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This page explains what asbestos is, where it might be found, why it can cause health problems, our duty of care and what you can do to stay safe.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral made up of small fibres. The mineral itself is very rarely found in its raw form and instead is present within building materials commonly called ACMs (asbestos containing materials).
From the 1950s to mid 1980s, asbestos was widely used in the construction of homes.
Since 1976, British manufacturers had to display labels on their products with asbestos in them and since 1999, no building materials with asbestos have been used.
Although asbestos is no longer used in building materials, it may be present in many kinds of older building materials found in your home, including:
Properties built from 2000 onwards should not contain asbestos.
There's more information on where you can find asbestos in the home on the HSE website. Use the ‘residential property’ option for a visual aid.
Asbestos contains tiny fibres, many of which are too small for us to see.
They only cause health problems when building materials with asbestos start to crumble with age or the material that the fibres are in is disturbed. Then, the tiny asbestos fibres begin to float about in the air, and when we breathe in, they can travel into our lungs. The fibres can lead to lung diseases such as asbestosis or lung cancer.
No, it’s difficult to tell the difference between materials with asbestos and those that haven’t don’t contain asbestos. Many modern products look very similar to materials that have asbestos in them. Therefore, specially trained contractors need to come in and check for asbestos.
Don’t panic. Asbestos materials are safe if they remain sealed and are left undisturbed. It’s often best to leave materials that contain asbestos where they are. Do not tamper with or touch any asbestos material.
Housing associations have a duty of care towards their tenants and others when there is asbestos in properties.
When asbestos is in good condition and not damaged it is not a danger.
You should ask us for approval if you are planning major work in your home. If you think asbestos is present we can offer advice. However, if you are making the alterations yourself, you will have to pay any costs for removing the asbestos.
You should be cautious when carrying out any DIY work. The use of power tools could increase the number of fibres released into your home. You should email isha@isha.co.uk before starting any work, so that we can provide you with asbestos information.
Some textured ceiling coatings, Artex for example, are known to contain a small quantity of asbestos. Do not attempt to remove them, especially with power tools. Email isha@isha.co.uk so we provide advice.
You cannot tell a material contains asbestos with the naked eye which is why samples of materials are examined under a microscope at a laboratory. If you are ever unsure whether a material contains asbestos, email isha@isha.co.uk and we can advise you.
We have a duty to manage asbestos in the communal areas of our buildings. We also carry out surveys in individual homes when a property becomes empty or before our contractors do some types of works in your property.
We have several options if we find asbestos and will pick the best one for your safety and to ensure any works in your property can be completed. We can:
You can find more information about asbestos on the HSE website.