Asbestos

[hawkal]

I noticed that Hse has been doing a campaign about Asbestos and I was wondering how often do you guys come across a property that has Asbestos in it?

Also how do you guys deal with it?

If you're starting a new job do you ask the owner if they know of any asbestos or anything?

 

[acat]

HSE do a leaflet for it I think. If you come across it stop work immediately leave the property and inform the householder and report it. You need a special licence to deal with it.


Chris

 

[benji]

It should be part of the RISK ASSESMENT that you all should do before starting the work.

yours benji

 

[scotsparky]

what about the asbestos shielding in ond BS3036 fuse carriers??

 

[cside]

there is also an asbestos awarness course/certifcate some companies expect you to have to be allowed to work for them, this is required fromr alot of councils on rewires. i think one thing alot of us forget is that artex contains asbestos

 

[martysparky]

old switched have asbestos as well. lagging around pipes ect.

I've been told if the seal is broken I.e. Broken accessory. Its dangerous.

Its disturbance that causes the harm.

I have not had training but this is what a friend, who has, told me.

HSE - Publications: Free leaflets - Asbestos

 

[lloyd1980]

its a difficult situation and a balance between your health and doing a job
on the jib site industrial/commercial then there isnt a chance youd come into contact with it especially on the new stuff, I mean you need a permit to fart on some sites so as I said no chance

domesticaly tho and in public buildings its a completley different kettle of fish
Asbestos was reg used up to 2000 in new builds.
hundreds and thousands of homes and buildings with it in

prime example - I worked for a firm who were doing work at a victorian primary school
fishing cctv cable accross ceiling cavity with my head squeezed between 2 pipes, rods get pushed thru, loads of white powder all over my face. I look up into darkness and there is asbestos lagged pipes above and rods have pushed a lump off and my face got the dust, kicked off with bosses, got told to go away and shut up - they didnt give a sh it

If you are a one man band struggling for work and you find asbestos in a house? are you really going to forfit the job and money, walk off site and let someone else do it (as 100's will) or do you turn a blind eye and carry on??

I know the legal requirments and the HSE guidlines but in the real world people dont care about guidelines they just want the job doing

what about the asbestos shielding in ond BS3036 fuse carriers??

have come accross these a lot, asbestos is only dangerous when its disturbed, if its encapsulated then its ok - (so the authorities say) so as long as you didnt drill one or mistake a strip for chewing gum then id say your ok

 

[Gravid]

I've drilled a fan hole in a soffet that turned out to be asbestos, looked just like wood painted white. Didn't expect it at all. Basically keep your wits about you in old property's.

Got some suspicous boarding in the job i'm doing at the moment on the garage ceiling, it's getting tested. I reckon it's fibre board though, couldn't see any A's written on it. Better safe than sorry.

 

[lloyd1980]

fair play mate, it is better safe than sorry but its sad to say that when housebashing you WILL at some point unwittingly breath some of the horrible stuff in!! I hate the stuff

 

[Davey101]

If its in an internal garage, its most likely Asbestos. I've got it in my house, the previous owners put plasterboard over it when they converted the garage into a dining room, which is fairly common.

Got some suspicous boarding in the job i'm doing at the moment on the garage ceiling, it's getting tested. I reckon it's fibre board though, couldn't see any A's written on it. Better safe than sorry.

What do you mean about A's being written on it?

Soffets are usually asbestos on pre 80's houses.

Apparently old plasterboard contains it as well. Some builders recommend overboarding an old ceiling, rather than ripping it down and disturb it. You cant get away from it mate, if you are a tradesman, you will come into contact with it in some way.

I've done the same course Cside mentioned, its surprising how many different products contain asbestos.

Plasterboard, floor tiles, soffets, any sort of internal panel (especially in bathrooms/kitchens), shuttering for concrete (Ive seen this in a pantry in a council house), anything to do with old boilers/fires, ceiling tiles (many old department stores have asbestos tiles throughout (have a look next time you are in an old woolworths, M+S, Debenhams etc)), garage/shed roofs. as well as precast walls,pipework, pipe lagging etc etc.

I wouldnt advise leaving a job just because it has asbestos in it somewhere, although I defo wouldnt be doing any work that disturbs it at all.

 

[cside]

If its in an internal garage, its most likely Asbestos. I've got it in my house, the previous owners put plasterboard over it when they converted the garage into a dining room, which is fairly common.





Soffets are usually asbestos on pre 80's houses.

.

the rewires im stuck on at the moment the council is replacing the soffets as we do the houses, dont understand why really as its not really going to be distubed

 

[daniel hill]

work for sec and they have a very strict opinion on the stuff, we get training on it every 6 month every house we do is tested for it. all textured coating are checked and jelled if present. always do the tap tap test as you may think it is plasterboard but asbestos sounds more tinny you could say. its absolutely every where in houses.
soffits, underpinning on stairs, artex, fuse holders, pipe lagging, immersion and boiler cupboard, some ceiling need i go on its every where just dont run the risk its dangerous
give these a ring 0845 345 0055 and get your free information pack on asbestos.

 

[Gravid]

What do you mean about A's being written on it?

I was told generally asbestos had " A " in a circle on its sheets in places, or is this nonsense?

 

[Davey101]

I was told generally asbestos had " A " in a circle on its sheets in places, or is this nonsense?

I wish it did.

Wether or not asbestos sheets were ever manufactured with any sort of markings, I wouldnt know, but you definatley wouldnt rely on that to decide it wasn't asbestos.

 

[hawkal]

Thanks everyone for the great advice. Does anyone here keep a respirator in their tool kit/ van? Just in case.