A photograph of a Russian asbestos bag stamped with a gold seal bearing the face of a US president stopped people mid-scroll when it first circulated. Produced by Uralasbest — one of the world’s largest asbestos mining companies — it was part tribute, part marketing stunt. But beneath the spectacle, the story of asbestos Russia raises questions that matter directly to anyone responsible for a UK building. What does the continued existence of a thriving global asbestos industry mean for the material already embedded in our built environment?
Why the Asbestos Russia Industry Still Makes Headlines
Uralasbest is based in the town of Asbest in the Ural Mountains — a settlement whose entire economy revolves around asbestos mining. The company is one of the world’s largest producers of chrysotile (white asbestos), and for decades it has watched its market contract as country after country introduced bans.
When Donald Trump publicly praised asbestos — most notably in his 1997 book The Art of the Comeback, where he described it as safe when applied correctly — the company saw a commercial opening. Trump’s appointed head of the Environmental Protection Agency announced a new interpretation of the Toxic Substances Control Act that could potentially allow new asbestos applications in the US market.
For Uralasbest, this was an invitation to do business dressed up as a tribute. The gold-sealed bag bearing Trump’s likeness was a marketing move aimed at a potentially reopening American market. It was also a stark illustration of how powerful the financial interests behind the global asbestos trade remain.
What Asbestos Actually Is — and Why It Was Used So Widely
Asbestos is not a single material. It is a collective term for a group of naturally occurring silicate minerals that share one defining characteristic: they form long, thin fibres that are exceptionally resistant to heat, fire, and chemical damage.
The Two Main Categories
- Serpentine asbestos — includes chrysotile (white asbestos), the most widely used type globally, characterised by curly, pliable fibres
- Amphibole asbestos — includes crocidolite (blue) and amosite (brown), with straight, needle-like fibres generally considered the most hazardous
In the UK, all three types were used extensively throughout the 20th century. All three are now banned.
Why It Was Considered a Wonder Material
Asbestos was, on paper, an extraordinary building material. It is a natural electrical insulator, it does not burn, it is cheap to extract, and it bonds well with other materials like cement and vinyl. From the late 19th century through to the 1980s, it found its way into an enormous range of construction products:
- Ceiling tiles and textured coatings (including Artex)
- Floor tiles and adhesives
- Roof felt, slates, and corrugated sheeting
- Pipe lagging and insulation boards
- Sprayed coatings on structural steelwork
- Insulation around boilers and heating systems
- Gaskets and rope seals in industrial plant
If your property was built or refurbished before the year 2000, there is a realistic chance some of these materials are still present.
The Health Risks: There Is No Safe Level of Exposure
Whatever the asbestos Russia industry and its advocates may claim, the scientific and medical consensus is unambiguous: asbestos is a Class 1 human carcinogen. The danger does not come from touching asbestos — it comes from inhaling its microscopic fibres.
When disturbed during drilling, cutting, demolition, or deterioration, asbestos releases fibres that are invisible to the naked eye and can remain airborne for hours. Once inhaled, those fibres become permanently lodged in lung tissue. The body cannot break them down or expel them.
Over time, they cause:
- Mesothelioma — a rare and aggressive cancer of the lining of the lungs, abdomen, or heart, almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure, with a latency period of 20 to 50 years
- Asbestosis — progressive scarring of lung tissue causing breathlessness and reduced lung function
- Asbestos-related lung cancer — distinct from mesothelioma but similarly linked to exposure levels and duration
- Pleural thickening — thickening of the lung lining that restricts breathing capacity
Asbestos remains the single largest cause of work-related deaths in the UK. The Health and Safety Executive reports that several thousand people die from asbestos-related diseases in Britain every year — a legacy of decades of widespread use before the full ban came into force.
Asbestos Russia and the Global Industry Today
Despite bans across more than 60 countries — including the UK, all EU member states, Australia, Japan, and eventually the US — asbestos mining and use continues at significant scale globally. The asbestos Russia connection is central to understanding why.
Russia remains the world’s dominant producer, accounting for the majority of global output. Kazakhstan, Brazil, and China also contribute significant volumes. The primary markets are in South and Southeast Asia — India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and others — where asbestos-cement roofing and construction products remain in widespread use.
The Chrysotile Argument — and Why It Fails
The asbestos industry in producing nations argues that chrysotile (white asbestos) is less dangerous than the amphibole varieties, and that controlled use is safe. This position is rejected by the World Health Organisation and the broader scientific consensus.
There is no form of asbestos that has been proven safe. The chrysotile argument is used to keep markets open, not to protect public health.
The Human Cost in the Town of Asbest
The town of Asbest offers a sobering illustration of what asbestos production means in practice. The open-pit mine is one of the largest in the world — visible from space — and mining operations involve regular blasting that sends clouds of fibres across the surrounding area.
Residents have documented elevated rates of lung disease and respiratory illness for generations. The economic dependency on the mine is total: without Uralasbest, the town has no viable alternative employer. It is a cycle that illustrates why the global phase-out of asbestos is both necessary and, in some places, genuinely complicated.
What UK Law Says About Asbestos
In the UK, the position on asbestos is clear and legally enforceable. The import, supply, and use of all forms of asbestos is prohibited. For anyone responsible for a non-domestic property — or a residential property with common areas — the Control of Asbestos Regulations place specific legal duties on dutyholders.
