artex with asbestos removal

sleepyj

Just been looking into this from the perspective of can i remove this myself, seems to be a grey area

According to the hse it falls under non-licensed work, but is notifiable. I don't know whether this means i can legally remove it myself or not as it's very much geared towards what you must do as an employer, mostly centering around avoiding getting sued.

I know for example you can remove a garage yourself, but I'm not sure whether it's the same for artex:

https://www.york.gov.uk/AsbestosSafeDisposal

Now before people start going on about how you need a specialist, how dangerous asbestos is, bla bla, consider that the qualifications to be able to carry out this work are:

9 hours of training

Yep, that's all. Hardly 5 years of medical school is it.

So pardon me for thinking it's a better idea for me to put some plastic sheets down, some ppe on, bag the waste and dispose of it properly, rather than paying someone 5k to do the same thing, and very likely less carefully.

So does anyone know if I can legally remove this myself or not?

Section62

sleepyj said:

Now before people start going on about how you need a specialist, how dangerous asbestos is, bla bla, consider that the qualifications to be able to carry out this work are:

9 hours of training

Yep, that's all. Hardly 5 years of medical school is it.

So pardon me for thinking it's a better idea for me to put some plastic sheets down, some ppe on, bag the waste and dispose of it properly, rather than paying someone 5k to do the same thing, and very likely less carefully.

So does anyone know if I can legally remove this myself or not?

Well, 9 hours of training is not a great deal.  But it is a bit Catch 22, or maybe axiomatic, that if someone has the required level of knowledge to safely remove and dispose of asbestos-containing materials then they shouldn't need to go to an internet forum to ask whether they can legally do it.

The training isn't very much, but will include the vital point that if there is any uncertainty, stop, and get advice from someone with more knowledge/experience. Or pass the job on to better qualified people.

Unfortunately, anyone advising you on the legality and wisdom of DIY asbestos removal puts themselves at risk in the event your skills and knowledge aren't adequate to keep yourself and other people safe. Which is also one of the reasons why online advice (e.g. from the HSE) tends to leave the subject a grey area.

Hence the fallback of advising seeking specialist advice....

FreeBear

sleepyj said: I know for example you can remove a garage yourself, but I'm not sure whether it's the same for artex:

Found this for you - https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/licensing/non-licensed-work.htm

Examples of notifiable non-licensed work (NNLW) with asbestos

• large-scale removal of textured decorative coatings using steaming or gelling methods (eg beyond that required for maintenance activities such as installation/replacement of smoke alarms and fittings)

The text is also repeated here - https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/licensing/notifiable-non-licensed-work.htm

Doesn't say anything about needing to use an approved contractor or whether it is OK to DIY the job.... The advice is aimed at employers, so you need to make your own decision as to whether it applies to you and what safety & legal measures you follow.