Asbestos was commonly used in the construction industry in the 20th century because it's very strong and is fire resistant.
We now know that it can be harmful if disturbed, and it's use was banned in the UK in 1999.
You may have some in your home and not realise it, but if it's covered in paint, sealed or is inaccessible (within the walls perhaps) and is not broken or disturbed then it's perfectly safe.
Asbestos surveys
Part of keeping you safe is holding an accurate record of any areas that contain asbestos. This also helps keep our contractors safe too.
If we're due to replace your kitchen or bathroom, we'll carry out an asbestos survey before we start work. This is to check whether any asbestos is present, and if so, whether it needs to be removed. Again, asbestos in your home is perfectly safe if it's not broken or disturbed.
If we do find anything that needs to be removed, we'll employ specialist contractors to do this work. It should never be something you try and remove yourself.
No. Asbestos is only a risk to health if it's in poor condition, broken, or if you're actually working on it. It's like live electricity – a constant presence and quite safe until tampered with.
If the sheeting is not damaged, there's no danger from the asbestos contained within it.
Based on the information you can find online, we would advise that you do not carry out DIY to any item if you think it may contain asbestos. Please contact us first to confirm.
If part of your home if damaged, that might contain asbestos(such as a bath panel, rainwater pipe, etc.). We'll either arrange for the item to be inspected to check whether there’s a risk and/or replace the item appropriately.
No, Replacement materials used by ourselves and our contractors will not contain asbestos.
If asbestos is not damaged or disturbed, the safest thing to do is to leave it where it is. If there's some damaged asbestos in your home, we'll immediately assess the risk and then decide the best course of action to deal with it to make sure your family is not exposed to any potential risk.
No, we believe that like the majority of buildings built before 1990, most of our buildings will contain asbestos. Therefore, there would be no point in moving you to another property which is also likely to contain asbestos.
Would you like to know more?
You can find out more about how we manage your repairs, including which repairs are your responsibility by reading our Maintenance Policy.
