How to Deal with Asbestos in Your Home

PAGE 3HOW TO DEAL WITH ASBESTOS IN YOUR HOME PAGE 2

FAQI’ve found asbestos in my roof and/or other parts of the home. Am I in danger?

It’s important when dealing with asbestos to know that just because there is asbestos in your home, it doesn’t necessarily pose an immediate danger. Provided the asbestos sheets are in a solid and sound condition, the risk is typically minimal - it’s only once the asbestos fibres start breaking and become airborne that there is cause for concern. That said, even if in good condition, we highly recommend you look into having the material replaced - as with anything else, asbestos will eventually deteriorate and could pose health issues down the line.

What health risks does asbestos pose?

If not properly contained, the inhalation of asbestos fibres can attribute to numerous health problems. How severe these are typically depend on how long you’ve been exposed to such fibres, though this shouldn’t be considered a definitive fact. Health risks could include:

• Asbestosis - scarring of lung tissue that causes long-term breathing difficulties)• Lung cancer - the chance of getting lung cancer from asbestos fibres is greatly increased if

you’re a smoker• Mesothelioma - an incurable cancer that most often occurs in the lining of the lung. The

average time between exposure and developing mesothelioma is 45 years

Many symptoms of asbestos dust-related diseases usually do not manifest themselves until 20 to 30 years after the first exposure to asbestos.

Can I remove asbestos myself?

There are certain amounts of asbestos that can be removed of your own accord (anything more than 10 square metres should not be carried out without someone with a Class B, Bonded Asbestos Removal licence), however we strongly advise you reconsider handling any asbestos removal yourself. Improper methods can put your health at risk and you could face severe fines/penalties for improper handling. Depending on the seriousness of your breach, fines can reach tens of thousands of dollars.

Can asbestos be buried?

No. This is an illegal act and comes with severe penalties. Whether you’re disposing of asbestos yourself or having a professional handle it, it must taken to a legal asbestos disposal facility. You can find your nearest one via the ASEA database.

If you happen to comes across any asbestos that has been buried in the ground, be sure to take the same type of precautions as you would if you found asbestos in your own home. Asbestos that’s been buried can be even more dangerous, especially if whoever buried it happened to break the asbestos into pieces. A respirator and clothes you have no qualms with throwing out afterwards are an absolute must in this type of scenario.

While the use of asbestos materials in domestic properties ceased in the late 80s and all asbestos materials were banned in the early 2000s, it’s a material that is still frequently found in homes and commercial properties to this day - especially old ones.

The health risks posed by asbestos are very serious, which makes the identification and proper removal/disposal of the material so important. In this eBook, we’ve put together an extensive overview of asbestos itself, the associated health risks, proper handling and removal procedures, and more.

Topics covered include:

• Frequently asked questions related to asbestos (including health risks)• How to identify asbestos• What to do if you do find asbestos in your home / removing asbestos• Disposing of asbestos• Professional help

FAQ

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FINDING ASBESTOS

Often, people will tend to find asbestos materials in their home by pure chance. That’s because asbestos doesn’t have any obvious traits of containing asbestos until it is in a state that is often dangerous to a person and/or animal’s health. While this may be concerning, it’s worth keeping in mind that any home that is to be sold or rented out these days usually has to pass a building inspection before any change of ownership or new tenancy can occur. So you won’t be moving to a new home unless it is known to be safe.

However, when asbestos-based materials haven’t sustained any damage and, by extension, don’t pose any immediate threat to your health, the tell tale signs (the loose grainy fibres, for example) don’t really manifest themselves.

But here are some general rules to keep in mind to assess whether your home may contain asbestos (primarily in a solid, undamaged form):

• Use of asbestos in domestic buildings ceased in the late 1980s, so if you have a building built around or prior to this time, there could be the possibility that there are certain asbestos materials in your home

• On 31 December, 2003, all forms of asbestos were banned throughout Australia. If you live in a home built after this period, then you will have absolutely no asbestos in your home/building

• There were two key forms of asbestos: • Bonded (tightly-bound) asbestos or non-friable asbestos• Loosely-bound asbestos or friable asbestos• Bonded asbestos was typically solidified in a concrete mixture, making it sturdier and, overall, it

is more manageable to remove. However, all proper safety precautions/measures must be taken at all times

• Loosely-bound asbestos is more dangerous than bonded asbestos, and was typically used in commercial environments. However, they have been found in homes before (in stoves, old domestic heaters, hot water systems, etc.) and due to not being bound with other materials, the loosely-bound asbestos is usually 100% asbestos. It tends to break down into dust/dirt and can be a severe health risk to anyone exposed. If you see anything that you believe could be this type of asbestos, evacuate your home immediately and call in a professional.

