Don’t take risks when working with dangerous materials such as asbestos

CONSIDERING renovating your house and thinking of doing some of the work yourself? If it’s an older house it may contain asbestos. So what do you do?

Houses built before 1987 often contain asbestos. This fibro house was successfully — and safely — renovated but extra care should always be taken.

QUESTION: We’re considering renovating our house and since we’re both quite handy, we thought we might do some of the work ourselves. But it’s an older house and I think it may contain asbestos. Should we go ahead?

ANSWER: Reality TV renovation shows have fuelled a lot of interest in taking on home projects and it can be incredibly rewarding to literally get your hands dirty working on your house.

But you should understand the risks to you and your family before you begin, especially around asbestos. November is Asbestos Awareness month, with the focus shifting from professionals coming into contact with fibro products to the DIY community.

Once a popular material in housing construction after WWII when bricks were scarce, after it was linked to the fatal respiratory disease mesothelioma, products containing asbestos were banned from use in the early 1980s. However, many homes still contain the material, which is most often found in walls, roofs and as loose fill in attic spaces.

In 2015, the state government announced that houses with loose fill insulation should be demolished and the site remediated. The NSW Department of Fair Trading now runs the Voluntary Purchase and Demolition Program.

Brad Rodgers, product development manager for Paramount Safety Group

Product development manager for Pro Safety Gear, Brad Rodgers (pictured), says there’s no need to panic if you live in a house built from fibro.

“If it is untouched and painted and well looked after, there’s no problem with living in it,” he says.

But if you’re looking to extend, or even maintain your property, he says it’s important to know what you’re working with and the associated costs — to your wallet and your health.

Brad says it’s not something to play around with.

“If I thought there was a risk of asbestos, I’d call in a specialist so they could come in and identify it,” he says. “About 12 months ago my neighbour pulled down the fence between us which we thought was old asbestos. So we sent it away for testing.”

There are a range of testing services available but look for those with National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA) approval.

This fibro house was successfully — and safely — renovated but extra care should always be taken.

For Brad and his neighbour, the test proved negative, which made a difference to the way it was handled and disposed of, as well as the costs.

If you’re not sure whether your renovation will put you into contact with asbestos, get the suspect material checked before you start. Inhalation of asbestos fibres can occur at any point during the construction process, including when you are working with it directly, or even if you come into contact with protective clothing exposed to asbestos. Living in your house while it is being renovated can also pose a risk to you and your family thanks to the risk of asbestos dust.

Under the law in NSW, you can remove bonded asbestos (where it cannot be crushed to a powder by hand) up to 10 sqm yourself. Friable asbestos (where it can be crushed by hand) should always be removed and disposed of by professionals. There are additional costs associated with asbestos disposal, largely because asbestos disposal facilities are limited. If you’re disposing of it yourself, always call your waste facility ahead to make sure they can deal with it.

More: asbestosawareness.com.au; epa.nsw.gov.au; Pro Safety Gear, prochoice.com.au

Take care when removing dangerous materials such as asbestos.

SAFE REMOVAL CHECKLIST

Take care when removing asbestos

● Wear personal protective clothing including disposable coveralls, a mask, shoe coverings and gloves. Cover your hair as well.

● Remove all pets, pet bowls and clothing from the line before you start.

● Asbestos will need to be watered down with a light mist spray and wrapped in 200um (heavy grade) plastic and sealed with duct tape. Label it “danger asbestos waste”.

● Avoid breaking asbestos sheeting during the removal process.

● Use wet wipes to wipe down all tools.

● Place all protective clothing, including coveralls, mask, gloves and shoe covers in 200um plastic and dispose of with the rest of the asbestos waste.

More:asbestosawareness.com.au