Asbestos
Asbestos has been widely used in the building industry particularly in the last 50 years up until it was finally banned in the late 1990's. Many homes contain asbestos without the owners being aware of its presence. Most people have an idea what asbestos looks like with roof covering's to outbuildings coming to mind. However, asbestos can be found in many a diverse range of common building products, some of these are as follows:-
* Asbestos roofing materials
* Wall panels
* Ceiling panels
* Vinyl floor tiles
* Some bricks in storage heaters
* Insulation materials for hot pipes and cylinders
It is possible you have asbestos in your home and whilst you should be wary
of this, there may not be any cause for alarm.
Asbestos can cause lung cancer if inhaled as a fine dust and as such, should not be drilled, saw sanded or treated in any way when the production of asbestos dust might result.
Present Legislation (asbestos at work regulations 2002), has meant that owners of commercial and communal premises must make plans to manage asbestos in their property.
At this point in time, (early 2005), there is no UK legislation covering requirements
for home owners to manage asbestos in their homes.
