Discussion
Anyone here know about asbestos,particularly old stuff?
We have found a stack of asbestos sheets in our field that we assumed for 16 years was a timber stack,it`s completely covered in brambles,moss,lichen and all manner of wild plants and we only found out when my dad came over and had a nose around yesterday,he pointed out the shape of corrugation in a few places and we concluded that tin would have rotted by now leaving only asbestos.
They are stacked neatly,look unbroken and undisturbed for decades.
I tried google but left with more questions than when I started.
Today I called our council environment officer/my fishing mate,who took a look and told me that as long as it`s undisturbed and is obviously covered in undergrowth then to just leave it alone.
Is it safe to just leave alone?
A local said it was a barn that never got built and had been there for at least 40-50 years.
I would remove it at any cost if it`s unsafe for me,my family or animals.
Nothing actually goes near it,apart form my nosey dad
Yesterday was the first time I had ever been near it,and then just to have a look
as it has 30ft of nettles and brambles in front of it and it kind of fits in,my wife also likes it.
We have found a stack of asbestos sheets in our field that we assumed for 16 years was a timber stack,it`s completely covered in brambles,moss,lichen and all manner of wild plants and we only found out when my dad came over and had a nose around yesterday,he pointed out the shape of corrugation in a few places and we concluded that tin would have rotted by now leaving only asbestos.
They are stacked neatly,look unbroken and undisturbed for decades.
I tried google but left with more questions than when I started.
Today I called our council environment officer/my fishing mate,who took a look and told me that as long as it`s undisturbed and is obviously covered in undergrowth then to just leave it alone.
Is it safe to just leave alone?
A local said it was a barn that never got built and had been there for at least 40-50 years.
I would remove it at any cost if it`s unsafe for me,my family or animals.
Nothing actually goes near it,apart form my nosey dad
Yesterday was the first time I had ever been near it,and then just to have a look
as it has 30ft of nettles and brambles in front of it and it kind of fits in,my wife also likes it.
Here you go:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/a14.pdf
Old asbestos roofing sheets typically have around 15% white asbestos content bonded with cement. White asbestos is the least dangerous type. In this case I'd just leave them alone. If you wish to move them then follow the guidance from the HSE and take the common sense precautions. Realistically, unless you grind them up and use as snuff you'll come to no harm. They're nice and damp so there will be little dust or free fibres flying around. Most farmers I know would dig a hole in a quiet corner and bury them. This is of course illegal and cannot be condoned.
Modern fibre/cement sheeting looks similar but doesn't contain asbestos.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/a14.pdf
Old asbestos roofing sheets typically have around 15% white asbestos content bonded with cement. White asbestos is the least dangerous type. In this case I'd just leave them alone. If you wish to move them then follow the guidance from the HSE and take the common sense precautions. Realistically, unless you grind them up and use as snuff you'll come to no harm. They're nice and damp so there will be little dust or free fibres flying around. Most farmers I know would dig a hole in a quiet corner and bury them. This is of course illegal and cannot be condoned.
Modern fibre/cement sheeting looks similar but doesn't contain asbestos.
Some councils have an asbestos policy. For South Cambridgeshire, the procedure is:
If the asbestos is on a private residence, you can request as many free bags as you want to dispose of it. You can then use a private vehicle (or privately rented van) to dispose of the bags for free at their nominated waste treatment facility.
A local builder was quite happy to do this for me. I had to go with him to sign the paperwork at the waste site.
If it's on business premises then you need a licensed asbestos handling company.
If the asbestos is on a private residence, you can request as many free bags as you want to dispose of it. You can then use a private vehicle (or privately rented van) to dispose of the bags for free at their nominated waste treatment facility.
A local builder was quite happy to do this for me. I had to go with him to sign the paperwork at the waste site.
If it's on business premises then you need a licensed asbestos handling company.
Good advice, just leave it alone to carry on as a wildlife refuge. Someone I know works as the group safety officer at a multinational. One loction has one short lenghth of white asbestos pipe which has been there since the 40s and has layer upon layer of paint on it. Whenever they get a new inspection he goes through the "you have ASBESTOS!!!" shock horror schstick and sticks to his guns. Its still there safe and undisturbed, it would be potentially more harmful to move it.
Mind you, nice little earner for the specialists disposal industry.
Mind you, nice little earner for the specialists disposal industry.
You can get a kit to test for asbestos
http://test4asbestos.com/
http://test4asbestos.com/
Edited by Tumbler on Friday 12th October 12:31
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