


It was once widely used in building materials and products to strengthen them and provide heat insulation and fire resistance. We will offer further advice if we feel there is a likelihood of removing or damaging asbestos products.Īny unplanned structural damage to your home, whether internal or external, that may have exposed asbestos products must be reported to us immediately. For example, if asbestos cement guttering falls into the garden due to extreme weather conditions.ĭo not attempt to remove any asbestos products by yourself. Asbestos waste must be disposed of in a safe manner to a licensed site. Please do not place it in wheelie bins. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fiber found in rocks and soil. These qualities make the mineral useful in many products. You should not sand or scrape textured coating. It consists of flexible fibers resistant to heat, electricity and corrosion. If you are concerned about any suspect material in your home, consider that it may contain asbestos until proven otherwise. It is sometimes necessary for us to take a sample to identify the type of asbestos. You should not carry out structural repairs or improvements to your home above and beyond cleaning and basic decorating unless you have checked with us first.

What to do if you think you have asbestos in your home If you undertake work that involves drilling, sawing, abrading or cutting into the fabric of any material containing asbestos, you could potentially be at risk. It is therefore important to know if something contains asbestos and what to do if the material must be removed. The symptoms of these diseases often do not appear for between 20 and 30 years after exposure to asbestos.Īnyone who disturbs asbestos to the extent that it releases fibres, whether it has deteriorated or been damaged, may be at risk. Asbestos-containing materials are not always dangerous but they can be. 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. Most people are exposed to low amounts of asbestos present in the atmosphere with no ill effects. loose asbestos packing between floors and in partition walls.eaves, gutters, and rainwater fall pipes.Thus, Norwest Corporation, which had constructed an asbestos-containing building in 1969 as an operations center and branch for one of its banking subsidiaries, did nothing to abate that asbestos for many years. Some of the areas in your home where you may find asbestos include: By contrast, the mere presence of undisturbed asbestos in a building is not necessarily dangerous. It has also been used in household products such as ironing boards and oven gloves.Īsbestos was used extensively as a building material in Great Britain before 2000. Asbestos products are found in most homes and, if they are in a good state of repair and left undisturbed, they present no hazard to health.Īsbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has been used in a range of building materials to make them more rigid and fire resistant. Many people have worries about asbestos, but undisturbed asbestos usually poses no problems.
