This section gives details of Helena Housing’s approach to identifying and dealing with asbestos within their properties.
We hope you find this information useful and informative. If you still have questions or concerns about asbestos in your home, please ring the Helena Housing Asbestos Information Line on 01744 637383 or email asbestos@helenahousing.co.uk.
Even if there is asbestos in your home, it is NOT usually a serious problem. Asbestos fibres are only dangerous if they are made airborne and breathed in.
Asbestos is the collective name given to a group of naturally occurring minerals that are contained within rock. The minerals appear as masses of strong flexible fibres that can be separated and woven.
The 3 main types of asbestos used in the UK are as follows:
- Crocidolite (known as Blue Asbestos)
- Amosite (known as Brown Asbestos)
- Chrysotile (known as White Asbestos)
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All asbestos fibres are strong and resistant to heat and chemicals. This led to widespread use in a wide range of building products and materials from the 1930’s to the mid 1980’s, but in particular from the 1960’s onwards. Uses included thermal and acoustic insulations, reinforcement in asbestos cement products and fire protection materials. The use of any asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999.
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When asbestos containing materials are damaged or deteriorate with age, they can release invisible fibres into the air. If you inhale these tiny fibres they can become lodged in the tissue of your chest or lungs and your body’s natural defence mechanisms cannot break them down. Breathing these fibres in can then cause cancers of the lungs particularly if you are exposed to fibres over a number of years.
Exposure to asbestos can cause three main diseases:
- Asbestosis- an irreversible scarring of the lungs
- Lung Cancer - particularly if you smoke
- Mesothelioma- cancer of the lung or stomach lining
All of these diseases have no cure and are fatal diseases.
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The list of products or materials that may contain asbestos is huge. The use of asbestos in the UK peaked in the 1960’s and 1970’s so any properties built or refurbished during this time are the most likely to contain some form of asbestos. The following diagram shows some of the common areas where asbestos may be found:
Exterior
1. Roof of house or garage tiles or roof felt
2. Gutters and down-pipes
3. Fascia boards
Interior
4. Partition walls
5. Panels beneath windows
6. Cupboards around domestic boilers
7. Panels behind electrical equipment
8. Panels behind fires or heaters
9. Panels on or inside fire doors
10. Bath panels
11. Floor tiles
12. Textured coatings (artex)
13. Gaskets and rope seals inside gas appliances
14. Cold water storage tanks
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This is the hard part. You cannot tell whether or not a product contains asbestos just by looking at it. Asbestos is usually only part of the product and could be dyed and would be unable to be seen. A sample of the product needs to be taken and analysed by an approved laboratory.
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- Do keep activities to a minimum where damaged products may contain asbestos
- Do try not to damage any product known to contain asbestos
- Don’t carry out DIY works, drill, sand or strip any products known to contain asbestos
- Don’t dust, sweep or vacuum debris that may contain asbestos
- Don’t take risks!
WARNING
Helena customers should not carry out any improvements or alterations to their properties without the permission of Helena Housing, in line with their Tenancy Agreements.
If you, or anyone you have permitted, carry out works to an asbestos containing material in your property without written approval from Helena Housing, you will be totally responsible for any costs of dealing with any asbestos incident and the cost of returning the property to its original state.
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Helena have developed an Asbestos Management Policy to detail the aims and procedures of dealing with asbestos within our properties. Asbestos is very effective for strengthening and fireproofing, and where it is still doing its job and presents little or no risk to people then the best policy is to leave it in place. Where the asbestos might not be safe we will decide whether to enclose it behind a safe barrier or to remove and replace it. All decisions we make will be in line with government policy and Health & Safety guidelines.
All Helena employees undertaking asbestos surveys will be suitably trained to the standards with Health and Safety Guidelines.
Over the past 4 years, Helena have already carried out approximately 4000 asbestos surveys and we aim to continue these across all our properties. All data collected will then be recorded within an Asbestos Register so information can be provided to all affected tenants, contractors and Helena staff.
If asbestos is found to be present within your property, we will take one of the following three actions depending on the level of risk:
- Remove the asbestos containing products.
- Encapsulate or seal the product and check from time to time that it is still safe.
- Record where the product is and check from time to time that it is still safe.
If we do not remove the product immediately, you will also receive a letter from Helena Housing, indicating where the asbestos is located and what you should and should not do.
You should keep this letter in a safe place and provide this to all contractors working on your property.
Please remember: Asbestos materials pose little risk unless they are disturbed or damaged.
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St Helens Council
www.sthelens.gov.uk
HSE
www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos
Asbestos Information Centre Ltd
www.aic.org.uk
Click here to read frequently asked questions concerning asbestos
Click here to find out how to contact our local neighbourhood offices
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