asbestos management

The Moral 'Duty to Manage' Asbestos in London


Asbestos is not a problem that is fixed when spotted. It must be managed yearly. If there is not a morally obligation to do so (there is), there is a legal one as well. The UK government opened up the Control of Asbestos Regulations in 2006, which subsequently determined that building owners have a duty to manage asbestos. The word 'manage' does not simply include removing it when spotted or when a property is sold. It means managing it for the long-term, including removing potential asbestos materials, and properly cleaning out hard to reach areas of the property by an acclaimed professional. Local government suggests a minimum of one asbestos survey a year. If a property owner forgoes that ‘duty to manage,’ they may face legal troubles. Roughly 5,000 UK citizens die every year from asbestos-related ailments.

Frustratingly, London has become a haven for asbestos. Many of the properties are from the 1900’s, where asbestos regulation was unheard of. After World War II, a reconstruction initiative built blocks of new buildings, as well as restored classic buildings.



The unfortunate side effect of this mass wave of reconstruction has brought a lot of asbestos to the city. Asbestos can be found in floor tiles, fabrics, lagging, gaskets, and drywall. Asbestos is simply the poisonous dust and fragments that arise from these materials when they are broken or disjointed in some way. It has become a major issue in London, as the city is hitting that perfect time where the reconstructed properties of the 50’s and 60’s are hitting the age where restoration is necessary. There was also a massive push of import asbestos-related construction items to the city.

Asbestos is running rampant not because of any one specific entities ignorance. Homeowners have a responsibility to get their property reviewed, especially if it was constructed or partly rebuilt over five decades ago. Visit http://rjs-asbestos.co.uk/surveys-london for more on how an asbestos home review works. Contact an asbestos representative by visiting the main website at http://rjs-asbestos.co.uk/. Do not hesitate to do what is right. Do not hesitate to sleep easy knowing that the home has safe air for the whole family.