Asbestos?
- 19 July 2017 15:58331523My mother is in the process of gutting her garden.
I am concerned that the roof of the shed may be asbestos.
I have no idea how to identify it. My fairly useless google skills suggest that it may well be.
I had it on what I thought to be good authority, that I could inform the council and they would send someone to check, but I've just got back from them at Whitfield (after numerous unanswered phone numbers and a visit to Gateway, who gave me another number to phone, also unanswered). They informed me that as it is a private residence we would have to "find someone in the Yellow Pages". I was quite taken aback by this. I wasn't asking them to remove it for us. I just want to know if it is asbestos or not.
Isn't this rather irresponsible? Doesn't it leave people open to dodgy cowboy outfits who will go, "Yep, that's asbestos" when it isn't, and then charge a fortune to remove it? Or worse, people unknowingly breaking the stuff up themselves without taking the necessary precautions, and then just dumping it as normal waste? Or knowingly even, because of the cost? I am led to believe that this stuff can be fairly dangerous
.
Anyway, rant over. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to proceed or identify the stuff?
My latest idea is to break a piece off (safely, following all guidelines obviously), take it up to the tip and show it to whoever sees the stuff regularly up there. - Reginald Barrington
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 17 Dec 2014
- Posts: 3,261
19 July 2017 17:19331527FWIW asbestos stopped being used in roofing in the 60's so if you can date it?
if it is you don't need a qualified removal firm just common sense.
Breaking of a small corner you will be able to see the short fibres won't tell you if it is but if no fibres it isn't asbestos that's all you will get from the guy at the tip, it needs chemical analysis to truly confirm.TheThinWhiteDuke likes thisArte et Marte - Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
19 July 2017 17:42331529If this helps we used to have a garage that had an asbestos roof.
To look at it was a bit like corrugated iron but was grey in colour and a bit thicker, also not cold to touch.TheThinWhiteDuke likes this-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
------------------------------------------------------------------- - 19 July 2017 18:39331530Thanks for the replies.
It's older than me, so at least from the sixties.
It's flat panel rather than corrugated. Google images brings up tons of the corrugated stuff. Our material looks similar, which is what made me wonder in the first place.TheThinWhiteDuke likes this - 19 July 2017 19:32331533If it is asbestos the last thing you want to do is break off a bit as that will release fibres in to the air.TheThinWhiteDuke and howard mcsweeney1 like this
- 20 July 2017 00:07331541Paul Gee wrote:If it is asbestos the last thing you want to do is break off a bit as that will release fibres in to the air.
I agree, but what else are private property owners meant to do, given the obstacles I have encountered by trying to do the right thing?
As I stated earlier, if I were to break a piece off, I would do so under the (government/council) recommended guidelines, which are along the lines of: Wet it down, wear a breathing mask and gloves, wrap it in a wet blanket and double bag it, immediately wash your clothes and sweep up any possible residue, tough shit motherf**ker you're on your own...etc..
I'm quite concerned regarding this. My mother and the bloke she's got in to do the job don't seem to share my anxiety/actually give a shit. As much as I love being right. it goes without saying that I seriously hope I'm wrong about this one.
Mayor Rix is just up the hill from me. I'll bet he and his can tell a bit of asbestos when they see it.
As an addendum: I feel like I should add that I used to climb all over this shed's roof as a kid, and that said shed was basically my play/wendy house/bird hide/Secret Seven Club House wonderful thing to me as a child. I spent hours and days there, in it and over it. My lungs are still functioning. Maybe I am being over concerned. - Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,709
20 July 2017 00:40331542If it is white sheet asbestos (corrugated or flat) then the government advice you quote is the correct way to deal with it - thoroughly wet it before removal, if possible avoid breaking it up whilst removing it and keep it wet whilst doing so. It is often difficult not to break old sheet asbestos during removal but keeping a mist off water on it whilst removing eliminates dust problems.
Once removed, double bag it in heavy duty black sacks and secure them with gaffer/duct tape and clearly label as containing asbestos waste. You can then arrange with DDC for Seta to remove it for you, though you may need to pay a disposal charge.
Last time we cleared the Cherry Tree Scrap Yard someone had dumped loads of broken corrugated white asbestos there and we folloed the above procedure to dispose of it.TheThinWhiteDuke likes this"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi - Reginald Barrington
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 17 Dec 2014
- Posts: 3,261
20 July 2017 09:34331558While all asbestos is potentially lethal this type both corrugated and flat sheet has a relatively low asbestos content and relatively low risk, after all HSE are not advising professional removal services,
I would treat it as asbestos sheeting, I believe you can still take it to the tip and dispose of for free as long as correctly bagged as Ross describes.Arte et Marte - Weird Granny Slater
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 7 Jun 2017
- Posts: 3,095
20 July 2017 12:13331570I noticed this morning that there is a skip at the Dover KCC tip at Whitfield marked 'Asbestos', but you need to speak to staff before putting anything in it. Of course, this doesn't solve the problems of safe removal or transportation.'Pass the cow dung, my dropsy's killing me' - Heraclitus