Those duties include:
- Assessing whether asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) are present in the building
- Maintaining an up-to-date asbestos register
- Implementing a written asbestos management plan
- Ensuring any ACMs are kept in good condition or safely removed
- Providing information about asbestos locations to anyone likely to disturb them
Failure to comply is a criminal offence. Crucially, the regulations do not require asbestos to be removed — they require it to be managed. In many cases, asbestos that is in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed is safer left in place than removed.
The HSE’s guidance document HSG264 sets out the standards surveyors must follow when conducting asbestos surveys. Any survey carried out on your behalf should comply with this guidance to be legally valid.
Which Type of Asbestos Survey Do You Need?
There are four main types of asbestos survey, each serving a different purpose. Understanding which one applies to your situation is the first step towards meeting your legal obligations.
Management Survey
A management survey is required for any non-domestic building to identify and manage ACMs during normal occupation and routine maintenance. This is the baseline legal requirement for most dutyholders and should be the starting point if you have never had your building assessed.
Refurbishment Survey
A refurbishment survey is required before any refurbishment work in areas that will be disturbed — even minor works like installing new cabling or fitting a new kitchen. Do not assume a previous management survey covers you for intrusive works.
Demolition Survey
A demolition survey is required before any demolition work. It is the most intrusive type, covering the full structure including materials that are difficult to access. This survey must be completed before any demolition contractor begins work on site.
Re-Inspection Survey
A re-inspection survey is required periodically to check the condition of known ACMs and update your asbestos register. This is not a one-off obligation — the condition of materials can deteriorate over time, and your register must reflect the current situation.
If you are unsure whether your building has been surveyed, or when it was last checked, that is worth addressing sooner rather than later.
Suspect Asbestos? Don’t Guess — Test It
If you have found a material in your property that you think might contain asbestos, do not disturb it. Visual identification is unreliable — the only way to confirm the presence of asbestos fibres is laboratory analysis.
Supernova Asbestos Surveys offers professional sample analysis for materials collected by a competent person. We also supply a postal testing kit that allows you to submit a sample directly from your property for laboratory analysis — a practical first step if you have a specific concern about a single material.
For anything more complex — or where you need a legally compliant survey report — our accredited surveyors operate across the whole of the UK, including asbestos survey London, asbestos survey Manchester, and asbestos survey Birmingham.
The Bigger Picture: Why the Global Asbestos Debate Still Matters to UK Dutyholders
A photograph of a Russian asbestos bag stamped with a president’s face is, in one sense, just a strange footnote in political history. In another, it is a reminder that there are still powerful financial interests working to rehabilitate a material that has caused — and continues to cause — immense human suffering.
The asbestos Russia industry’s continued existence is not an abstract geopolitical issue. It reflects a broader tension between commercial interest and public health that has played out in every country that has ever used this material — including the UK, for most of the 20th century.
In the UK, we made the right call. The ban is comprehensive, the regulatory framework is robust, and the science is not in question. What matters now is making sure that the asbestos already present in our existing building stock is properly managed — and that the people responsible for those buildings understand their obligations.
Ignoring those obligations does not make the risk go away. It simply transfers it to the next person who picks up a drill.
Ready to Meet Your Legal Obligations?
Supernova Asbestos Surveys has completed over 50,000 surveys nationwide. Whether you need a management survey, a refurbishment survey, or a straightforward sample analysis, our accredited team is ready to help. Request a quote today, call us on 020 4586 0680, or visit asbestos-surveys.org.uk to book your survey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is asbestos still produced and used in Russia?
Yes. Russia remains the world’s largest producer of chrysotile asbestos, primarily through operations centred on the town of Asbest in the Ural Mountains. Uralasbest is the dominant mining company, and Russian asbestos is exported to markets across South and Southeast Asia where bans are not yet in place.
Is chrysotile (white asbestos) safer than other types?
No. The asbestos Russia industry and other producing nations argue that chrysotile is safe under controlled conditions, but this position is rejected by the World Health Organisation and the broader scientific community. All forms of asbestos are classified as Class 1 human carcinogens. There is no proven safe level of exposure to any type.
Does the UK still have asbestos in its buildings?
Yes. The UK banned the use of asbestos, but materials installed before the ban remain present in a large proportion of the existing building stock. Any property built or refurbished before the year 2000 may contain asbestos-containing materials. The legal duty on building owners and managers is to identify, manage, and monitor those materials — not necessarily to remove them.
What happens if I don’t comply with asbestos regulations in the UK?
Non-compliance with the Control of Asbestos Regulations is a criminal offence. Dutyholders — typically building owners, employers, or managing agents — can face prosecution, unlimited fines, and in serious cases, custodial sentences. Beyond the legal consequences, failure to manage asbestos puts workers, contractors, and occupants at genuine risk of life-threatening disease.
How do I find out whether my building contains asbestos?
The only reliable method is a professional asbestos survey carried out by an accredited surveyor in line with HSE guidance document HSG264. For a quick check on a specific material, a postal testing kit and laboratory sample analysis can provide a useful starting point. For full legal compliance, a formal survey report is required.