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When Was Asbestos Banned in the UK? What London Contractors Must Know!

October 24, 2025
Why the Asbestos Ban Still Matters

It’s been more than two decades since asbestos was finally banned in the UK, yet the material continues to define risk management across thousands of London construction projects each year. From commercial refurbishments in the City to school upgrades and housing retrofits, legacy asbestos remains one of the most common and potentially dangerous discoveries on-site.

While younger engineers and site managers may never have worked directly with asbestos, its historical presence in structural and finishing materials means that every London contractor must understand when the bans occurred, what they cover, and how compliance remains critical under the Building Safety Act 2022.

The Official Timeline of the UK Asbestos Ban

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) confirms that the use of asbestos in the UK was phased out in two key stages:

➜ 1985: The Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations 1985 banned the import, supply and new use of blue (crocidolite) and brown (amosite) asbestos.

➜ 1999: The Asbestos (Prohibitions) (Amendment) Regulations 1999, effective 24 November 1999, banned white (chrysotile) asbestos, completing the full national prohibition.

This means that any building constructed or refurbished after late 1999 should not contain asbestos in new materials.

However, HSE guidance reminds the industry that asbestos remains present in many pre-2000 structures — typically in floor tiles, insulation boards, ceiling panels, roofing sheets, sprayed coatings, pipe lagging and cement-based products.

For reference:

Importation of blue and brown asbestos has been banned in the UK since 1985. This ban was extended to include white asbestos in 1999. — UK Government, HSE General Information on Asbestos (2024)

The Legacy in London’s Built Environment

London’s dense and ageing building stock amplifies the issue. Iconic post-war structures, 1960s office towers and 1980s housing estates often contain asbestos components within partitions, plant rooms and ceiling voids.

Even minor refurbishments (drilling into a soffit, chasing a wall, coring a slab) can disturb asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). The result? Potential exposure, project delays and costly remediation if proper surveys aren’t done beforehand.

Mihai Chelmus, Operations Manager at Swantest, notes:

Even decades after the ban, asbestos awareness remains a core part of structural due diligence. On many of our London testing projects, we still coordinate with licensed surveyors before coring or intrusive works; because in legacy buildings, you simply cannot take chances.

Regulations and Current Legal Duties

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 remain the governing framework. They place a clear duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises, requiring building owners and employers to:

➜ Identify ACMs through a competent Asbestos Management or Refurbishment Survey
➜ Maintain an up-to-date asbestos register and management plan
➜ Ensure risk assessments and method statements (RAMS) are updated before any intrusive work
➜ Use licensed contractors for removal or repair of high-risk ACMs

The HSE continues to treat asbestos breaches as serious criminal offences, with fines and potential imprisonment for neglecting management duties.

Health Risks and the Human Cost

The health consequences of asbestos exposure are well documented. Fibres inhaled during construction or demolition can lead to mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer — diseases that often develop decades after exposure.

According to the HSE’s latest annual statistics, asbestos exposure still causes around 5,000 deaths every year in the UK — a figure the agency calls the single greatest cause of work-related fatalities in the country.

This enduring impact underlines why even small construction firms must treat legacy asbestos management with the same rigour as live-load safety, structural testing, or confined-space procedures.

The Building Safety Act and Asbestos

The Building Safety Act 2022 indirectly reinforces asbestos control by emphasising competence, record keeping and accountability throughout the lifecycle of a building.

For Principal Designers, Principal Contractors, and Accountable Persons under the new regime, asbestos risk information must be integrated into the Golden Thread of building data. Neglecting to document known ACMs or survey findings can now have legal and financial implications far beyond immediate site safety.

Best Practice for Contractors and Developers

London Construction Magazine recommends London contractors follow these five key principles on every refurbishment or demolition project:

➜ Always verify construction date and materials.
If the structure predates 2000, assume asbestos may be present until proven otherwise.

➜ Commission an accredited asbestos survey.
UKAS-accredited surveyors should carry out Management or Refurbishment & Demolition (R&D) surveys prior to intrusive works.

➜ Integrate asbestos checks into your method statements.
Include ACM review under RAMS, particularly when coring, cutting, or exposing reinforcement.

➜ Train and brief your workforce.
Operatives must understand what asbestos looks like, the emergency stop procedure if suspected materials are encountered and how to report it safely.

➜ Collaborate early with licensed removal specialists.
Early identification can prevent programme delays and mitigate cost overruns caused by last-minute discoveries.

While the ban is old news, asbestos risk management remains a live commercial opportunity. Clients increasingly expect evidence of competence, and contractors offering integrated safety and testing solutions gain a reputational edge.

For firms already active in structural testing, load assessments and refurbishment enabling works, aligning with certified asbestos partners can strengthen your overall service offer — especially in London’s pre-2000 property market.

Asbestos use in UK construction officially ended on 24 November 1999, but its legacy continues to shape modern building practice. Every slab cored, every wall opened, every soffit exposed in an older structure carries potential risk and the professional duty to manage it responsibly.

For London’s contractors, consultants and clients, vigilance remains the best protection.

The question isn’t when asbestos was banned, Chelmus concludes, but whether your next project team is truly ready to deal with what it left behind.