REC Asbestos Limited is UKAS accredited for the identification of Asbestos in bulk materials including materials and products suspected of containing asbestos. This covers the following range of minerals:

Amosite is most often associated with insulation board and pipe lagging.
Chrysotile is commonly associated with cement products and given its softness and strength was also often woven into rope used in sash windows and heat seals.
Crocidolite is widely considered to be the most hazardous of all of the asbestos minerals and was commonly used in spray materials and pipe lagging.
Other less common types of asbestos are fibrous anthophyllite, fibrous actinolite and fibrous tremolite.

REC Asbestos Limited is UKAS accredited for taking samples of bulk materials for asbestos identification to MDHS 100: July 2001 and for the identification of amosite, chrysotile, crocidolite, fibrous actinolite, fibrous anthophyllite and fibrous tremolite using stereo microscopy, polarised light microscopy and dispersion staining to MDHS 77: June 1994.

MDHS 100 requires REC Asbestos Ltd’s trained surveyors to carry out their surveys in a methodical and systematic way to ensure that all visible or accessible areas are inspected. This usually involves a top-down or bottom up approach for surveying the building and each individual area or room for ACMs. The outside of the building is also inspected. REC asbestos uses more detailed survey procedures for larger buildings. Through their training and experience REC’s surveyors know where asbestos containing materials are likely to be in the fabric of the building such as the heating, water and electrical systems. Other products that require significant heat insulation are considered during the survey such as fires curtains and blankets, catalytic gas heaters and all types of warm air, storage or radiant heaters and cooker door seals. Older industrial machines and plant are more likely to contain asbestos due to their age or higher performance requirements and are more likely to be serviced and subject to maintenance. These are inspected by REC if they are readily accessible, but if asbestos sampling is not possible then they are presumed to be asbestos containing unless there is evidence to suggest the contrary.

A representative sample of the material, suspected to be asbestos containing, is collected during a type 2 or 3 survey.

In the analytical laboratory, this is examined by eye, followed by a more detailed examination by stereo microscope. One or more representative sub samples are prepared mechanically and or chemically for further examination.

Fibres observed in the course of the examination are categorised tentatively on the basis of morphology and certain physical properties. Each fibre type recognised is sampled by selecting a few fibres or bundles and these are mounted in a refractive index liquid to match the most likely asbestos type.

The fibres are then positively identified as one of the six regulated types on the basis of their detailed optical properties using polarised light microscopy.