any one seen one of these before??

[egginyourface]

Old MEM wooden cased fuse box with ceramic rewireable fuses

 

[Paul.M]

If I knew it was there I would not go near the stuff regardless of how small it was. It's one of those situations where I would not take the risk and get a professional in. Call me a girl but I don't care, I'd rather be a 75 year chicken than a 45 year old in a coffin.

 

[Engineer54]

En54 you miss the point.

And the point is ...What??

 

[Penance]

Old asbestos becomes brittle and dust is easily created. Caution is best if not sure.
I would like my life to end relatively pain free and naturally. Your life so do as you please.

 

[rocker]

That's amazing!!! The way some people think, that just being able to look at these tiny bits of asbestos and your personal risk factor goes through the ceiling, ...unreal!!!

It only takes a tiny bit to send out a tiny fibre to get trapped in your lung and become cancerous. Firms don't send people on asbestos courses because they like chucking away money.

Treat the stuff with the same respect as you would electricity, and it ain't gonna bite you. The stuff needs to be in dust form to have any chance of having any detrimental effect on you.

Oh, really? Well I don't NEED to reach out and touch live busbars, regardless of how pretty they are. I do, however, need to breathe. Old asbestos (and these boards are pretty bloody old) could crumble from just the shifting of the wooden frame when removing one of these boards, releasing thousands of microscopic fibres straight up the nose if you happen to be inhaling.

I wonder how many domestic/commercial sparks have died from asbestosis, purely by handling fuse carrier asbestos flash suppression strips?? Let me hazard a guess, .... None,...Ziltch, ...Zero!! Yet another case of trade myths and scaremongering!!!

My old man used to handle asbestos in these forms and he got cancer in the late 90s. No he ain't dead but he's had a whole load of pretty important stuff removed.


So carry on being a big man and working with the stuff mate, you obviously know best. Sactimonious ---.

 

[robsparky1975]

SMB, the amount of nice old kit chucked out makes me cringe these days. Our house is mid 30's and I'd love to have original style switches.

Considering asbestosis is a cumulative effect I woul take care around any amount.

I think you can still get mocked up 30s style switches,just reproduced for todays wiring

 

[rocker]

Yep you can get the old round brass 'dolly' toggle switches from TLC for like 17 bucks each... bit pricey but they look the business in the right surroundings.

 

[Penance]

Was thinking the Bakelite type, have seen repro ones but at nearly 30 notes a pop I may leave that!

 

[Engineer54]

My old man used to handle asbestos in these forms and he got cancer in the late 90s. No he ain't dead but he's had a whole load of pretty important stuff removed.

So carry on being a big man and working with the stuff mate, you obviously know best. Sactimonious ---.

I think you need to do a bit more reading on the subject, as you clearly haven't a clue as to the real hazards of asbestos. Start by reading the differences between the various types like Blue, White, and Grey. Blue being the most hazardous, and NOT the type used in fuse carriers, but in pipe lagging and the like.

Your father worked with the stuff, ....Well, ...that's a far call from taking an old fuse board off the wall now and again isn't it?? By the way, ...you very rarely need to touch the asbestos lining, even to remove the conductors from the carriers, then you replace the fuses back into the carriers. You do have to Look at the asbestos lining though!!!

Your just perpetuating the myths and scaremongery, blowing up any risk there actually is, to something ridiculously out of this world!!

I'm not the --- here, but you seem to be making a pretty good job of making yourself into one!!

 

[Penance]

Fully agree with rocker. After seeing two family members die from cancer I would really rather not risk it.
E54 is either oblivious to facts or a troll IMO.

 

[rocker]

I think you need to do a bit more reading on the subject, as you clearly haven't a clue as to the real hazards of asbestos. Start by reading the differences between the various types like Blue, White, and Grey. Blue being the most hazardous, and NOT the type used in fuse carriers, but in pipe lagging and the like.

Your father worked with the stuff, ....Well, ...that's a far call from taking an old fuse board off the wall now and again isn't it?? By the way, ...you very rarely need to touch the asbestos lining, even to remove the conductors from the carriers, then you replace the fuses back into the carriers. You do have to Look at the asbestos lining though!!!

Your just perpetuating the myths and scaremongery, blowing up any risk there actually is, to something ridiculously out of this world!!

I'm not the --- here, but you seem to be making a pretty good job of making yourself into one!!

Yea yea yea, seems to me mate the last time you went on an asbestos course was in 1985 when they still thought white was safe or whatever.

