Asbestos - Where Does it Go and How to Prevent It

Transcription

1 Asbestos in the home

2 Raven Your safety is important to us. So we want to explain where you might find asbestos in your home, why it can be dangerous, what we are doing to reduce any risk to you, and what you can do if you are worried. This leaflet gives you just a summary. So if you have questions or need more information, please call us on What is asbestos? Asbestos is a natural fibre that is mined from rock. Until 1999, asbestos was added to products used by the building trade. It reduces noise, improves heat efficiency, and makes materials stronger and more resistant to wear. The three most common types of asbestos were: chrysotile (white) asbestos amosite (brown) asbestos crocidolite (blue) asbestos. Why is asbestos dangerous? Asbestos-containing materials are safe if they remain undamaged and in good condition. Asbestos becomes a health risk if it is damaged or disturbed and releases fibres into the air. These are hundreds of times smaller than a human hair and are only visible under a microscope. If breathed in, the fibres can be dangerous. The more fibres a person breathes in, the greater the risk. Asbestos-related illnesses cause lung disease including lung cancer. 1

3 Where is asbestos in the home? Until it was banned in 1999, asbestos was used in many products such as: building materials fireproofing thermal insulation electrical insulation sound insulation decorative plaster and textured coatings service ducts and lining boards roofing products (roof sheets and slates, rainwater gutters, downpipes and soffit boards) flooring products floor tiles and linoleum (lino) toilet cisterns and bath panels. The following pages show photos of products and materials found in homes. This list doesn t cover everything, so please contact us before doing any work on your home. 2

4 Raven Photos of asbestos-containing materials Toilet cistern Cement bath panel Textured coating (wall or ceiling) Cement riser panels Insulating board over door infill panel 3

5 Insulating board wall panels Floor tiles Linoleum and paper backing to floor coverings Cement soffit panels Shed roof 4

6 Raven What is Raven doing? Before we do any repairs or improvements to your home, we will check to see if asbestos-containing materials might get disturbed or need to be protected during the work. We will ensure that all known asbestos-containing materials are in a safe condition. Raven employs a specialist asbestos consultant to carry out asbestos surveys. All our trades team and surveyors have had asbestos-awareness training. We have surveyed all communal areas in Raven blocks for asbestoscontaining materials. We monitor the condition of these materials, and remove or seal them off when necessary. What you need to do before doing any DIY You must get our written permission before doing any DIY work. This is so we can make sure the work will be done safely and correctly. Please read our leaflet Making improvements to your home to find out more. We will arrange for a surveyor to visit your home to assess the work you are planning. The surveyor will check whether the work is likely to damage any asbestos-containing materials that may be present. After this: 1. if there is no asbestos-containing material, you can go ahead with the work when you have our written permission 2. if asbestos-containing material is in the area where you plan to work, we will tell you how to do the work without disturbing the asbestos, or who can remove the asbestos 3. if we need more information, we will ask our asbestos consultant to survey all the areas likely to be disturbed. You should never remove, damage or work on asbestos-containing material. 5

7 What if you are worried or want more information? Asbestos is only dangerous if it is disturbed or damaged. If you are worried about your home, please contact us and we will happily answer your questions or come out to inspect it. You can contact us: by phone online via in writing to Raven Housing Trust, Raven House, 29 Linkfield Lane, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1SS For more information visit: 6

8 Raven Customer Charter Our Customer Charter lists the standards of service you can expect from us. You can pick up a copy at any of our offices, or download a copy from our website, We can provide this leaflet in audio, large print and other languages. Please let us know what you need. Raven Housing Trust Raven House, 29 Linkfield Lane, Redhill RH1 1SS Telephone May 2014 Raven Housing Trust Limited is a charitable Industrial and Provident Society, registration no R, and is registered as a social housing provider with the Homes and Communities Agency, registration no. L4334. Printed by Pureprint Group using their pureprint environmental print technology, a guaranteed, low-carbon, low-waste, independently audited process that reduces the environmental impact of the printing process. Vegetable-oil-based inks are used throughout % of any dry waste associated with this production is diverted from landfill.