- Greenfield Removals, a leading UK asbestos removal firm, has announced the opening of a brand-new office branch amid growing demand for services.
- The UK has an estimated 6 million tons of asbestos harboured inside 1.5 million buildings.
- Asbestos exposure poses a vast range of serious health and safety risks, including increasing chances of developing various types of cancer.
The UK’s Asbestos Problem
More than two decades after the UK banned the use of asbestos in 1985, it’s still estimated that there are 6 million tons of the mineral present inside 1.5 million buildings across the country, according to ResPublica. This needs to be safely removed under carefully controlled conditions. Once used primarily in construction, asbestos poses a host of serious risks to peoples’ health and safety: the fibres are small, therefore, easy to breathe in and can build up in the lungs, increasing risks of various cancers and asbestosis.
Greenfield Removals, a leading UK asbestos removal firm founded in 2016, is helping tackle the country’s asbestos problem across domestic, commercial, and industrial premises. The company has a strong reputation for swift, effective asbestos removal services. The process is a difficult and intricate one, which must be diligently carried out to avoid any risk of contamination. With its original office in Chorley, Lancashire, the company provides services all across the UK. Now, following a cluster of contract awards in the North East – including work for Teeside University in Middlesbrough – Greenfield Removals has opened the new Durham-based office to meet demand in the area.
One of the Directors of Greenfield Removals, Ian Yates, continues:
“The figures around asbestos in the UK’s education establishments are shocking. Some 80% of schools and 74% of universities report having asbestos in their buildings – as do many of the UK’s hospitals. We would encourage anyone in this situation to discuss how and when it could be removed.”
Safe Asbestos Removal
Working under diligently controlled conditions, asbestos removal firms operate under licence from the Health and Safety Executive. For high-risk removals, the intricate process generally involves constructing an airtight enclosure and using negative pressure to prevent the spread of the carcinogenic asbestos fibres. Operatives wear full-body coveralls and breathe through air-fed respirators to avoid exposure to the mineral throughout the removal process.
Director of Greenfield Removals, Peter Dunion, comments:
“Exposure to asbestos can be deadly. It can cause cancers up to 50 years after the exposure takes place. This means the presence of asbestos in so many buildings in the UK is a very real and present danger. We’re delighted to be opening a new office in Durham to support even more clients to safely remove asbestos from their premises.”
Asbestos Ban in the UK
The use of blue and brown asbestos was banned in 1985 in the UK, however, controls over usage were implemented several years prior. The use of white asbestos was only banned much later – in 1999. In the decades since, there has been a steady rise in the number of deaths resulting from asbestos exposure. In fact, asbestos is now the leading cause of occupational death in the UK, resulting in more than 5,000 fatalities per year.
Peter Dunion concludes:
“While the situation is worrying, we take comfort in the fact that it’s possible to remove asbestos safely – there is a solution available. And it seems, based on demand for our removal services, that more and more organisations and individuals are determined to tackle the long-term health risks that asbestos poses. That is certainly encouraging, and we are delighted to be able to meet the needs of those clients from our new Durham office.”
For further details, visit www.greenfieldremovals.com.
Contact: info@greenfieldremovals.com or call 0161 302 1900.
