This information is based on the booklet ‘Asbestos in the Home’
published by the DETR (the Department of Environment, Transport and
the Regions) in 1999. This information addresses concerns and
questions about asbestos in homes. It explains what it is, where it
is found, why it might be a problem and how to deal with it.
Asbestos fibres are strong and resistant to heat and chemicals.
This has led to their use in a wide range of building materials and
products, often as fireproofing. Properties built since the
mid-1980s are very unlikely to contain asbestos in the fabric of
the building. Properties built after 1990 are extremely unlikely to
contain asbestos anywhere in the building. Asbestos cement has been
widely used as a cladding material and can still be found in
garages and sheds.
A) When asbestos materials age or become damaged they can
release fibres into the air. These can be breathed deep into the
lung where they may stay for a long time, causing possible damage.
When very high levels of these fibres are breathed in there is a
risk of lung diseases, including cancer. People who have worked
with asbestos for many years as part of their job or have washed
the dusty clothing of those who worked with asbestos are most
likely to be affected. Workplace regulations now protect such
people.
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A) There is a very low level of fibres in the air everywhere
because asbestos has been used widely. Exposure to this low level
of fibres is unlikely to harm people’s health. Levels of fibres may
be higher in buildings containing asbestos materials, especially
where the materials are damaged. It is very unlikely that the
levels of asbestos fibres found in buildings will be harmful, but
if you have damaged asbestos materials in your home you should seek
advice on appropriate action to take. High, short-term exposures to
asbestos fibres can occur during DIY work. For this reason, try not
to raise dust when working with materials that might contain
asbestos, and avoid sanding or drilling.
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A) Building materials containing asbestos were widely used from
1930 to around 1980, particularly from the 1960s onwards. So houses
and flats built or refurbished at this time may contain asbestos
materials. Asbestos has also been used in some heat-resistant
household products, such as oven gloves and ironing boards. The use
of asbestos in these products decreased greatly around the
mid-1980s, and since 1993 the use of asbestos in most products has
been banned. It is not always easy to tell whether a product
contains asbestos as modern asbestos-free materials often look
similar - remember it is usually older products that contain
asbestos. Loft or cavity wall insulation does not contain asbestos.
The types of asbestos materials that may be found in homes are
described below:
Insulating board (Asbestos content 20 - 45 percent.)
Insulating board has been used for fire protection, heat and
sound insulation. It is particularly common in 1960s and 1970s
system-built housing and is found in materials such as ducts,
infill panels, ceiling tiles, wall lining, bath panels and
partitions. It is unlikely to be found in buildings constructed
after 1982.
Asbestos lagging (Asbestos content 55 - 100 percent.)
Asbestos lagging has been used for thermal insulation of pipes
and boilers. It was widely used in public buildings and
system-built flats during the 1960s to early 1970s in areas such as
boiler houses and heating plants. Asbestos lagging is very rarely
found in homes, especially those constructed after the mid 1970s.
The use of asbestos for thermal insulation was banned in 1986.
Sprayed coating (Asbestos content up to 85 percent.)
Sprayed asbestos coatings were used for fire protection of
structural steel and are commonly found in system-built flats built
during the 1960s. The coatings were mainly applied around the core
of the building such as service ducts, lift shafts, etc. Use
stopped in 1974 and the spraying of asbestos has been prohibited
since 1986. Sprayed asbestos has since been removed from many
buildings, or sealed to prevent fibres being released.
Asbestos-cement products (Asbestos content mainly 10 - 15
percent, but sometimes up to 40 percent.)
Asbestos-cement is the most widely used asbestos material. It is
found in many types of building as profiled sheets for roofing and
wall-cladding, in flat sheets and partition boards for linings to
walls and ceilings, in bath panels, soffit boards, fire surrounds,
flue pipes, cold water tanks and as roofing tiles and slates. It
has been commonly used as roofing and cladding for garages and
sheds and also in guttering and drainpipes. Use has declined since
1976, but asbestos cement is still being used, particularly in
roofing and cladding products. Asbestos cement products are
unlikely to release high levels of fibres because of the way they
are made, unless they are subject to extreme abrasion. Damage from
weathering may also release a small amount of fibres.
Other building materials and products
Asbestos has been used in a variety of other building materials,
for example in decorative coatings such as textured paints and
plasters. These are still widely in place but supply and
application has been prohibited since 1988. Plastic floor tiles,
cushion flooring, roofing felts, tapes, ropes, felts and blankets
can also contain asbestos. Heating appliances and domestic
equipment Asbestos was used in some warm air heating systems,
electric storage heaters (up to 1976), in flameless catalytic gas
heaters (up to 1988) and some early ‘coal effect’ gas fires. It has
also been used in domestic equipment, such as oven gloves, ironing
boards, seals on cooker doors and fire blankets, and in brake
linings and pads.
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A) Since 1976 British manufacturers have put labels on their
products to show they contain asbestos, and since 1986 all products
containing asbestos carry the European label. The supplier or
manufacturer of a product may be able to tell you if it contains
asbestos. Often homes built at the same time contain similar
materials - your neighbours may know if surveys for asbestos have
been done. Your local council’s Environmental Health Department may
be able to help identify if you have asbestos products in your
home, or if homes in your area have been surveyed. Remember,
asbestos-containing products can look very similar to those not
containing asbestos - if in doubt SEEK ADVICE.
A) Asbestos materials in good condition that cannot readily be
damaged are often best left where they are because removal can lead
to higher levels of fibres in the air for some time. Check the
condition of asbestos materials from time to time to make sure they
have not become damaged or started to deteriorate. If you are
planning home improvements or maintenance and have asbestos in your
home, always inform builders, maintenance workers or contractors
before they start work. Asbestos materials that are slightly
damaged can sometimes be repaired by sealing or enclosing the
material - SEEK ADVICE on the most appropriate action. Asbestos
materials that are badly damaged or deteriorating can release dust
and should be removed. Some asbestos materials (sprayed asbestos,
lagging or insulating boards) must always be removed by contractors
with a special license issued by the Government. These licensed
contractors have to follow regulations to ensure asbestos is safely
removed. Your local environmental health officer should be able to
provide advice on asbestos removal and licensed contractors.
Sometimes it is dangerous to have asbestos removed - for instance
fire-protection materials - without replacing it with a suitable
alternative.REMEMBER:- Avoid disturbing or damaging asbestos
materials in good condition. - If you have damaged or deteriorating
asbestos materials in your home then SEEK ADVICE. - Do not keep
using oven gloves or other small items containing asbestos -
dispose of them safely (see section on disposal of asbestos). - If
you think that your warm air heating system, electrical storage
heating system or flameless catalytic gas heater may contain
asbestos then SEEK ADVICE from your local gas or electricity
supplier. If they do contain asbestos, do not attempt to dismantle
these appliances yourself, but SEEK ADVICE from your the
council.Take care when doing DIY If you have asbestos materials in
your home, extra care should be taken when doing DIY. DO NOT
attempt work involving sprayed asbestos, lagging or insulating
boards, as this must be undertaken by a licensed asbestos removal
contractor. If in doubt, SEEK ADVICE.
If you do any DIY with asbestos materials take the following
precautions:
1. Keep other people away from the area of work.
2. Wear protective clothing (e.g. overalls), preferably
disposable, and avoid breathing in asbestos dust (a disposable dust
mask ’CE’ marked to EN 149 with FFP2 particulate filters is
recommended).
3. Keep asbestos materials wet to avoid producing dust.
4. Work outside if possible and avoid working overhead.
5. Do not drill, cut or disturb asbestos unless absolutely
necessary. Do not scrape or sand asbestos materials before painting
and decorating. Some types of asbestos materials are very soft and
can release large numbers of fibres if rubbed or scraped.
6. Use hand tools rather than power tools.
7. Do not use a domestic vacuum cleaner to clear up the dust.
Hire an industrial vacuum cleaner that conforms to BS 5415 (Type
H).
8. When you have finished work, clean up and then take off the
overalls carefully to avoid raising any dust which may have
collected in the fabric. In the case of disposable overalls,
double-bag them, clearly mark ‘ASBESTOS’ on the bag and dispose of
them as asbestos waste. Wash non-disposable overalls straight away,
separately from other clothing, in a washing machine.
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A) Wet small amounts of asbestos waste and put it in a strong
plastic bag - seal this tightly and clearly mark it ‘ASBESTOS’. Do
not break up large asbestos-cement sheets - they do not need to be
sealed in bags but should be wrapped in polythene or similar
sheeting and disposed of as asbestos waste. Do not put asbestos
waste in the dustbin - SEEK ADVICE from the Council about how to
dispose of your asbestos waste.
REMEMBER:- Avoid creating asbestos dust. - Avoid breathing
asbestos dust. - Asbestos material in good condition should be left
alone. - If you think you may have asbestos-containing products in
your house, SEEK ADVICE from the Council before you take any
action.
Advice from Bath and North East Somerset Council
Sheets of asbestos cement from residential
properties only may be taken to the Recycling
Centres for safe disposal. The sheets must not be broken up in
any way.
Space for asbestos cement is limited, so if you have several
sheets of asbestos (maximum three sheets) then please contact
the Recycling Centre you intend to use before visiting to
make sure that we have space available;
Household
Waste - Disposal Sites.
Midland Road, Bath - 01225 396422
Pixash Lane, Keynsham - 0117 9868 681
Old Welton, Radstock - 01761 415694
For further advice on dealing with asbestos (or for dealing with
asbestos from commercial premises), please contact Environmental
Protection.
