Asbestos solution may slash safety costs

A solution to the UK's asbestos problem may be at hand after a company unveiled a way to make contaminated buildings safe at a fraction of the normal cost.

Asbestos Surveying and Consultancy (ASAC) uses a new process called encapsulation which makes safe asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) without actually removing them. The company said this would be particularly valuable in commercial premises and schools.

Jamie Gibbs, ASAC managing director, described a case involving an infants' school