Asbestos In The Home

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has been used in a range of building materials to make them more rigid and fire resistant. It has also been used in household products such as ironing boards and oven gloves. Asbestos was used extensively as a building material in Great Britain from the 1950s through to the mid 1980s.

Some of areas in your home where you may find asbestos include:

• Eaves gutters and rainwater fall pipes
• Fire blankets
• Garage and shed roofs
• Linings for walls, ceilings and doors
• Insulation panels in some storage heaters
• Bath Panels
• Central heating flues
• Loose asbestos packing between floors and in partition walls
• Floor tiles

Most people are exposed to low amounts of asbestos present in the atmosphere with no ill effects. Asbestos fibres and dust are potentially very dangerous if inhaled in higher concentrations over a period of time, when they can cause serious lung diseases including cancer. The symptoms of these diseases often do not appear for between 20 -30 years after exposure to asbestos.

What to do if you think you have asbestos in your home?

It is very hard to identify asbestos, but if you suspect that you are living with asbestos:

• Don't panic and leave asbestos alone, it's safe unless it's damaged or disturbed
• Never sand, drill or saw asbestos materials
• Always seek professional advice before thinking of removing asbestos materials
• Do not attempt to remove asbestos lagging, spray coatings or insulation board by yourself. These materials can only be safely removed by a licensed contractor
• Sometimes it will be necessary to take a sample, for example to identify the type of asbestos. Only employ a suitably trained person to sample or do a survey of the premises

What to do if you are concerned about asbestos?

The Health and Safety Executive provides extensive information and advice on the use and removal of asbestos. Members of the public may contact the Health and Safety Executive info line, 0845 345 0055, for general advice on asbestos.