Agriculture & Livestock
Asbestos in farms, greenhouses, stables, vineyards, agricultural storage, and slaughterhouses.
Types of Facilities
Farms & Agricultural Buildings
Farm buildings constructed between the 1940s and 1990s extensively used corrugated asbestos cement roofing and wall cladding due to its low cost and durability. Barns, milking parlours, and machinery sheds are particularly high-risk structures.
Greenhouses & Nurseries
Older commercial greenhouses and plant nurseries frequently contain asbestos cement panels in base walls, partition screens, and heating duct insulation. Weathering and accidental breakage release fibres into growing environments.
Stables & Livestock Housing
Stables, poultry houses, and pig units built before asbestos bans often feature asbestos cement roofing sheets, internal partition panels, and water trough linings that deteriorate through animal contact and moisture.
Vineyards & Wineries
Winery buildings, pressing sheds, and barrel storage facilities may contain asbestos cement roofing, insulation board around fermentation tanks, and lagging on heating or cooling pipework installed during mid-century expansions.
Agricultural Storage & Slaughterhouses
Grain stores, feed silos, pesticide sheds, and slaughterhouses commonly used asbestos cement panels for fire resistance and thermal regulation. Vibration from machinery accelerates material degradation and fibre release.
The Challenge
Agriculture represents one of the largest reservoirs of asbestos-containing materials still in active use worldwide. Corrugated asbestos cement roofing was the material of choice for farm buildings for decades due to its affordability, fire resistance, and weather durability. Across Europe alone, millions of square metres of asbestos cement sheeting remain on agricultural structures, gradually weathering and releasing fibres into the environment.
The agricultural sector faces unique challenges in asbestos management. Many farm buildings are in remote locations with limited access for specialist removal teams. Livestock operations cannot easily be relocated during abatement works, and seasonal pressures such as harvest or lambing create narrow windows for intervention. Additionally, many farm owners are unaware that their buildings contain asbestos, or mistakenly believe that intact sheeting poses no risk.
Environmental contamination is a growing concern as deteriorating asbestos cement on farm roofs releases fibres into soil, water courses, and surrounding land. Fragments from broken sheets can contaminate fields and pastures, posing risks to both human health and potentially entering the food chain through soil contamination near growing areas.
Regulation in your country
In United States, asbestos was banned in 2024. Buildings constructed before 2024 may contain asbestos materials and require professional assessment before any renovation work.
View full regulation detailsCommon Asbestos-Containing Materials in Agriculture
Agricultural buildings and facilities constructed before asbestos bans may contain asbestos in the following locations and materials:
- Corrugated asbestos cement roofing sheets on barns, sheds, and outbuildings
- Flat asbestos cement panels used as wall cladding on farm buildings
- Water tanks, troughs, and cisterns made from asbestos cement
- Rainwater gutters, downpipes, and drainage channels in asbestos cement
- Insulation lagging on heating pipes and boiler systems in farm buildings
- Partition boards and internal linings in livestock housing
- Gaskets and brake linings in older agricultural machinery and tractors
- Thermal insulation in grain dryers and crop drying equipment
- Underground water supply pipes made from asbestos cement
Services You Need
If you own or manage agricultural property that may contain asbestos, the following professional services are relevant:
Key Regulations
European Union: Under the revised Asbestos at Work Directive, all EU member states must ensure that workers in agricultural settings are protected from asbestos exposure during maintenance and demolition. Several countries, including France, the Netherlands, and Poland, have implemented national programmes specifically targeting the removal of asbestos cement from agricultural buildings, with some offering subsidies or grants to farmers.
United Kingdom: Agricultural buildings fall under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. Farm owners with employees have a duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic buildings. The HSE has issued specific guidance for farmers regarding the identification and management of asbestos cement sheeting on farm structures.
Australia: Each state regulates asbestos in agricultural settings. Many rural properties built before 2003 contain asbestos cement products. The Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency has identified rural and agricultural asbestos as a priority area, recognising the particular challenges of remote locations and limited access to licensed removalists.
International: The Rotterdam Convention governs the export of chrysotile asbestos, but many developing nations continue to use asbestos cement in new agricultural construction. The ILO Asbestos Convention (C162) establishes minimum standards for worker protection that apply to agricultural workers handling or working near ACMs.
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