Is there any asbestos in meter boxes?

[HappyHippyDad]

I was contemplating cutting a hole in the bottom of a meter box and I decided to have a quick check on line. I have now used an existing hole albeit a harder route. How common are meter boxes with asbestos in them? Is there any way of knowing if it contains white asbestos?

 

[Pete999]

I was contemplating cutting a hole in the bottom of a meter box and I decided to have a quick check on line. I have now used an existing hole albeit a harder route. How common are meter boxes with asbestos in them? Is there any way of knowing if it contains white asbestos?

Drilled far to many to worry about it HHD

 

[Andy78]

Never heard of chrysotile being used in them, they are usually GRP.

 

[westward10]

Never say never it would depend on age and what they are lined with.

 

[buzzlightyear]

Is there any way of knowing if it contains white asbestos or a bomb ?

lol. four sheep .

 

[Robson689]

You can take a sample and get it tested for about 20-30 quid if you're worried

 

[HappyHippyDad]

This was one of the online sites that caught my eye

Asbestos in meter boxes: What you should know - Airsafe

If your home or office was built before 1983, your electricity meter board is likely to contain asbestos. Be cautious when getting work done.

www.airsafe.net.au

But.... looks like that's an Australian address so we're all safe here!

 

[dmxtothemax]

without seeing the box's we cannot say for sure,
but YES ! many of the older box's had asbestos in them.
It's usually safe to work on them, but if your drilling holes ?
then use a vacuum to suck up the dust.
Whilst it just requires a little comon sense
your not gunna fall down dead at the first touch of asbestos.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

use a vacuum to suck up the dust.

No! Never use a normal vacuum cleaner to suck up dust that might contain ACMs! It will not filter all of it out of the airstream so will spread it around the room, and may continue to do even after you've changed the bag and moved on to another job. Work wet, damp the dust, contain it at source etc.

DMX is also in Aus. Do we have a verdict about UK meter boxes? In the UK we didn't really have meter boxes until after the asbestos era. As above. the traditional white ones have always been GRP.

HHD did you have a pic of the suspect box or one like it?

 

[davesparks]

As far as I know outside meter boxes in the UK have always been made of a GRP material with a chipboard meter board.
Mantel boxes were always metal with a chipboard meter board.
Some blocks of flats, council estates etc have a meter cupboard lined with asbestos board which obviously needs a careful approach.

 

[NSHARDY]

without seeing the box's we cannot say for sure,
but YES ! many of the older box's had asbestos in them.
It's usually safe to work on them, but if your drilling holes ?
then use a vacuum to suck up the dust.
Whilst it just requires a little comon sense
your not gunna fall down dead at the first touch of asbestos.

It would need to be an H Type vac and you would need to be trained to level/Cat B working with asbestos.

 

[westward10]

@NSHARDY I have edited out the advertising from your post.

 

[Dave OCD]

without seeing the box's we cannot say for sure,
but YES ! many of the older box's had asbestos in them.
It's usually safe to work on them, but if your drilling holes ?
then use a vacuum to suck up the dust.
Whilst it just requires a little comon sense
your not gunna fall down dead at the first touch of asbestos

No it can take up to 50 years, but it will kill you eventually.

 

[StephenRowley]

If you havnt done a asbestos course there worth doing.

There is procedure for drilling asbestos involving shaving foam of all things.

 

[dmxtothemax]

QUOTE - No it [ can ] take up to 50 years, but it will kill you eventually

can being the operitive word !

Some old boards did have asbestose in them,
if you have to work on one,
then using common sense precautions is usually sufficent.
such as a dust mask and a vacuum cleaner.