What is asbestos?
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:
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:
Removing asbestos from your home
If you do choose to remove the non-licensable asbestos materials yourself it will help if you take the following precautions:
If you have removed asbestos from your home yourself, it will need to be disposed of separately from your normal household waste. You may be able to arrange to have it collected or there may be special facilities in your area you can use to dispose of hazardous waste. Contact your local council for further details.
The following link will let you enter details of where you live and then take you to your local authority website where you can find out more about removing asbestos.
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 infoline, 0845 345 0055, for general advice on asbestos.
Your council can offer advice to residents and businesses on what to do if it is thought that asbestos may be present in a building. Inspectors may visit the premises to confirm the presence of asbestos and advise on procedures for removal and disposal.