A–Z

Asbestos Glossary

Every UK asbestos term you'll come across — defined in plain English by senior consultants.

Terms beginning with A

ACM: Asbestos-Containing Material. Any product or fabric containing more than 0.1% asbestos by weight, the threshold defined by CAR 2012.
AIB: Asbestos Insulating Board. A friable amosite/chrysotile board widely used 1950s–1980s for ceiling tiles, soffits, column casings, fire breaks and partition linings. Higher risk than asbestos cement.
Air monitoring: Sampling of airborne fibre concentrations using static or personal pumps, analysed by phase-contrast microscopy. Used for reassurance, leak and four-stage clearance testing.
AMAP: DfE Asbestos Management Assurance Process — annual asbestos compliance return for state-funded schools in England.
Amosite: Brown asbestos. The fibre type most commonly found in AIB and structural insulation. Banned in the UK in 1985.
Artex: Trade name for a textured decorative coating. Pre-2000 Artex commonly contains chrysotile asbestos and cannot be confirmed visually.
Asbestos register: A live document listing every identified or presumed asbestos-containing material on site, its location, type, condition, risk rating and management action.
Asbestosis: Diffuse pulmonary fibrosis caused by long-term inhalation of asbestos fibres. Distinct from mesothelioma.

Bonded asbestos: Asbestos firmly held in a matrix (typically cement) which releases fibres only when the matrix is broken, drilled, sanded or cut.
Bulk sample: A small piece of suspect material removed under controlled conditions and analysed by polarised light microscopy at a UKAS-accredited laboratory.

CAR 2012: Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. The principal UK statutory instrument governing asbestos in workplaces and non-domestic premises.
CAWR: Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations — the predecessor to CAR 2012, replaced in November 2012.
CDM 2015: Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. Places asbestos-information duties on clients, designers and contractors at every project stage.
Chrysotile: White asbestos. The most commonly used fibre type globally, found in cement, vinyl tiles, Artex and gaskets.
Crocidolite: Blue asbestos. The most carcinogenic of the three commercial fibres, banned in the UK in 1985.

Demolition Survey: A fully intrusive asbestos survey carried out before any structural demolition or major dismantling. Required under CAR 2012 Regulation 5.
Duty to manage: The legal duty imposed by CAR 2012 Regulation 4 on anyone in control of the maintenance or repair of non-domestic premises.
Dutyholder: The person or organisation legally responsible for managing asbestos under CAR 2012 Regulation 4.

Encapsulation: Sealing an asbestos material with a coating or overboarding to prevent fibre release. A valid management strategy where the material is in good condition.

Fibre type: One of the three commercial asbestos types — chrysotile (white), amosite (brown), crocidolite (blue) — plus the rare amphiboles anthophyllite, tremolite and actinolite.
Friable: Material that can be reduced to powder by hand pressure. Friable ACMs (AIB, lagging, sprayed coatings) carry the highest fibre-release risk.

HSG227: HSE guidance A Comprehensive Guide to Managing Asbestos in Premises. The companion document to HSG264 for ongoing management.
HSG248: HSE guidance Asbestos: The Analysts' Guide. Governs laboratory analysis, air monitoring and four-stage clearance.
HSG264: HSE guidance Asbestos: The Survey Guide. The authoritative UK methodology for asbestos surveying, sampling and reporting.

Lagging: Thermal insulation of pipes, boilers and ducts. Pre-1985 lagging is high-risk amosite or crocidolite and is licensable.
Licensed work: Asbestos removal work that legally requires an HSE Asbestos Licence — typically friable materials such as AIB, lagging and sprayed coatings.

Management Survey: A non-intrusive asbestos survey carried out to identify materials that could be disturbed during normal occupation. The baseline survey for the duty to manage.
Mesothelioma: An aggressive cancer of the mesothelial lining (pleura, peritoneum, pericardium) caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure.

NNLW: Notifiable Non-Licensed Work. Asbestos work that requires notification to the HSE but not a full licence — typically short-duration removal of bonded materials.

Permit-to-work: A documented authorisation issued to a contractor confirming they have received and understood the asbestos register for the area they are entering.
PLM: Polarised Light Microscopy. The UKAS-accredited laboratory method for confirming whether a bulk sample contains asbestos.
Presumption: Where a material is treated as containing asbestos in the absence of sampling. CAR 2012 requires presumption for any pre-2000 building not yet surveyed.

Refurbishment Survey: An intrusive survey carried out before refurbishment, alteration or soft-strip works. Required under CAR 2012 Regulation 5.
Reinspection: A periodic visual check of register entries to confirm condition has not deteriorated. Annual cycle expected by the HSE.
RIBA Stages: The eight-stage RIBA Plan of Work used by UK architects. Asbestos surveys should be commissioned at Stage 2 for refurbishment and Stage 3 for demolition.
RIDDOR: Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. Confirmed asbestos exposure is reportable under RIDDOR.
Risk assessment: Documented evaluation of the likelihood and severity of fibre release from an asbestos material, considering condition, accessibility and occupancy.

Sampling: The physical taking of a small piece of suspect material for laboratory analysis. Always carried out by a P402-qualified surveyor.
Soft strip: Removal of non-structural fittings ahead of refurbishment. Always requires a Refurbishment Survey.

UKAS: United Kingdom Accreditation Service. The national accreditation body — UKAS ISO/IEC 17020 covers surveying; 17025 covers laboratory analysis.

WAC test: Waste Acceptance Criteria test. Required before asbestos waste is accepted at a licensed disposal facility.

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