2022 was a big year for the team of experts at multi award-winning asbestos management consultancy, Acorn Analytical Services.
It was a year which saw the business grow and develop, we took on new staff and we helped support businesses, charities and organisations right across the UK by helping to manage their asbestos and raise awareness of the dangers.
This week we take a look at Acorn’s year in numbers and the ways in which we can continue to support you throughout 2023 and beyond.
Leading the way in the fight against asbestos
The number of asbestos surveys we have carried out has continued to grow with our fully-trained experts, who travel to clients across the UK, handling more than 6,800 surveys and completing more than 11,000 projects in 2022 alone.
Surveys are always your first line of defence against asbestos and the only safe way of finding out if it exists on your premises. They are particularly important if your property was built before 1999 or if you are unsure about the presence of this dangerous material.
There are three types – a management survey, demolition survey and a refurbishment survey which should always be carried out before any improvements or repair work takes place.
You’ll receive a full, detailed report about your within five working days, and, because we are fully independent of any other business, free advice about the steps you need take next.
Over the past year, our free client portal, which gives our customer’s access to their survey results and documents whenever they need them, has been accessed more than 90,000 times.
The science-bit – introducing Acorn Analytical Service’s laboratories
Having two, UKAS-accredited laboratories in-house helps to make Acorn unique – giving our teams the capacity to turn around tests quickly and efficiently.
A large part of the work we do involves testing samples which are suspected of containing asbestos and a wide range of other materials including lead and anthrax.
In 2022, we analysed almost 7,000 samples using state-of-the-art equipment to remove the different types of fibres present in a sample using stereo binocular microscopy and polarised light microscopy.
Positive confirmation of asbestos is shown by the sign of elongation of the birefringent fibres and from the colours obtained using central stop dispersion staining when the fibres are mounted in liquids of the known refractive index.
Helping to keep our customers safe
Throughout the year, we identified asbestos in more than 57,000 locations.
Of those, just over 46,000 contained serpentine asbestos and 11,158 contained amphibole asbestos.
Serpentine asbestos is the material which has been most commonly used in the UK. It’s derived from the Serpentine rocks which give it its name and its fibres are curly and white in their appearance. It’s more commonly known as Chrysotile and can often be found in roof sheets on outbuildings, warehouses and garages.
The other five remaining different types are best known as amphibole asbestos. These include: Crocidolite, Amosite, Tremosite, Anthophyllite and Actinolite.
All of these forms are potentially deadly as they come with a high risk of releasing deadly fibres into the air. Remember – it should only ever be handled by a UKAS-accredited professional so get in touch with our friendly team today to see how we can help you to take the next important step.
Acorn is a professional consultancy helping organisations deal with asbestos compliance using surveys, air testing, and asbestos removal management.
Please call one of the team, or use the online form to obtain your free quotation. If you would like further information or advice on asbestos training, contact the team on 0844 818 0895 or Contact Us
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