Anyone who knows about Asbestos?

It is hard to give you advice since much depends on the type of asbestos, the form, the way it was removed, the way it was trashed, etc. There is probably little risk or near zero risk, but that is at best an educated guess. Illnesses will not show up for at least 10 years can be delayed 40 years depending on all the factors involved. There is nothing he can do and with such a short exposure, later in life cancer would be the most likely impact if there is any at all.

Hi

The most likely scenario is that the roof sheets were asbestos cement. This generally contains Chrysotile (White Asbestos). All asbestos is harmful but of the 6 types of asbestos Chrysotile is deemed the least harmful (all asbestos is very harmful - its like comparing bullets saying a small bullet is less harmful than a big bullet) and with the asbestos being bound within the cement roof sheets, the removal company probably deemed the operation would not exceed the control limit (the amount of fibres released would not exceed 0.1 f/ml (fibres per millilitre of air)) and could remove the sheets without using an air tight enclosure under controlled conditions.

In my experience the roof should have been sheeted under the roof tiles with polythene as some fibre must have been released when detaching the sheets from whatever binding they had to the roof structure. Whether this release was enough to constitute an exposure for someone is arguable. 0.01f/ml is the level at which rooms can be re-occupied following asbestos removal so a small amount of airborne asbestos is acceptable according to HSE guidelines.

The HSE state that a long term exposure is necessary for someone to contract asbestos related diseases, but one fibre stuck in your lungs can kill you.

What is written above is a presumption on the limited information available. What is written in the other posts on this topic is generally correct so you will have to put all this info together and come up with your own judgement. Good luck but I wouldn't worry too much.

Companies have to be registered to remove asbestos because, yes, it is highly dangerous to breath it in. The asbestos should have been enclosed in a tent and the people removing it, dressed in protective overalls and headgear. Your boyfriend and his co-workers should get checked over by a doctor.

That company have not followed HSE rules. He would be extremely unlucky if he developed an asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma as it generally takes longer exposure than he has endured.

Yes,if the asbestos was broken and there was airborne fibres and he breathed in,as little as a few fibres ,imagine holding a few fibres between your finger and thumb, if you breathed them in you stand a good chance of getting lung cancer,it's that lethal.

He needs to phone the Health & Safety Executive on this one. The company could be in deep trouble and could get a hefty fine. Your B/F also needs to contact his GP.

UK

this should be logged somewhere because related illnesses can take a long tome to take effect. if he does get ill in the future. you will have a claim. these people should be jailed.