Asbestos

What is asbestos?

Asbestos was widely used in the construction industry in the 1960`s and may be found in a number of building materials such as:

·         Floor tiles

·         Textured wall and ceiling finishes (for example artex)

·         Door panels

·         Pipe insulation and some pipe boxing

Asbestos was found to be a health risk and was banned from use as a building material in 1999. There are now strict rules about working with and removing  asbestos.

However, asbestos is quite safe as long as it is not damaged.

If you have any concerns about asbestos in your home please contact us

How we manage asbestos to keep you safe

Some of our homes contain asbestos. We keep a register of our homes that contain asbestos, including the type of asbestos and its condition.

We will inform you and our contractors where we know there is asbestos in your home, and treat or remove the asbestos if it is likely to be a hazard.

We keep a register of asbestos materials located in the communal areas of our low and high-rise blocks of flats.

Each year we carry out an inspection of these materials to make sure they have not been disturbed or their condition has not deteriorated. We will then update our property records.

Asbestos in good condition does not cause health problems. If any asbestos material is found to have been disturbed or deteriorated we will arrange to have it replaced with a non-asbestos material. The Health and Safety Executive’s advice is currently, to leave asbestos in place if it is undisturbed and does not pose a health risk.

You can find out more in our Asbestos policy

What are your responsibilities

Do not attempt to remove or disturb any items that you think may contain asbestos.

You must not carry out any work to your home without our permission If you wish to carry out any work in your home and you are unsure whether you will disturb any material that may contain asbestos then you should contact us before you start any work. We will check the asbestos register to help ensure that you are not at risk of accidentally disturbing any asbestos materials.

Remember

·         Treat asbestos and materials that may contain asbestos with caution

·         Seek advice if you think there is a problem with asbestos in your home

·         Ask for approval before carrying out any improvements to your home and do not drill, saw, sand or disturb asbestos materials in any way when carrying out DIY work.

If you are a Leaseholder

Under the terms of your lease, you are responsible for the maintenance of the internal areas of your home, including any materials that may contain asbestos.