Asbestos Safety

This page explains what to do if there is asbestos in your home.

What is asbestos?

Asbestos is a natural fibre and was used in a wide range of building material and products up to the 1980's. This is because it's a good insulator and resistant to fire.

Homes built since the mid-1980s are very unlikely to contain asbestos. This is because of changes in health and safety laws.

Why is it harmful?

When products containing asbestos materials get old or damaged they can release fibres into the air. When people breathe in high levels of these fibres, they risk gettiing lung disease, including cancer.

There may be asbestos in your home. However, there is little risk unless the product is damaged. If there is damaged asbestos in your home, please contact us| for advice.

What are we doing to reduce the risk?

We have surveyed a sample of our homes to get a picture of where there is asbestos. This helps us to manage it and reduce the risk to you.

We may remove asbestos but if it's in good condition it may be safer to leave it where it is.

If asbestos material is damaged, we will remove it. If it's not damaged we may leave it alone to do its fire resistant job. In that case we'll make sure everyone knows the asbestos is there and that nobody damages it.

When we repair or improve your home we will treat asbestos with the caution it deserves. This ensures that your health and safety and that of our staff is not put at risk.

Where might I find asbestos in my home?

You might find asbestos in these common building materials:

sprayed asbestos generally used as fire breaks in ceiling spaces, fire protection of ducts
and structural steelwork
lagging around pipes and boilers
wall, ceilings and door linings
roofing tiles and felt
some ceiling tiles
some flooring
decorative textured coatings generally applied beore 1990
bath panels
boarding and gaskets in electrical mains fuse cupboards and some gas fires
Asbestos cement products, like flat or corrugated roofing sheets and wall cladding on garages, sheds etc
gutters, rainwater pipes, water tanks and flues.

Some household products, such as oven gloves and ironing boards also contain asbestos. The use of asbestos in these products decreased in the mid 1980s and was banned in 1993.

How can I identify products or materials containing asbestos?

Since 1976 British manufacturers have put labels on their products to show they contain asbestos. Since 1986 all products with asbestos carry the European label. The supplier or manufacturer of a product may be able to tell you if it contains asbestos.

We will tell you if we think there is asbestos in your home and what both you and we can do about it.

Remember, products that contain asbestos can look very similar to those that don't. If in doubt CONTACT US| about building materials. Contact Gloucester City Council's Environmental Health service on 01452 396396 about other goods.

What should I do if I think there is asbestos in my home?

It's often best to leave asbestos where it is if it's in good condition and not easily damaged. Removing it can lead to higher levels of fibres in the air for some time.

We will check the condition of the asbestos from time to time to make sure it isn't damaged or deteriorating.

Do:

contact us straight away if you think there is damaged or deteriorating asbestos in your home
contact us if you think your warm-air heating system, electrical storage heating system or flameless catalytic gas heater may contain asbestos.

Don’t:

disturb or damage asbestos that is in good condition
keep using oven gloves or other small items containing asbestos – dispose of them safely (see the section on disposing of asbestos).

Doing DIY in your home

Please remember to contact us for permission before doing any alterations to your home.

When you do this, we can tell you about any asbestos in your home and how to treat it.

If you have asbestos in your home, take extra care when doing DIY.

Do:

Keep other people away from the work area.
Wear protective clothing - preferably disposable
wear a protective face mask to EN 149 standard and avoid breating in dust
Keep asbestos products wet to avoid producing dust
Work outside if possible and avoid working overhead
Use hand tools rather than power tools.

Dont:

Attempt work involving sprayed asbestos, lagging or insulating boards. This must be done by a licensed asbestos-removal contractor. If in doubt contact us.
Drill, cut or disturb asbestos unless absolutely necessary. Do not scrape or sand asbestos products before painting and decorating. Some types of asbestos products are very soft and can release large amounts of fibre if rubbed or scraped.
Use a domestic vacuum cleaner to clear up the dust. Hire an industrial vacuum cleaner that conforms to BS 5415 (Type H).
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.

Wash non-disposable overalls in a washing machine straight away. Separate them from other clothing.

Double-bag disposable overalls. Clearly mark 'Asbestos' on the bag and dispose of them as asbestos waste.

Disposing of asbestos

WE STRONGLY ADVISE YOU TO LET GLOUCESTER CITY HOMES DEAL WITH ANY ASBESTOS IN YOUR HOME.

If you find asbestos in your home or garden do not put it in the dustbin. Phone Gloucester City Council’s Environmental Health service about how to dispose of it. Tel: 01452 396396