Where is asbestos hidden within a commercial building?

Back to Blog Page

Asbestos could be located in a wide range of places within a commercial building. The hard-wearing and fire-resistant properties of asbestos meant that it was commonly used in places that may get hot or wet.

This includes:

• Interior and exterior walls

• Roofs

• Flooring, especially lino flooring in wet areas (bathrooms, laundry, toilet, kitchen)

• Insulation and lagging

• Hot water tanks

• Ceilings

• Gutters and downpipes

• Lift shafts

• Water pipes internally

• Electrical fuse boards

• Around windows and door frames

• The centre of fire doors.

Asbestos could be found in water piping, fence cement sheeting, and in soil. It may also be found in electrical telecommunication pits.

The below image gives you an overview of asbestos locations within your commercial building:

Commercial building asbestos locations

If you are in doubt as to whether a part of your building contains asbestos or not, err on the side of caution and assume it does and commission an asbestos management survey. Asbestos Management Surveys are carried out to identify the presence of any asbestos containing materials (ACMs) within a building that could be disturbed during normal occupancy. This would be followed by preparing an asbestos management plan, which is a requirement under the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016: a PCBU with management or control of a workplace must ensure an Asbestos Management Plan is prepared where asbestos has been identified or is likely to be present from time to time.

Furthermore, if you are planning renovation or demolition works, the asbestos regulations require the building to be inspected by a competent person to determine whether asbestos is present before the work starts. For a building built before 1 January 2000, this means a refurbishment/demolition survey of the work area.

AirSafe can assist you with all your commercial asbestos building needs. Get in touch now.

Enquire About Our Services