Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has many applications for building construction products. Asbestos was chiefly used for its thermal, acoustic and electrical insulation properties. It was also used to provide mechanical strength, chemically inert and fire protection qualities. Asbestos was extensively used as an additive to other materials to improve their functionality. The application peaked during the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s. Thereafter, a staged reduction of usage was introduced. Asbestos application ceased in 1999.
The duty to manage asbestos was introduced in 2002 and placed specific duties onto duty holders. The duty holder for RGU is the Director of Estates. How this duty is met is outlined in the University’s Asbestos Management Plan. One key output of this plan is the RGU Asbestos Register created to summarise all identified Asbestos Containing Material (ACM). For ease of access a controlled copy of the Asbestos Register can be found at the building’s main reception. Where the building does not have a reception, the Asbestos Register can be accessed at the nearest reception.
Note if you are working on any material don’t know if it’s an ACM, then you should treat it as an ACM. Any work should stop until its nature can be confirmed. To arrange checks, contact the Estates Helpdesk at estates-helpdesk@rgu.ac.uk.