According to Asbestos Wise, below are some of the most common areas where asbestos was used in homes, commercial buildings, and even vehicles before limitations/bans were imposed on use of the material:

LOCATION MATERIALS

Bathroom, toilet, & laundry

• Asbestos cement sheeting used in walls, ceilings and floors

• Hot water pipes set into masonry walls• Lagging on hot water pipes

Living areas • Insulation in wood heaters• Asbestos cement sheeting beneath heater hearths

Kitchen• Vinyl floor tiles• Backing to cushion vinyl flooring• Hot water pipes set into masonry walls

Exterior• Flat, patterned and corrugated wall and roof sheeting• Imitation brick cladding• Lining under eaves

Backyard• Garden sheds• Garages and carports• Dog kennels

Vehicles• Brake linings• Clutch linings• Adhesive products

Commercial or industrial buildings

• Coating sprayed on beams for fireproofing• Wrap on pipes and boilers• Sheeting in roofs and walls

Other• Electrical meter boards• Ironing board covers• Heatproof mats

FINDING ASBESTOS

HOW TO DEAL WITH ASBESTOS IN YOUR HOMEPAGE 6 PAGE 7WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU FIND ASBESTOS IN YOUR HOME/REMOVAL

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU FIND ASBESTOS IN YOUR HOME / REMOVALIf you do happen to find asbestos in your home, the first rule is to not touch it. Second, don’t panic. Touching any asbestos - be it damaged or not - can be a health risk if your act of touching it causes disturbance for asbestos fibres to be released. Upon observation, if you notice damage to the asbestos, you should call a professional asbestos removalist as soon as possible so that they can come out, inspect the affected area, and work on removing it safely.

In the event you come across any loosely-bound asbestos, under no circumstances should you touch it or try to remove it yourself. In terms of removal, no unlicensed individual is allowed to move loosely-bound asbestos from the premises.

With bonded asbestos, an unlicensed person may remove the material if the its area does not exceed 10m2 and the total time over which the removal is performed does not exceed one hour in any 7-day period. Failure to comply with these requirements (both in terms of the surface area of the asbestos material or the time restraints) can result in severe fines.

Unless you are personally licensed to deal with asbestos removal or have extensive experience in the safe removal of the material, we strongly advise you have a professional handle the job for you. However, If you are thinking about working with or removing a material that contains asbestos, please consider the following:

• If it is in good condition (e.g. undamaged), can you simply leave it alone?• Do you know the alternatives to removing asbestos (e.g. painting or sealing,

covering with a non-asbestos product)?• Are you capable of complying with the laws and safety procedures for working

with asbestos?• Should you use a licensed asbestos removalist?

If you absolutely have to handle or work with asbestos it is important to remember:

• Do Not:- Use power tools

- Use abrasive cutting or sanding discs

- Use sledgehammers or similar items - you should never break asbestos into pieces as the dust particles are the most dangerous aspect of asbestos

- Use compressed air

- Use high-pressure hoses

- Walk on corrugated asbestos cement roofs as you may run the risk of falling through the roof

- Leave asbestos products around the garden where they may be broken or crushed

• Get the material tested by a NATA-accredited laboratory if you are unsure if it contains asbestos

• Always work with asbestos in well-ventilated areas• Ensure the material is thoroughly wet down and kept wet during work to minimise the

release of fibres and dust• Ordinary dust masks are not effective at stopping asbestos particles - you need a

disposable, half-face particulate respirator. They should comply with Australian Standard 1716

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PROFESSIONAL HELPIn the majority of instances, it’s best to have professional asbestos removalists deal with the clean-up, removal, and disposal of asbestos materials. There are plenty of businesses that specialise in such removal, but it’s always important to confirm that they have the necessary licences, that these licences are current, and they have a good reputation in their field of expertise.

At Roo Roofing, we are specialists in asbestos removal, disposal, and restoration in Brisbane and its surrounds. We are fully equipped, qualified, and licensed to safely and efficiently remove asbestos. If you believe your roof contains any asbestos materials, do not hesitate to contact us on 1300 734 148 or by visiting our ‘Contact Us’ page online.

DISPOSING OF ASBESTOSWhen you dispose of asbestos, there are very particular and important guidelines on how to do so. As already answered in the FAQ section of the eBook, under no circumstances can you simply bury asbestos in your backyard - this is illegal.

Instead, asbestos waste needs to be disposed of at a site that has been officially approved by your local council. This disposal needs to be performed ASAP. Keep in mind that how each council has individual rules on how and if it receives any form of asbestos waste. Remember that you can search for local disposal facilities by clicking here. Alternatively, you can contact your local council for more information.

If handling the disposal yourself, just remember to keep all necessary safety precautions in mind - including double-bagging, securing the load so it doesn’t bounce out of the trailer, etc.). And, of course, double check to ensure you’re legally permit to dispose of it.

Don’t forget about professional waste removalists who specialise in asbestos removal. They are trained on the proper measures and are licensed to handle larger amounts of asbestos material. You can find these professionals by searching online or looking in the Yellow Pages under “Asbestos” or “Rubbish Removal” - just make sure they’re licensed and that this licence is current.