Asbestos in your home Is it a problem? BVT RESIDENT A P P R O V E D
This leaflet aims to address any concerns that you may have regarding asbestos and where it may be found in your home. It will cover what asbestos is, why it is a problem, the areas where asbestos may be found and what Bournville Village Trust is doing with regard to materials that contain asbestos within your home.
What is Asbestos? Asbestos is a natural mineral that is found in rocks all over the world. Asbestos fibres are strong, flexible and resistant to heat and chemicals. This has led to the commercial use of asbestos for over 150 years. The three main types of asbestos used in the UK are: crocidolite (blue asbestos), amosite (brown asbestos) and chrysotile (white asbestos).
Why might asbestos be a problem? When materials that contain asbestos age or become damaged they can release fibres into the air. If these fibres are breathed in they can travel deep into the lung where they may stay for a very long time, with the potential to cause harm. If high levels of these fibres are breathed in there is ultimately a risk of lung diseases, including cancer. There are approximately 5 million homes in the UK that have some form of asbestos containing products in them and because asbestos has been so widely used there is a low level of asbestos in the air everywhere. Exposure to this low level of fibres is highly unlikely to harm people s health.
It is unlikely that any asbestos containing products within the home will pose a risk or be harmful if they are in good condition. The greatest risk arises when asbestos is damaged, drilled, sawn, scrubbed or sanded. DIY can result in this type of exposure. If you suspect that a material may contain asbestos do not work on it. If you have any materials in your home that you suspect may contain asbestos that are damaged please contact Bournville Village Trust Planned Maintenance department and they will arrange for a specialist company to visit and carry out a test of the material.
Where is asbestos Building materials containing asbestos were widely used from 1930 to the mid-1980s, but particularly from the 1960s onwards. The use of asbestos declined from the mid 80s onwards, and since 1993 asbestos was banned in most new products in the UK. This means that houses or flats built or refurbished during this period may contain asbestos. It is not possible to tell whether a product contains asbestos by visual inspection alone as modern alternatives to often look similar to the asbestos containing materials that they replaced.
found? There were many different uses for asbestos in building materials but some examples of more common areas where asbestos can be found are: Domestic equipment e.g. ironing boards, oven gloves and seals on oven doors Bath panels Floor tiles Partition sheets or wall boards Linings on doors Textured coatings on ceilings and walls Some ceiling tiles Corrugated roofing sheets for sheds and garages Rainwater pipes and gutters Soil and vent pipes Eaves soffits Old water tanks Bakelite WC cisterns Electric fuse boards, usually found in blocks of flats Roof tiles This list is not exhaustive.
Bournville Village Trust acknowledges it s responsibilities with regard to Health and Safety and specifically with regard to asbestos. BVT will work to (as is reasonably practicable) reduce the exposure of its residents, employees, contractors and other people affected by its activities. What is Bournville Village Trust doing about asbestos? BVT s policy on asbestos is in line with the Government and Health and Safety Executives recommendations. To meet legislation BVT have undertaken a survey of all communal areas, in addition to this all void and major planned modernisation works also have an asbestos surveys carried out.
The information that is gathered is being put into an on line asbestos register where the type, location and condition of asbestos containing materials are recorded. This will assist in the future monitoring and management of any asbestos that is left in a property. If a survey identifies that the asbestos in a property is unsafe or that it will be affected by the works that BVT will be carrying out it will be removed by a specialist licensed removal contractor in line with Government recommendations. Please note that even after this process some materials that contain asbestos may be left in your property, the reason for this is that the removal of asbestos can be a major undertaking and it is not always practical to remove every piece of material containing asbestos from every home. If the asbestos containing material is intact, in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed you are not at risk.
Please remember, under your tenancy agreement with Bournville Village Trust you are not permitted to make changes to the structure or fabric of the property without prior written approval. Your responsibility as If you are proposing to carry out any work that may disturb any material that you suspect contains asbestos please let us know and we will either check our existing records or commission a specialist inspection. If necessary, samples will be taken and tested to see if asbestos is present. DIY work that damages asbestos containing materials can result in
a tenant. short but high levels of exposure. Remember some textured coatings on walls and ceilings contain asbestos and you should not attempt to remove, sand, scrape, wire brush or drill them unless they have been tested by a specialist company to prove they are asbestos free. Repainting these coatings is safe as long as they are in good condition and they are not sanded down.
How to contact us BVT CONTRACTORS CODE OF CONDUCT If you would like a copy of Bournville Village Trust s contractors code of conduct, please contact our Maintenance Service Department on 0121 415 6533. Or, for day to day repairs, please call our FREEPHONE number 0800 387765 USEFUL CONTACTS For general advice and further information contact: BVT BIRMINGHAM Planned Maintenance 0121 415 6533 BVT SHROPSHIRE Bournville Property Care Services 01952 585 012 Health & Safety Executive 0845 345 0055 www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos On request, we can supply an audio CD giving all the information contained in this leaflet. Bournville Village Trust, Estate Office, Oak Tree Lane, Bournville, Birmingham B30 1UB. 55308 P2995