General introduction to health issues releating
to asbestos
Why worry about asbestos in the home?
If your property is more than 15 years old, it's possible that
it contains materials made from asbestos. Common locations are
listed below but there may be others in your home - so if in doubt
leave well alone and seek expert help.
Common Locations of asbestos:
- Asbestos cement on garage or shed roofs
- Asbestos cement shed and garage wall panels
- Asbestos cement drain pipes
- Asbestos cement or Insulation boards, infill panels and
partitions
- Asbestos cement on the side of bath panels
If your home is rented, your landlord may have relevant
information.
What to do if you have asbestos in your home?
The general rule is to always leave asbestos alone, it's usually
safe unless it's damaged or disturbed. Paint indoor materials with
an alkali resistant paint such as PVA emulsion, and never sand,
drill or saw asbestos materials.
Always seek advice before thinking of removing asbestos and
follow the basic rules below if carrying out asbestos cement
removal work. Do not attempt to remove asbestos lagging, spray
coatings or large areas of insulation board by yourself as these
materials can only be safely removed by a licensed contractor
Safe Asbestos cement removal
Asbestos cement can be safely removed by remembering these basic
rules:-
- Prepare the work area - remove any unnecessary
items, cover the floor and surfaces with disposable polythene
sheeting
- Wear protective clothing- disposable overall
with hood, disposable paper face mask (for use with asbestos) and
rubber or disposable gloves
- Damp down - use a plant sprayer or hosepipe
but don't soak the area as this will make cleaning up more
difficult
- Remove the asbestos without breaking it up -
wrap in polythene sheeting or bags and seal with tape
- Visually inspect the area and clear up any debris by
hand - wipe down with disposable damp clothes. Never use a
vacuum cleaner as this will just spread dust around
- Pick up polythene sheeting and remove protective
clothing - and dispose of both as asbestos waste
- Wash hands and face after the job is
completed
Disposal of asbestos waste
Small quantities of asbestos and other hazardous material can be
collected from your home -see the
Hazardous waste section in our Household waste page for further
details.
If as a house holder, you intend to transport asbestos cement waste
in your own vehicle, you do not need to be a registered carrier
provided that it is your own waste.
However, you should take the following steps to ensure that
asbestos does not contaminate your car:
- Spray sheets of asbestos cement with water
- Double wrap or double bag the asbestos cement with heavy duty
polythene
- Ensure the wrapping is secured with tape
- Make sure vehicle occupants do not have access to the asbestos
waste
Asbestos DOs and DON'Ts
- Don't panic if you think you have asbestos in your home - it's
usually only a problem if it's disturbed
- Do treat asbestos with respect
- Don't drill, saw or disturb materials that contain
asbestos
- Do seek advice if you think you've got a problem with asbestos
in your home
Further information
Our Environmental Health Officers will be able to provide you
with further advice on asbestos.Contact us
by email or
by:
Tel 020 7332 3630
Fax 020 7332 1623
The HSE
website pages on Asbestos are quite extensive and full of good
information on asbestos, duties and responsibilities and the
different situations in which asbestos is likely to be
present.