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Should a law be passed that all killer ASBESTOS be stripped out of all UK RESEDENTDIAL property, so once and for all there is zero risk to tradesman & homeowners. I raise these concerns, because Artex painted walls/ ceilings containing ASBESTOS are regularlly skimmed over to achieve the current fashion of `flat walls`, somewhere down the line walls are drilled/chased, say for a full house re-wire or the homeowner fixing shelves etc. resulting in a possible long term health problem. I am aware the HSE state WHITE ASBESTOS is classed less harmfull, but didn`t the tobacco companies claim `Low Tar` cigs would pose little risk back in the 60s/70s...we know different now. There is conflicting views on on how dangerous White ASBESTOS is, so I believe why have any risk. Responses appreciated, thanks.
 
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I take it you have an interest in waste management.

Yes it would be an ideal world if all asbestos was removed. Unfortunately 2/3rds of the UK housing stock would be uninhabitable, industry would grind to a halt, need I go on?

Cloud cuckoo land!
:party:
 
Are you suggesting that every home with Artex painted walls and ceilings should be inspected for asbestos then have it removed if it contains it?
 
Re: Should it be law - ASBESTOS be removed from domestic properties?

Yes, I am suggesting the afore-mentioned: as for an `interest in waste management`, I am not involved with the industry. It would cause some initial upheaval to rid properties of this hazard and expensive, I concede, but should be a government funded exercise. What’s the alternative - leave this killer in the walls, for future generations to contend. The finances are there, if the UK Government were short of capital why would they waste millions waging war on Iraq/Afghanistan & Libya, nations that were never a threat to the UK...till now!
 
A great idea in theory however who is going to police the law? Are you suggesting that every home in the UK would be inspected by some government appointed body? If so who is going to pay for it?
Perhaps it would be practicable for social housing as the organisation which owns the property is responsible for it's upkeep but even then the cost would be prohibitive and the timescales required would be unworkable, after all with the current shortage of social housing where would you propose a family would be put while their home was stripped of asbestos? You would then have the problem of "Why is Mr Smith's house being stripped before mine?"
In closing I'd say the current situation whereby a property is tested for asbestos before being worked on is the best we are ever going to have IE test the property, if it's clear of asbestos then it's OK to go ahead if it isn't then remedial action is needed before work progresses.
 
I think you seem to have missed the point of carrying out a risk assessment, and wear the appropriate PPE when drilling or chasing!! :banghead:
 
Guys a few of you have missed the point here.
As far as Local Authority or housing association properties go you are committing a criminal offence yourselves if you work on them without knowing the asbestos situation.
The owner has a statutory duty to provide you with the asbestos survey if you ask for it, however, it is your statute law duty to ask for it.
As far as private housing goes, you must be competent to identify potential asbestos containing materials, regardless.
End Of.
Statute duty.
Thus you must be competent to do this, which means training learn to live with it.
I have my annual asbestos refresher Monday.
If you are employed and working in an occupation likely to expose you to asbestos your employer has a statute law duty to ensure that you are aware of the risks, hazards, potential hazards etc.
Ifg your employer is yourself, then you have a legal statute law duty to train yourself.
Also IF you expose others to disturbed asbestos fibres then you will be deemed as responsible for their well being.
You must check your business insurance as it is doubtful that it will cover you.
Thus in 20, 30, 40 years time, if a householder contracts asbestosis following your disturbance of asbestos in their premises, regardless of who was the owner of the asbestos, you will be criminally liable.
Your business insurer will not pay out and you will have to meet the costs of the case and the damages etc.
This is not something to be taken lightly, one reason my PI/PL/EL is so high, and one reason why many of you are effectively working uninsured.
Think about it and check your policies small print.
 
I can see what you're saying and it's a nice idea, but i can't see it working - you'd have to establish where the asbestos is, which as you say could prove difficult if the ceiling has been skimmed over, and convince the housholder that all of a sudden they have to have their ceilings pulled down even though they've been 'fine' for decades. I can't see the government wanting to squander taxpayers' money on this when there is asbestos in almost every school in the country - doing things 'for the children' is a vote-winner so if any political party were desperate for votes and could have done it, they would have had all the asbestos stripped out of schools.

Then there is the 'false security' aspect - if you aim to eradicate asbestos by, say, 2020, then after that time tradesmen will be less aware of it because they would be under the impression that 'asbestos doesn't exist any more' whereas the reality is that a lot of asbestos will have been missed out due to various reasons such as properties being empty, lost correspondence/paperwork, work having been done 'for cash'.
This would actually be less safe and increase the risk posed to tradesmen.
 
Guys a few of you have miss......................
Thus in 20, 30, 40 years time, if a householder contracts asbestosis following your disturbance of asbestos in their premises, regardless of who was the owner of the asbestos, you will be criminally liable.
Your business insurer will not pay out etc etc

A fair enough post all in all there, NBP, apart from the last bit.
In 2, 3 or 4 decades down the line, I would have thought that anyone would have a seriously hard time proving negligence onpart of the electrician. No excuse to be blasé about it though.
 
A couple of days down the line and it’s impossible to prove. Asbestosis can be in the body dormant for years until it develops in to pneumoconiosis.

The householder could have changed the brakes on his car, gone to eat in a restaurant that had fire retardant walls.

It’s everywhere! Total removal is pure moonshine, it will never happen. It can be reduced bit by bit. But you’re platting fog if you ever think it will be removed from everywhere.

Blue and white asbestos are a naturally occurring outcrops in some parts of the world.

Look for Turner & Newall on Google.
 
It’s everywhere!

My garage roof is the corrugated stuff. It's a bit dusty in there...so I'm probably £$%&ed, that and the heavy smoking and drinking of nearly 40 years.

I've always heard it said 'that one fibre in your lungs will kill you', how can they possibly prove that! I'm quite happy to be shown conclusive evidence though.
 
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Currently, is the present situation, Electricians are working `Blind` when asked to chase/drill newly plastered walls as they wouldn`t know whether Artex containing ASBESTOS could be buried just below the surface so in effect is it `Russian Roulette`: unless a core sample is drilled deep in the plaster and lab tested.
 
Re: Should it be law - ASBESTOS be removed from domestic properties?

What’s the alternative - leave this killer in the walls, for future generations to contend.

id rather they spent money on getting rid of the killers on the streets,every day death and misery,i could live with asbestos in the walls if my kids could safely walk the streets..
 
currently, is the present situation, electricians are working `blind` when asked to chase/drill newly plastered walls as they wouldn`t know whether artex containing asbestos could be buried just below the surface so in effect is it `russian roulette`: Unless a core sample is drilled deep in the plaster and lab tested.

that is why we carry out a risk assessment and use the appropriate ppe!!!!!!!!!!
 
Really there is no practical possibility of ensuring the removal of all asbestos from buildings without removing , under asbestos clearance conditions, all buildings built before 1999 and replacing them with asbestos free buildings. The prevalence of asbestos in use for hundreds of years is so high that while the ideal is a nice result the practicality is beyond possibility.
 
OK now I’ll open a new can of worms.

Silica, it’s in plasterboard, bricks, cement etc. Inhalation causes silicosis which again leads to pneumoconiosis.

We’ll probably contract something nasty even when we’re all living in wattle and daub houses. But at least the lime wash used to paint the inside should kill off most of the effects of bulls**t!

Bugger! I forgot wattle and daub is flammable!

Sorry lads, it’s back to the tents, eeerr hang on, their flammable as well.

Anyone know of a fibrous natural material that’s fireproof?
 
Is anything fireproof??? if you grind it up small enough.
I saw the other day somewhere a coffee powered car.
 

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