Asbestos

Caitlin_Bree

I realise the unlikelihood of someone being able to say something that helps me to sleep, but it's 4:10am and I had to try something. _pale_

I'm due to have "ground consolidation" (where they pump an aggregate into the foundations to stabilise the house) next Thursday.
In preparation for this, carpet and the first stair have to be removed.
My partner has pulled up tiles (12"x 12" in an ex-council house) that were underneath the carpet, and after doing some reading, I am now concerned that they may have contained asbestos.
Obviously I can't unring that bell. From what I have read though, in floor tiles, the asbestos is tightly contained and only becomes hazardous when sanded/disturbed in a way that creates dust that people have prolonged/severe exposure to, so after some initial panic, I'm now thinking I probably won't drop dead in 20 years due to this.

The real problem is that the tile adhesive may also contain asbestos, and obviously, drilling through that for the consolidation will be a problem.
Does anybody have any experience with getting analysis of asbestos? I'm in the home counties and have three days before this is due to start. I don't want to put anyone at risk, so I need to find out asap, or cancel procedings.

Anyone know if asbestos analysis can be done that quickly? Are there people that come out and detect it? or does it always need to be sent off to a lab?

Relevant help very gratefully received.

Kiran

Yes the analysis can be done quickly and no someone can not say with 100% certainty if a product has asbestos in I just by looking at it. The sample needs to be analysed at a lab under a microscope. There are safe working practices for drilling through ACM's but you should find out if you have a problem first before you start panicking. I presume what you have read refers to Marley tiles. Again I cant tell you if they are asbestos but its normally the 8" square ones which contain asbestos. As for the adhesive, again I assume that this is the bitumen based stuff? Get it sampled as some does not contain asbestos. Once you have the results you need to let the contractor know if it is asbestos although they will more than likely see it and be suspicious so a report is good either way.

J_B

Kiran wrote: »

Once you have the results you need to let the contractor know if it is asbestos although they will more than likely see it and be suspicious so a report is good either way.

Best tell them now as there will probably be a lot of chin rubbing and sucking of air through teeth which ever way you go!!!

Kiran

True, but waiting until you know the result avoids giving them an easy out if they've got other work on etc. I am curious why someone didn't lift the carpet and have a look when pricing the work though.

Furts

Asbestos is dangerous, but being pragmatic, an awful lot of scare mongering happens. If you drill through the floor tiles or adhesive, and you wear gloves and facemask, you wet the drill area, and clean or vacuum after, you wash your hands after, carefully dispose of the residue ...basically common sense procedures you are not going to drop dead of asbestosis.

Those with asbestosis were subject to far more asbestos than you are concerned with, and they will have been exposed over longer periods of time.

Kiran

Wet drilling is not ideal with Brown and Blue as they are hydrophobic, shaving foam or wall paper paste are the current methods taught if you "have to" drill hole in it. Before anyone from the safety police jumps on me, I'm not suggesting anyone does it, just how it is done by those who are trained

Caitlin_Bree

Thanks everyone for being a lot of what I needed to hear. I might have been expecting a lot of "oooh, you didn't wanna do that!" and these :eek:.

Most of the search results were of the "Daily Mail - you're going to die of this" variety, which needless to say had me in a bit of a panic.

I did find some similarly rational people on another website whose owner was as freaked out as I was, having done the same thing. Good to know we're not alone..in some ways.

I found a lot of places online that advertised 24 hour postage analysis, prices varied from £40- £100, but their own reviews were a little sketchy.. all glowing reports, all perfectly spelled and with consistant grammar/vocabulary (hmmm) and all from people happy to not find asbestos, which made me a little suspicious.

I found a laboratory that does drop-ins in Writtle/Chelmsford, took it in there at about 11:40am and had the results emailed to me by 12:14pm.. I was expecting them the next day. It was £20 for four samples!
Turns out there was/is asbestos in the removed tiles and in the adhesive, so while I'm not entirely happy about that, I do feel slightly more reassured by the information that I've been given about the minimal risk, given the minimal exposure. Did I thank you all for that? Have more thanks. Everything either has, or is, being taken care of accordingly now that we know.

I'm also a lot happier being able to inform the builders of the risk. They're now aware, and after checking with the big boss confirm that it's ok to go ahead with the consolidation drilling. So I guess time to breathe out (not literally) and take the fingernails out of my palms, as everyone's aware and it's still going ahead. Which is fortunate as I believe they're the only company that can remedy our problem with that particular solution.

Kind of wish they'd said something about the tiles when they came round to survey initially and saw what was underneath, but it's all come good..so far (Touching all of the woods.)

I'd really like to recommend the lab, but I'm not entirely sure of protocol here lately, so I won't name them unless I'm told it's ok. Please someone tell me it's ok, they were fricking amazing.

Thanks again for the help/calming effect. Really needed that.

Risteard

Furts wrote: »

clean or vacuum after

That is extremely dangerous advice. A simple hoover will actually increase the danger as it will send the Asbestos fibres airborne (and also may not contain them effectively).

ONLY a Class H hoover can be used with Asbestos, along with every other correct procedure (NOTin place of).

Furts

Risteard wrote: »

That is extremely dangerous advice. A simple hoover will actually increase the danger as it will send the Asbestos fibres airborne (and also may not contain them effectively).

ONLY a Class H hoover can be used with Asbestos, along with every other correct procedure (NOTin place of).

Let us get in areal world here. I am not disputing your approach, but the drilling of OP's floor slab (assuming that is the requirement) will be done by a specialist contractor. Indeed, I am surprised this contractor did not take on the responsibility for the floor preparation.

Of course asbestos is a risk, but if all construction workers worried about every perceived small exposure we would never get any where with work. I know I have been in countless sites where there may have been airborne asbestos at low levels - in the dust generally contained in the atmosphere. Nobody checks this. I also know of countless sites over the years where no analysis was done. Indeed, I do not recall being on any sites pre 2000 where an analysis was done. This does not make me cheerful - it is just a factual statement.

Risteard

Be that as it may, we now know that that approach is unacceptable and also rightly illegal.