Acorn Analytical Services (UK) Ltd
We are a multi-disciplined environmental consultancy, specifically set up to meet all of your asbestos management and statutory compliance needs. Whether you are looking for asbestos surveys, asbestos air testing, asbestos removal, asbestos awareness training, fire risk assessments, Legionella assessments or general Health & Safety we have the expertise to help you! We are one of the last fully independent asbestos consultancies who have no links or interests with asbestos contractors. Central to our core values are quality, speed of execution and above all excellence in client satisfaction and retention
Company details
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- Business Type:
- Consulting firm
- Industry Type:
- Air Monitoring and Testing
- Market Focus:
- Internationally (various countries)
- Year Founded:
- 1998
- Employees:
- 11-100
- Turnover:
- 1,000,000 - 10,000,000 €
About Us
Welcome to Acorn Analytical Services. We are a multi disciplined asbestos consultancy, specifically set up to meet all of your asbestos management and statutory compliance needs. Whether you are looking for asbestos surveys, asbestos air testing, asbestos removal, UKATA asbestos awareness training, or general Health & Safety we have the expertise to help you.
We are one of the last fully independent asbestos consultancies who have no links or interests with asbestos contractors. Central to our core values is quality, speed of execution and above all excellence in client satisfaction and retention.
The History of Acorn
The history of Acorn Analytical Services
We are a multi disciplined environmental and asbestos consultancy, specialising in asbestos management and statutory compliance. Our management team has over 50 years combined experience in delivering accredited services.
We are one of the last fully independent asbestos consultancy companies who have no links or interests with contractors. Central to our core values is quality, speed of execution and above all excellence in client satisfaction and retention.
As such this has lead to our progressive expansion since our inception in 2000. As such we’d like to share with you a few of our key achievements:-
2000
The company was formed as an Asbestos Consultancy Testing Laboratory
2001
Gained UKAS Accreditation for Testing
2004
The company extended its UKAS Accreditation and became a Type C Inspection Body
2006
The company moved into electronic filing and storage. This involves the collection of paper based data and transferring to an electronic system. The system allows for internet based storage or in-houses systems
2008
The company expanded into the built environment, and Computer Aided Design (CAD). The CAD department undertake all forms of scaled and measured drawings. Our CAD drawings are drawn using a state of the art real time drawing system
2010
The company expanded into Maritime work undertaking off shore projects in Gibraltar,Vietnam, Ivory Coast and Singapore. Acorn Anayltical Services is now recognised as a leading asbestos maritime specialist
2011
The company extended our electronic filing services to include paper shredding and environmental recycling of paper
2012
The company expanded our statutory compliance services by opening a water assessment and legionella department
2013
The company expanded its capability and has seen the opening of our Southern office based in Northampton
About Asbestos – The Miracle Mineral
What is Asbestos?
This page sets out key information on what you need to now about asbestos.
Asbestos is the name given to several naturally occurring silicate minerals which are fibrous. These minerals have been heavily utilised and exploited for their seemingly “magical” properties. Asbestos fibres have great flexibility, high tensile strength, incombustibility, low thermal conductivity, and resistance to chemical attack.
There are six types of asbestos of the six types, the three most commonly used were:-
- Chrysotile (White) Asbestos
- Crocidolite (Blue) Asbestos
- Amosite (Brown) Asbestos
The other three types of asbestos were not commercially utilised and were far less common are:-
- Fibrous Anthophyllite Asbestos
- Fibrous Actinolite Asbestos
- Fibrous Tremolite Asbestos
The six types of asbestos fall into two category’s of fibre type. The two asbestos fibre types are Serpentine (curly, wavy fibres) and Amphibole (needle like fibres). Chrysotile (White) asbestos is the only serpentine type of fibre. The other five types of asbestos are all amphiboles.
So why was asbestos used?
Asbestos was extensively used because of its unique properties. These properties include high tensile strength, thermal stability, thermal and electrical resistance, incombustible, flame and chemically retardant, strong and flexible. However the over riding factor which lead to the high use of asbestos was cost! Asbestos was cheap!
Why is asbestos a hazardous?
Asbestos is a hazard because of a unique process. Asbestos strands can be split into smaller and thinner fibres during disturbance. Asbestos mined ore will initially divide into visible strands, fibre bundles, and individual fibres. This splitting can continue on to minute levels of microscopic size. This process is unique to asbestos and is why airborne asbestos is such a problem. Asbestos fibres can become so small that they remain airborne longer and pass undetected by the respiratory dust defenses. These microscopic fibres may become inhaled into the lungs.
Once in the lungs, because of their properties, such as chemical resistance, asbestos fibres are also resistant to the human body’s natural defence mechanisms. As such asbestos fibres remain within the body and may cause significant health problems.