The Complete Asbestos Management Solution
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Asbestos in the Home
The reality is that currently there are no regulations governing the management of asbestos in private homes although duty of care does apply to contractors working in your home. This doesn’t lessen the risks of asbestos in the home or mean that it wasn’t used in house building. So it’s very much up to the home owner how they want to manage any asbestos they suspect they may have.
Why is asbestos in the home a concern?
As in the workplace, asbestos containing materials (ACM’s) in the home are a concern when they become damaged or degraded and release fibres into the air. These fibres can then be inhaled and over a period of time can cause lung damage. Long exposure to high levels of asbestos fibres increase the risks of contracting asbestos related diseases including asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer.
When can asbestos exposure occur?
Obviously the risk of exposure to airborne asbestos fibres is directly linked to the amount and condition of asbestos containing materials in the home. Under normal circumstances, if your home contains asbestos containing materials that are in good condition and in locations where they can’t be easily damaged then the risks of exposure are low. However we would urge you to take care when doing any DIY work. You should always avoid disturbing any materials you suspect of containing asbestos and we’d urge you to ask the experts.
Where can asbestos be found in the home?
Contrary to popular belief, asbestos isn’t just a problem of the 1960’s and 1970’s. Asbestos was used as a building material until the year 2000 and any building built before then could contain asbestos. The list of places that asbestos can be found includes insulating board, lagging, sprayed coatings, asbestos-cement products, other construction materials, ironing boards, etc, etc. identifying asbestos can be difficult so if you are in doubt we would recommend you ask the experts.
What should I do if I think I have asbestos in my home?
We would always advocate that you seek advice. Independent sources of information include:
- The Health and Safety Executive
- Your local Council’s Environmental Health Department
At First Order Red we recognise that contracting professional asbestos survey and asbestos testing services is not always costs effective for individual home owners. If we can be of help then please contact us but we would urge anyone who thinks they may have an asbestos issue in the home to seek professional advice.
This page is not an exhaustive resource concerning the management of asbestos risks in the home. Please ask an expert and above all if in doubt don’t disturb any suspect materials.
First Order Red is accredited by UKAS and undergoes rolling
mandatory and voluntary re-inspections as part of this
accreditation. We also hold a number of other accreditations
and memberships to various industry organisations.
