Asbestos is the single greatest cause of work-related death in the UK, killing around 5,000 people every year. It was widely used in buildings constructed before the year 2000 and can be found in roofing sheets, insulation, floor tiles, pipe lagging, and textured coatings. Disturbing asbestos-containing materials releases invisible fibres that cause fatal lung diseases including mesothelioma. Every operative must know how to recognise suspect materials and what to do if they find them.