Asbestos at Work

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If you have asbestos materials in your home extra care should be taken when doing DIY. Do not attempt to work on materials containing sprayed asbestos, lagging or insulating board as this must be undertaken by a licensed asbestos removal contractor. DIY work on asbestos cement materials is not illegal but you need to take the following precautions:

• Keep other people away from the area of work
• Avoid causing the production of asbestos fibres by minimising the damage done to the material. If removing sheets of asbestos keep them as whole as possible – do not be tempted to break them up into smaller, more easily manageable pieces
• Do not drill or saw asbestos unless absolutely necessary. Do not scrape or sand asbestos materials before painting and decorating (consider covering over existing decorations rather than attempting to remove them). Some types of asbestos materials are very soft and can release large numbers of fibres if rubbed or scraped
• Keep asbestos materials wet to avoid producing dust
• Work outside if possible and avoid working overhead
• Wear protective clothing, preferably category 3 (type5/6) disposable overalls and a disposable dust mask „CE‟ marked to EN149 with FFP3 particulate filters
• Use hand tools rather than power tools
• Do not use a domestic vacuum cleaner to clear up the dust as the very small fibres will pass through the bag and will then be distributed throughout the house. Damp down and remove any dust with a cloth. Do not wash dust from these cloths but dispose of appropriately
• When you have finished work clean up and then take off overalls carefully, to avoid raising any dust which may have collected in the fabric. Disposable overalls and masks should be doubled bagged in strong plastic bags, sealed and clearly marked “ASBESTOS”. Wash non-disposable overalls straight away, separately from other clothing, in a washing machine.

• Do not drill, saw, scrub asbestos materials with wire brushes, or disturb it in anyway.
• Avoid disturbing or damaging asbestos materials in good condition.
• If you have damaged or deteriorating asbestos materials in your home then SEEK ADVICE.
• If you think that your warm air heating system, electrical storage heating system or flameless catalytic gas heater may contain asbestos SEEK ADVICE from your local gas or electricity supplier. If they do contain asbestos, do not attempt to dismantle these appliances yourself.
• Do not take risks – treat asbestos with respect

If you are using contractors to undertake building or refurbishment work within your home you will need to inform them if you are aware of any asbestos material within the building. You will need to discuss with them if the proposed work will disturb the asbestos in any way and how they plan to avoid/ minimise any disturbance. You will also need to go through what steps would be taken if they found asbestos material during the course of their work.

You may decide to have the asbestos removed from your home. The vast majority of work with or removal of asbestos will require a licensed contractor. The only exceptions to this are:

1) If you are employing a contractor to carry out short, non-continuous maintenance activities and specified fibre concentrations and control limits are not exceeded (see www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/licensing/need.htm)

2) If the asbestos material they are removing has the asbestos fibres “linked in a matrix”, such as asbestos cement products used for shed roofs etc.

3) If you are employing contractors to encapsulate or seal in asbestos containing material which is in good condition.

4) If you are using contractors to carry out testing or survey work to ascertain the nature of a material or the air monitoring either during or following work with asbestos.

The list of licensed contractors is available on the HSE website. You should expect to discuss with the contractor:

• the type of asbestos you wish them to remove,
• ensure that they have given the HSE 14 days notice of any work they are undertaking for you.
• their waste disposal arrangements – they should dispose of all asbestos material
• their arrangements for air monitoring after the work is completed. Air monitoring must be carried out by a company independent of the contractor.

If your work does not require a licensed contractor you should still ensure that anyone you choose to carry out the work is competent to do so. You should expect a good contractor to want to know what type of asbestos they will be working with, whether you are aware of the licensing regulations and to find out how they intend to do the work to ensure that their method complies with the advice relating to DIY.

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 relate to the duties and obligations of employers and the self-employed when working with and/ or removing asbestos.

There is a great deal of information regarding Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 available on the Health & Safety Executive website:

If you require further advice please contact: