Asbestos In The Home – Risks & Protections For Homeowners
Although asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999, it is still commonly found in many buildings such as hospitals and schools. What may seem even more surprising is that asbestos can be found in many homes around the UK, being found in around 73 per cent of social housing analysed in a 2022 report (NORAC Report 2022).
As it stands, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) does not recommend the DIY removal of asbestos. However, the cost of professional removal can be high, which can lead some homeowners to attempt removal themselves without fully understanding the risks. It is critical that you understand what protections are in place for homeowners, and what you should do if you discover asbestos in the home.
Where can you find asbestos in the home?
Asbestos can be found in properties built or renovated before the ban in 1999, especially before 1985 when blue and brown asbestos were banned.
Asbestos can be white, blue or brown and can be fluffy, coarse or in fine fibres. It can be found both inside and outside the house, around boilers and pipes, insulation in fireplaces, flue pipes, soffits, ceiling tiles, roof tiles, corrugated roofing and guttering.
Is asbestos in the home dangerous?
While intact and undisturbed, asbestos is unlikely to pose any risk due to fibres not being released. However, if any drilling, sawing, sanding or knocking down of any asbestos occurs, there is a significant risk of asbestos dust or fibres being released.
Asbestos exposure is hazardous and can cause cancer following inhalation exposure. Long-term and significant exposure to asbestos can cause a disease known as asbestosis, which causes breathing to become difficult. This also increases the risk of cancers such as mesothelioma and lung cancer. Lower exposure to asbestos can result in thickening of the lung lining either generally (diffuse pleural thickening) or localised (pleural plaques).
It tends to take a minimum latency period of 10 years before one suffers breathless symptoms following exposure. Symptoms of asbestos-related diseases can take many years to develop and may not appear until decades after exposure. If you are concerned about past exposure, you should always seek appropriate medical advice should you develop symptoms.
Can you remove asbestos from your home yourself?
As it stands, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) does not recommend the DIY removal of asbestos. However, this can seem inaccessible to many homeowners due to the high costs that come with professional asbestos removal. The average homeowner is estimated to spend roughly £1,750 on the typical surveying and removal of asbestos from their home.
Due to these costs, homeowners may resort to removing asbestos themselves, or in some cases, do not realise that what they are removing is asbestos.
The Health and Safety Executive has strict rules on exposure limits to asbestos, with regulations requiring specialised equipment and training in the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 for professional removal. Worryingly, there are no such rules or training required for domestic removal by homeowners and disposal in HWRCs.
How should asbestos in the home be disposed of?
Many councils allow for asbestos to be disposed of in ordinary household waste and recycling centres (HWRCs), with Plymouth City Council being one of these, allowing bags or sheets of asbestos under 25kg to be disposed of at Chelson Meadow.
However, the rules and restrictions will vary by location, and you should always check your local council’s current requirements before transporting any suspected asbestos waste. Better still, consult a professional who will ensure the asbestos is handled and disposed of carefully to reduce the risk of fibres being released and inhaled.
What protections are in place for homeowners?
While the general guidance is not to remove or repair asbestos in the home yourself, many campaigners still believe that more regulation needs to be put in place to protect homeowners and standardise approaches to asbestos. Councils and landlords who own homes rented to tenants have an obligation to ensure asbestos is safely removed and disposed of.
In any cases where you believe there may be asbestos in your home, be cautious and follow government and HSE guidance.
If you were exposed to asbestos in a council- or landlord-owned property where it should have been removed, and you are now experiencing breathing difficulties, please contact the specialist industrial disease solicitors in Plymouth at GA Solicitors. Asbestos-related symptoms normally take a minimum of 10 years to develop following exposure, but you could have grounds to make an asbestos exposure claim once you develop symptoms.
Our specialist industrial disease team has more than 30 years’ experience in dealing with asbestos claims in Plymouth and the surrounding areas and can help you secure the compensation you may be entitled to. The team is also accredited by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and led by partner James Walsh, who is an accredited Occupational Disease and Asbestos Disease specialist with APIL.
For advice tailored to your own situation regarding asbestos exposure, do not hesitate to reach out to our solicitors in Plymouth by emailing enquiries@GAsolicitors.com or calling 01752 203500.
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