguish it visually from any other panels or boards used in construction. This task can be made even trickier by the tendency for so much AIB to have been painted or hidden behind other materials in a property.

We mentioned above that AIB often contains brown asbestos; however, this does not mean the AIB will be brown in colour. Instead, a given AIB panel in your building will probably look like any other panel used in a wall or ceiling.

However, as we have written about in the past at Oracle Solutions, there are some potential visual signifiers of AIB to be aware of. Such boards tend to be light and dark grey in colour. However, other colours – such as pink – are possible, as AIB was sometimes given an outer coloured finish.

Where is asbestos insulating board commonly found?

With AIB having been very affordable and available during its peak period of manufacture and use, this product found its way into a wide range of buildings, including residential properties, schools, offices, hospitals, and other types of property.

Common areas within a building where AIB can be found include:

• Partition walls
• Lift shaft linings
• Fireproofing panels in fire doors
• Ceiling tiles
• Infill panels
• Soffits
• Bath panels
• Ducts
• Panels below windows

We have written previously about the various places within a property where asbestos boards, mill boards, and related products can be located, encompassing internal and external windows and doors, under cloaking and fascias, and in ceiling voids and floor voids.

How can you identify asbestos insulating board?

As we referenced above, it can be extremely difficult – or even impossible – to confidently pick out AIB using visual inspection alone. One potential giveaway could be if a trade name is mentioned on the back of the sheeting. However, if such labelling is absent, this should not be taken as confirmation that the panel or board is asbestos-free.

Professional surveying and testing, then, is crucial for definitively confirming whether a particular product is AIB.

If you are classed as a “dutyholder” for your building under the UK’s overarching legislation for the management of asbestos – the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012) – you will need to take reasonable steps to determine whether ACMs, such as AIB, are present. This requirement is typically met by arranging an asbestos survey.

In your capacity as a dutyholder for a non-domestic premises (or domestic premises in certain circumstances, such as if you are a residential landlord), you may arrange an asbestos management survey so that your property can be inspected for asbestos.

A management survey is the type of survey that helps with the management of ACMs during a property’s normal occupation and use. It typically involves such areas as the rooms, corridors, stairs, cellars, basements, lofts, and external areas like roofs, soffits, and windows, being inspected for asbestos. It is likely that samples will be taken, and subsequently analysed, to confirm whether suspect materials contain asbestos.

Alternatively, you might be planning major disruptive works at your property, such as refurbishment or demolition. In this situation, arranging for a refurbishment or demolition survey – which is the more thorough type of asbestos survey, involving aggressive and destructive inspection techniques – will enable you to even more definitively confirm whether AIB exists within the building fabric.

Once the surveying is complete, you can expect to be issued with a comprehensive asbestos report. This document will outline the asbestos materials – including any AIB – that the surveyor discovered to be present in your building. Photographs and recommendations will also be included on how to safely manage the ACMs found on the premises.

How dangerous is asbestos insulating board?

The high asbestos content of AIB – usually consisting of around 20% to 45% of the entire board – as well as the ease with which it can be mistaken for non-asbestos panel or board, can make it particularly dangerous for anyone who encounters it.

Another key factor with AIB is its friability – in other words, how easily it crumbles or can be broken into pieces. Although sprayed coating or insulation has greater friability, AIB is still very friable. So, in the event of the material being disturbed, there can be a high chance of it releasing asbestos fibres that could then be ingested or inhaled by someone nearby.

The inhalation or ingestion of asbestos particles heightens the risk of an exposed individual going on to develop a serious and potentially fatal asbestos-related health condition, such as mesothelioma or asbestos-related lung cancer, many years (or even decades) later.

Around 5,000 people a year in the UK die from asbestos-related disease. Meanwhile, it has been estimated that there could still be around six million tonnes of asbestos spread across 1.5 million UK buildings. Such asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) need to be sensitively managed to minimise the risks they pose.

The good news, however, is that if AIB is in good condition and is left alone, it poses very little risk of asbestos fibre release. This underscores the importance of managing such materials safely in line with CAR 2012, which may or may not involve AIB being removed from the property in which it is contained.

Do you need a licence to remove asbestos insulating board?

As we wrote about in our previous guide to the removal of asbestos insulating board, AIB is a licensed ACM. In other words, as a general rule, work must only be carried out on AIB by someone who holds a licence from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

If, then, you wish to undertake work on AIB such as removal, and the associated risk assessment indicates this work will not be short in duration, it is likely that a licence will be required.

On the other hand, there are certain circumstances in which work on AIB may not strictly require a HSE licence. One example of this is the removal of loosely fixed (such as screwed) AIB panels to gain access to other areas for maintenance activities. Removal of an AIB door with asbestos fireproofing can also be done without a licence being a legal requirement.

However, to reiterate something else we have often said about asbestos removal here at Oracle Solutions: you could be taking a significant risk if you depend on a “non-licensed” company or contractor to remove ACMs from your property, given how difficult it can be to verify such a person or organisation’s competency.

So, our own strong recommendation is that you use a licensed asbestos removal specialist, regardless of the specific removal task they will be undertaking.

What should you do if you suspect asbestos insulating board?

If you discover material in your building that you suspect to be asbestos insulating board, you should take particular care to avoid disturbing it.

By reaching out to professional asbestos surveyors and removal experts such as our team at Oracle Solutions, you will be able to receive well-informed and tailored advice and guidance on how to deal with the substance.

There are various legal obligations that you need to be aware of when it comes to AIB and other ACMs. These include the “duty to manage” asbestos set out by Regulation 4 of CAR 2012, encompassing requirements such as the creation of an asbestos management plan and regular reviews and monitoring of the plan. So, our experts can also assist you with the fulfilment of these requirements.

Conclusion: it is hugely important to identify and effectively manage asbestos

The extensive use of AIB for much of the 20th century – particularly from around the 1960s until the 1980s – and its susceptibility to releasing lethal asbestos fibres if disturbed, underlines how important it is to identify and manage this material in a safe and legally compliant manner.

If you are a dutyholder for a building that you believe may contain AIB, and you wish to have this material dealt with by professionals who you can trust, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our skilled and experienced consultants via phone or email.