What to Do If You’ve Accidentally Disturbed Asbestos: A Step-By-Step Guide
A home renovation is a bit of a roller-coaster ride. You might be clipping along and enjoying the highs of a productive demolition day when your contractor calls with bad news: they’ve found something unpleasant in your home. And just like that, your good mood is in freefall.
Disturbing asbestos-containing materials can be disastrous for your project timeline and – more importantly – catastrophic for your health. Asbestos fibres are lethal, causing cancer and death in those unlucky enough to inhale them. But in some homes, it’s nearly impossible to predict whether you’ll find asbestos materials, meaning the next hammer blow could leave you, your family, and your crew exposed to asbestos.
We’ll show you the precautions you can take to minimise the effects of disturbed asbestos and hopefully prevent asbestos exposure.
Understanding the risk of asbestos containing materials
Asbestos has a chilling reputation as a stone-cold killer, and it’s well earned. Asbestos exposure is linked to serious diseases like lung disease, mesothelioma, and asbestosis – and asbestos-related diseases are usually fatal. There are an average of over 2,700 new mesothelioma cases each year in the UK with only a 2% survival rate. 94% of those deaths were preventable.
Many of today’s mesothelioma deaths are linked to past asbestos exposure – workers inhaled asbestos fibres years before their deadly effects were known. And in homes built of older building materials, asbestos still abounds. The UK didn’t outlaw asbestos until 1999, so homes built before 2000 could contain asbestos insulation, wall paper, floor tiles, insulation boards, or glues.
That means, if you’re renovating an older home, you’re at risk for accidental asbestos exposure, so it’s vital that you know the steps to take if you discover asbestos in your home.
Take these actions immediately
Usually, accidental asbestos exposure occurs in the demolition phase of a project. That’s when you’re likely to strip back layers of older materials that might have been covered by newer, safer alternatives – and disturbing asbestos materials.
If you see anything that resembles asbestos materials, take these steps straight away:
- Stop work immediately and avoid further disturbance.
- Do not sweep, vacuum, or attempt to clean up the material.
- Isolate the area and prevent others from entering.
- Shut off ventilation systems to prevent deadly asbestos fibres from spreading.
Assess the situation
It’s not always easy to identify asbestos, and misidentification or assuming an “it’ll be alright” attitude can put you and your family in harm’s way. Accidental asbestos exposure happens when you’re not taking precautions, so seek professional asbestos testing on suspicious materials if:
- They have a fibrous or crumbly texture or appearance. Asbestos-containing materials can appear fibrous, with a somewhat crumbly texture. You may see those in spray-coated ceilings or walls, like a popcorn coating; in thick, woolly insulation around pipes or boilers; or in 9″x9″ flooring tiles, especially if they’re cracked or damaged.
- You’re working with pre-1999 materials like insulation, roofing materials, ceiling tiles, wall panels, vinyl flooring, cement products, or textured paint.
- You see damage or wear in the materials. Asbestos will often deteriorate, fray, or become brittle, and in doing so, may release asbestos fibres into the air.
Call a licensed asbestos removal expert
There are strict regulations on asbestos handling in the UK. It’s not only advisable from a health standpoint to call a licensed contractor to remove your asbestos – it’s a legal obligation.
To start, asbestos-prone buildings should have a risk assessment carried out before any materials are removed and proper safety gear – like respiratory protective equipment – must be worn.
If asbestos is discovered, there are strict guidelines for removing the materials while limiting workers’ exposure to asbestos. UK asbestos regulations state that asbestos removal must comply with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 to ensure safety for workers and the public.
High-risk asbestos materials like lagging and sprayed coatings must be removed by licensed contractors with specific training and certification. They’ll take it to be disposed of at a licensed hazardous waste site and seal it securely to prevent contamination during removal.
Finally, if asbestos is found (or worse, an accidental asbestos exposure occurs), it needs to be reported to the HSE and local authorities. Licensed experts will guide you through the paperwork and protocols associated with reporting asbestos.
Need an asbestos survey? Call The Waste Group
Preventing accidental asbestos exposure literally saves lives. If you have even a tiny suspicion that you’re dealing with asbestos materials, please call us so we can remove and dispose of your asbestos waste safely.
