Asbestos advice Bracknell Forest Homes
Asbestos was a very commonly used building material in the 1970s and 80s. It does not catch fire easily, is resistant to chemicals, is durable, it blocks noise and is a good insulator. Using asbestos in construction was not completely banned in the United Kingdom until 1999, which means many homes are likely to have some asbestos in them. This leaflet explains: What asbestos is Where you might find it Why it may be a problem How to deal with it. 2 Asbestos advice
If there is asbestos in your home, this does not automatically mean there is a problem or risk. In fact, materials containing asbestos are very good at what they do. Asbestos fibres can only affect your health if they become damaged, either accidentally or while they are being worked on during building work or DIY. If this happens, the asbestos could release fibres and these could harm your health if you breathe in a significant quantity. Please be assured that the presence of asbestos containing materials in your home should not be a cause for concern. It is the Health and Safety Executive s (HSE) advice that such materials in good condition should be left in place undisturbed and their condition periodically monitored. You may like to think of it in the same way as live electricity a constant presence and quite safe until tampered with. What is asbestos? Asbestos is a natural mineral, found in rock. As it is naturally occurring, asbestos fibres are in the air all the time, so we are all breathing in about 200,000 to 300,000 fibres every day without harming our health. Materials containing asbestos cannot be identified simply by looking at them. July 2015 3
What we do We carry out asbestos surveys of homes to make sure we know the type of any asbestos, where it is and whether it is in a safe condition. We keep a register of this and have an ongoing plan to deal with any asbestos as appropriate. If you are planning to do any works in your home which may disturb asbestos containing materials, please contact us before the works and we can give advice. Is there asbestos in my home? Asbestos can be found in most homes built before the late 1990s. If untouched the asbestos containing materials are not harmful. There may be asbestos in the following areas of your home: Boiler flues Fascia boards Pipe joints Garage roofs Fire breaks Pipework Gas appliances Fire doors Textured coatings, like Artex Pipe boxing Insulation Water heaters Soffits Partition walls Bath panels Water tanks Storage heaters Ceiling tiles Floor tiles Door and boiler cupboard linings Gutters and rainwater pipes Any new material our contractors or we fit to your home will not contain asbestos. 4 Asbestos advice
Will asbestos affect my health? Asbestos is not a danger to your health if it is in good condition and is not disturbed. It can be harmful if you disturb asbestos by drilling it, sawing it, or rubbing it down. How can I reduce the risk of asbestos? Don t repair or remove any If you don t know whether material that you think may something contains contain asbestos asbestos, phone us on 0800 692 3000 and we Don t cut, break, saw, drill, will be able to check our sand or disturb anything you asbestos register think may contain asbestos If you don t know what a material is made from, assume that it contains asbestos If you are carrying out works at home and asbestos is found, it must be handled by a qualified person. We have details of qualified people. July 2015 5
Will you remove asbestos from my home? Asbestos was used so widely in the building trade for such a long time that removing asbestos from all homes is not practical, and in many instances attempting to remove the asbestos will release more fibres into the air than if left alone. We will do a risk assessment for every case. A trained surveyor will decide whether to: Leave the asbestos in place and make a record of where it is (if it is in good condition) Seal the asbestos to stop it breaking down (this is called encapsulation) Cover the asbestos with timber, PVC or other materials; or remove it and replace it with material that doesn t contain asbestos. 6 Asbestos advice
Leaseholders If you own your property and are a leaseholder, we are not responsible for asbestos in your home. Please contact us and we can give you a list of contractors licensed to deal with asbestos or carry out surveys. If we own the freehold of the building in which your home is located, we will be responsible for the asbestos in any shared areas (for example stairwells or landings). Who can remove asbestos? We only use approved contractors licensed by the Health and Safety Executive to remove or work upon harmful types of asbestos. If you have any concerns about asbestos please phone us on 0800 692 3000 July 2015 7
If you require this leaflet about home emergencies in larger print, audio, braille or another language please contact the freephone number. 0800 692 3000 Get in touch! Berkshire Court Western Road Bracknell Berkshire RG12 1RE General: 01344 382800 Customer Enquiries: 0800 692 3000 Email: bfh@bracknellforesthomes.org.uk Web: www.bracknellforesthomes.org.uk Bracknell Forest Homes Limited is a charitable registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefits Societies Act 2014 registration number 30230R July 2015