Asbestos
Asbestos: Your guide to staying safe
This is a guide to asbestos. It tells you everything you need to know about asbestos - what it is, where you might find it in your home, how it affects health and what we can do to make it safe.
First things first. There's no need to worry. Even if you do have asbestos in your home, it is not usually a problem. Asbestos in itself is not dangerous. It is only a problem if it gets damaged or disturbed during work to your home.
We hope you find this guide useful. If you still have questions or worries, just ring Salix Direct on 0800 218 2000 or email enquiries@salixhomes.org. We'll be happy to help.
What is asbestos?
Asbestos is the name given to a group of minerals that occur naturally in rock. Three main types of asbestos are used in the UK including blue, brown and white asbestos.
Why was asbestos used in buildings?
Asbestos was used in buildings because it's very strong and resistant to heat and chemicals. It was used a lot in building materials particularly in the 1960s. In 1993, the use of asbestos in many products was stopped.
Why is asbestos dangerous to people?
Asbestos only becomes dangerous when it's damaged. That's when it releases invisible fibres into the air. If we breathe these fibres in they get stuck in the tissues of the chest or lungs. This can cause diseases such as:
- Asbestosis - this is scarring of the lungs.
- Lung Cancer - this cancer is more frequent among smokers.
- Mesothelioma - this is cancer of the lungs or stomach lining.
If your home was built in the 1960s or 1970s, it may contain asbestos.
Loft or cavity wall insulation does NOT contain asbestos.
Asbestos cement products: - Textured coatings
- Floor tiles, textiles and composites
- Sprayed coatings on walls, beams/columns
- Asbestos insulating board
- Lagging (insulation surrounding pipes)
- Loose asbestos in ceiling or floor cavity
So how do I know if I have asbestos in my home?
You can't tell just by looking. If you think you might have asbestos in your home, tell us and we'll take a look. Call Salix Direct on 0800 218 2000 or e-mail
enquiries@salixhomes.org
Asbestos advice
- Don't panic! If you think you have asbestos in your home, it's usually only a problem if it's disturbed.
- Don't disturb any damaged area or product that might contain asbestos.
- Don't do any DIY. Don't sand, drill, saw or strip any area that might contain asbestos.
- Don't dust, sweep or vacuum dirt or debris that might contain asbestos.
- Don't remove asbestos lagging, spray coatings or insulation board.
Call us and we'll get a specialist to remove it.
Don't take risks!
Leave it to us. If you think you have asbestos in your home, we'll do a survey of your property. We may take a sample of any area we suspect contains
asbestos and send this to a laboratory for analysis. If you do have asbestos, we'll take care of it. Materials that are slightly damaged can sometimes be sealed or enclosed to make them safe. It's usually safest to leave undamaged asbestos materials where they are.
How are we making homes safe?
If asbestos is not damaged and still doing its job by strengthening and fireproofing, it's safest to leave it in place. This is what the law and government policy says. Where asbestos is a hazard, we'll make it safe by enclosing it or removing it.
We carry out surveys on a sample of our properties to find out if they contain asbestos. We'll let you know when our fully trained asbestos surveyors are going to be carrying out these surveys. We'll also tell you about the results. If we find asbestos in your home, we'll take one of these actions depending on the level of risk:
- We'll remove it.
- We'll cap it or seal it and check it regularly.
- We'll record where it is and check it regularly.
If we need to remove the asbestos, we'll let you know where it is and what to do in the meantime. But don't panic. Remember, it's not a risk unless it's disturbed or damaged.
Further Information
Health and Safety Executive
www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos
Asbestos Information Centre Ltd
www.aic.org.uk
