Frequently Asked Questions
Tradesmen FAQ
Of all people in the UK you are most at risk of disturbing asbestos containing materials. If you are self-employed you are legally required to ensure that the work you undertake does not expose you, your client or anyone working for you to asbestos. If you are employed then your employer has a duty to ensure that you have access to suitable training and to meet the requirements laid out in the Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR2006). Ignorance is no defence. If your actions give rise to a spread of asbestos then you will be liable to prosecution.
If you are working on a commercial or industrial building then there should already be an asbestos survey in place for you to view prior to starting your work. If you are undertaking work that involves destructive alterations to the fabric of the building then you should be aware that a more invasive ‘refurbishment or demolition type of asbestos survey is a requirement prior to starting. You can refuse to work on a building that has not been sufficiently assessed for risks from asbestos materials.
If there is no survey available you should assume that everything is asbestos or contact us for more help. If you need a material checked quickly then we can get one of our team out to analyse the sample the very same day. Perhaps the most important thing to remember is, use your common sense.
If you’re not sure about a materials or have concerns, stop the job until it can be checked.
You would only be allowed to remove asbestos if you have undertaken and passed the ‘Non Licensed Asbestos Removal’ training. Please don’t mix this up with asbestos awareness course as they are totally different. The non-licensed training allows you to remove low risk items such as asbestos cement, floor tiles; cisterns etc however you would still need to undergo face fit testing and hold a hazardous waste transportation license should you wish to move it. If you are unsure about anything, don’t start removing it until you have contacted us and made sure that you are safe to do so.
Any building built before the year 2000 should have an asbestos report to show the location of asbestos materials. They should also have a separate refurbishment asbestos report which will have been carried out on the area that you are working in. The refurbishment survey is to show any hidden asbestos that you may disturb during works. If these re not present, ask for them. If one has not been carried out then you should stop works and explain to the client that it is illegal to proceed. This may cause some issues however the legislation is there to protect both you and the occupants of the building.
If the house has a landlord then an asbestos survey should have been carried out prior to any refurbishment works. Many people do not realise that a rented home becomes a place of work and health & safety legislation applies. In a private home there is no requirement for an asbestos survey however if you believe the material you are about to disturb is asbestos, then stop what you are doing and give us a call. We will check the material and provide you with certification. This can be done from £50 and on the same day.
Yes so long as you have asbestos awareness training and are not going to disturb the asbestos.
If the house has a landlord then an asbestos survey should have been carried out prior to any refurbishment works. In a private home there is no legal requirement for an asbestos survey.
Yes. The current regulations require mandatory training for anyone liable to be exposed to asbestos fibres at work. This includes maintenance workers and other tradesman who may come into contact with or who may disturb asbestos within the property
Give us a call and one of our operatives will come out and take a sample. We will then analyse the material and provide you with a certificate showing if it is asbestos free of the type and concentration of asbestos found within it.
No not at all. Removal of asbestos is always the last option in our books. Asbestos is only dangerous if it is disturbed and therefore no remedial actions may be needed. It depends upon where the asbestos is, the condition of the material and how likely to be disturbed it is. Other remedial actions may include encapsulation, isolation, or repairs.
In its natural form it looks like a rock. Under a microscope it looks like tiny needle shaped or S shaped fibres. When mixed with a building product you can really see the fibres as they are too small for the human eye to distinguish. Don’t presume that just because you can’t see fibres on a material that it isn’t asbestos. The only way to tell for sure is to examine it under a microscope, so please call us for more details.
The fibres are so small that when disturbed your lungs cannot protect against them. The fibres become lodge din your neck, stomach and lungs causing long term damage such as cancer & tumours.
On average 20 tradesmen in the UK die from asbestos exposure per week. Sadly, this is likely to double by 2020.