Find Local Help Asbestos Removal

Before undertaking removal of asbestos from a building you may need to commission a report to identify the asbestos present and to outline the best way to remove it. 

Management Type Asbestos Survey and Report: With this type of survey only easily accessible parts of the building are inspected. The surveyor can then either take samples of suspect materials for analysis or make a presumption that the material does contain asbestos fibres. It is generally recommended that samples are taken to avoid uncertainty and possibly unnecessary concern. The survey will not however identify hidden materials such as within cavities, voids and floor spaces as these generally do not present a hazard unless building works take place.

Demolition / Major Refurbishment Asbestos Survey and Report: This type of survey is appropriate before building work or demolition / partial demolition. The surveyor will identify ALL materials that contain asbestos so that they can either be avoided or safely removed before the work starts. It will, by necessity, result in significant damage as it is necessary to search for hidden asbestos materials. Typically holes will have to be formed in studding walls, ducts which could contain heating pipework will be opened up and floor joists, window frames and door frames will have to be exposed to check for asbestos packers.

Before placing an order with a Surveyor for a report, or with a contractor to have asbestos removed, you should ensure that your chosen supplier is licensed to provide this service.  He should have suitable qualifications, experience and specific asbestos insurance. Suppliers will normally, as a minimum, have the qualifications P402 and P405 from The British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS).

Asbestos: General Overview

Most people know what a corrugated asbestos cement sheet roof looks like but very few home owners realise that asbestos can also be found in quite a diverse range of relatively common building products. Some of these are as follows:

Asbestos roofing material.
Asbestos wall panels.
Asbestos ceiling panels.
Asbestos fire blankets.
Some acoustic ceiling tiles.
Some sound proofing wall panels.
Some soffit panels (located under the eaves).
Some felt roof lining materials.
Some insulation materials used to lag hot pipes, boilers and hot water cylinders.
Some insulation materials used in ceilings.
Some vinyl floor tiles.
Some “Artex” type textured coatings to walls and ceilings.
Some insulation used in night storage heaters.
Some artificial coals, logs and products used in fireplaces.

Unfortunately it is not possible to be certain if asbestos is present in a material without analysis. The fibres can be too small to be visible to the naked eye and they can be disguised by the other components. Only laboratories accredited by The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) are now permitted to analyse materials for asbestos.

It is quite possible that you will have asbestos in your home but while you should be wary of this there might not be any great cause for alarm. Asbestos can cause lung cancer if inhaled as a fine dust and as such it should never be sawed, sanded, drilled, brushed or disturbed in any way whereby the production of dust might result. Provided asbestos is not disturbed, the likelihood of major problems developing is very much reduced.

Legislation (The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006) requires that owners of all commercial premises and the owners of communal domestic premises must produce a plan to manage asbestos in their property. Health and safety authorities may ask to see this plan and it may also be required by mortgage companies and insurers. Owners must ensure that anyone working at the premises (such as contractors) are alerted to the presence and location of any asbestos containing materials and that any asbestos present is not disturbed in a way that may result in a hazard to health.

At this point in time (2009) there is no UK legislation covering requirements for private home owners to manage the asbestos in their homes. However, some industry sources believe that legislation to address this will eventually be introduced. In any event it would be prudent for any purchaser to consider the possible presence of asbestos before agreeing to buy a property as it could have both a significant effect upon the value of the building or present difficulties in the future if the premises is sold.

There is a duty on landlords who rent out houses to ensure that tenants are protected from harm (The Environmental Protection Act 1990 and The Occupiers Liability Act 1984). While this legislation does not mention asbestos by name it is sometimes used when asbestos has deteriorated to require landlords to take action or to seek compensation from them for damage to tenants’ health.

It should be noted that the removal of asbestos from a building is a very complex and costly process. It should only be carried out by a licensed contractor who will ensure that it is done safely and that the asbestos, once removed, is taken to a licensed disposal site where it will not be a danger to other people. Following removal the owner should ensure that a “Certificate of Re-Occupation” is provided from an independent accredited laboratory before the contractor is paid and before people are allowed back into the building.

More information about asbestos surveys can be found in the HSE document; Asbestos: The Survey Guide.

A very helpful website is http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos. Here you can learn more about materials which contain asbestos, legal duties on property owners and the correct procedures to remove asbestos materials with safety. The site also contains an up to date list of licensed asbestos contractors.

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