Asbestos removal gone wrong

Discussion in 'Builders' Talk' started by Rt2012, Jan 30, 2013.

  1. Rt2012

    Rt2012 New Member

    Hi
    We're about to start renovations on our house.
    We had some artex ceiling containing asbestos that needed removing. The company we used told us we could store our belonging on the first floor of the property while they worked on the ground floor.
    We returned to day to find that everything upstairs is covered in a millimiter of dust.
    I'm freaking out, but they are assuring me that it's not asbestos dust, that they will test the air and make it right... Can they really? Will my matress ever be safe to sleep on again?
    Can i still wear my clothes? Read my books? Go through my paperwork without risk?

    Help and advise needed please!</td></tr></tbody></table>
     
  2. teabreak

    teabreak Screwfix Select

    I would suggest contact your local council environmental health department at once and explain the urgency of the problem, if the contractor (I assume you employed a licensed one) has acted in a dangerous manner they and their trading standards dept should be the people to deal with it.
    Hope it goes well for you,
    teabreak
     
  3. Fat Tony

    Fat Tony New Member

    Yes get the council to do some tests but the asbestos content of artex is not that high.
     
  4. Although I would imagine the actual risk to health to be very, very slight after it's all cleaned up, it doesn't remove the simple fact that these guys have messed up badly. It sounds like staggering incompetence. If they were using a process that reduces the artex to dust - jeepers - they should surely have at least sealed all the doorways using sheets and tape.

    They must know how emotive the issue with asbestos is - the poor sods who have succumbed to it's terminal effects have down so in a hellish way. It just ain't a nice way to go.

    Ok, that's scary and not what you want to hear. But I say it only so that you can tell them the urgency of the matter and why you won't be over-reacting if you get the envirnonmental health dept in; you simply ain't going to just take the 'reassurance' of a clearly incompetent company.

    (Then you will be reassured - and that's what matters here. Any actual risk will, I believe, be infinitesimally small)
     
  5. Fat Tony

    Fat Tony New Member

    So the Satanist repeats what I said but in a zillion more words with an abundance of parentheses.
     
  6. Mr. Handyandy

    Mr. Handyandy Screwfix Select

    If this dust has appeared by their work, I would be very wary. They obviously removed the plasterboard as well, and it sounds like they have done it it a 'normal' way for plasterboard only. That is, in normal circumstances(no asbestos) the ceiling would be pulled down and allowed to crash to the floor, or onto ground sheets. That produces HUGE amounts of dust, which will travel up through the floorboards.
    It's unlikely they would remove the Artex safely first, so suspect they pulled it all down in one hit. Not good, if so.
    As said, get on to independent Environmental Health and get it checked immediately.
    If it happened here, I wouldn't even open the door to the room above, and I'd be wary of entering the room they did it in.

    Mr. HandyAndy - Really
     
  7. Crowsfoot

    Crowsfoot Screwfix Select

    I know of someone who died of asbestosis.


    It took the crematorium over 6 months to get rid of the body !!!!!!!

     
  8. joinerjohn1

    joinerjohn1 Screwfix Select

    Every time I read of someone who has died from asbestos related diseases, I always look to see how old they were when they succumbed. I think the youngest was in his late 70's, the oldest was well into his nineties. I know it's a horrible disease an all, but I'd like to live to be in my late 70's anyway. Mid 80's would be a bonus and late 90's would be like winning the bloody jackpot. ;)
     
  9. teabreak

    teabreak Screwfix Select

    My friend and work colleague died of mesothelioma a couple of years ago at 62 John.

    To reasure the original poster we did work with it a fair bit and no doubt ate it with our sandwiches too, over a number of years.

    teabreak
     

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