Now, I mentioned that the asbestos will crumble down simply from the play in the wooden board when removed, i.e. without contact. I am not interested in replacing fuses in this sort of rubbish, if I see a 1930s fuseboard it's normally accompanied by VIR - both of which I want to replace due to potential danger, and am certainly not touching in a maintenance capacity. But I guess I'm just being panicky and scaremongering.

And I didn't say or imply my dad worked with the stuff exclusively, he was in contact with this stuff as a commercial electrician and a commercial/industrial telecoms engineer, the same type of work in which that you said that no one had ever been harmed by the stuff.

What I really don't understand is when EVERYBODY is in agreement on the subject, you still continue to say that it's safe. Some apprentice may read your ill-informed comments and end up ill some time down the line... not now, when he's young and free and can bounce back, but when he's middle aged and has several dependants. And THAT is the reality of how nasty the stuff is. So it's 'omnly a little bit', but why take the risk? How much is a P3 mask, and how long does it take to put on? Oh, but we won't look like hard men then, will we.

 

[rocker]

By the way giuys I don't want to be misleading it hasn't been conclusively proven that asbestos caused my old man's illness.

 

[Phil]

the best way to handle asbestos is if in doubt don`t touch it at all!
now im not scare mongering and i have seen at least two people die of the stuff so I think I have seen more than enough of the effects of the dam stuff. not a nice way to go.

 

[Engineer54]

Yea yea yea, seems to me mate the last time you went on an asbestos course was in 1985 when they still thought white was safe or whatever.

Now, I mentioned that the asbestos will crumble down simply from the play in the wooden board when removed, i.e. without contact. I am not interested in replacing fuses in this sort of rubbish, if I see a 1930s fuseboard it's normally accompanied by VIR - both of which I want to replace due to potential danger, and am certainly not touching in a maintenance capacity. But I guess I'm just being panicky and scaremongering.

And I didn't say or imply my dad worked with the stuff exclusively, he was in contact with this stuff as a commercial electrician and a commercial/industrial telecoms engineer, the same type of work in which that you said that no one had ever been harmed by the stuff.

What I really don't understand is when EVERYBODY is in agreement on the subject, you still continue to say that it's safe. Some apprentice may read your ill-informed comments and end up ill some time down the line... not now, when he's young and free and can bounce back, but when he's middle aged and has several dependants. And THAT is the reality of how nasty the stuff is. So it's 'omnly a little bit', but why take the risk? How much is a P3 mask, and how long does it take to put on? Oh, but we won't look like hard men then, will we.

Right, ....let's get down to the point shall we.... I posted here saying that bashing a fuse board off the wall with a lump hammer would in all likelihood, be more hazardous than removing in the normal manner with a screwdriver. Then we got all the usual crap about how dangerous these fuse carrier strips are, well it's rubbish.

Been on god knows how many company managers H&S training and awareness courses over the years, where this subject always crops up, especially on refurb projects. On each occassion these fuse carrier flash guards have always been marked down at the lowest possible factor of risk!!!

Most of the older electricians here, have worked for many of there early years with ceramic type fuse boards, as have myself. Are you honestly saying, that those then new fuse boards, were a great hazard to there health, and are now prone to cancers caused by those fuse carrier strips?? And remember those cancers that are related to asbestos are very specific and very few in type!!

As usual these old myths and the resulting scaremongering kick-up a load of fear and nonsense. No-ones suggesting here that you don't treat this old stuff with respect, and no-ones suggesting you shouldn't make use of a face mask, but don't blow these old fuses up as being death traps either, ...cause they just ain't!!

There are many factories that still have these old fuse types throughout there installations, If they were anywhere near as bad as you and others make them out to be, they would have all been deemed unsafe and ledgistration from H&S outlawing them and MUST be replaced by modern DB's etc..., or at the very least, stating the strips be replaced with alternative material.

Enough said, Rocker, You can believe whatever you want to believe and can continue to perpetuate the scaremongery, ....and we'll just agree to dis-agree...

 

[Paul.M]

A small section from the HSE web site:-

"In 2008 (the latest year with published data) there were 2249 mesothelioma deaths. Simply adding an equivalent number of asbestos-related lung cancers brings the total to 4498, though clearly such a figure implies much more accuracy than is truly the case."


Or look at the full report yourselves and make your own mind up if its worth taking the risk or not?

Statistics - Asbestos FAQs

 

[Paul.M]

"Been on god knows how many company managers H&S training and awareness courses over the years, where this subject always crops up, especially on refurb projects. On each occassion these fuse carrier flash guards have always been marked down at the lowest possible factor of risk!!!"

Lowest possible factor of risk. That's like saying don't worry getting hit by a fiat 500 and not a bus, its the lowest risk!!!

Imho engineer54 I will play it safe and not play with potential death.