Insurance News Archive
'Homeowners should seek help over asbestos concerns'
Homeowners concerned about uncovering asbestos during DIY work should have their property checked by their local authority rather than try and tackle the problem themselves, the National Home Improvement Council has advised.
Asbestos was used extensively as a building material in Great Britain from the 1950s through to the mid 1980s, due to its fire-resistant tendencies but inhalation of its fibres over time can cause serious lung diseases.
The British Lung Foundation has recently claimed that tradespeople often put themselves at risk of developing cancer because they don’t know enough about the dangers of asbestos.
But the council's technical consultant Andrew Leech said that while many older homes will contain asbestos, it is unlikely to be the most dangerous 'blue' type.
Checking and removing asbestos, however, is "not something [the homeowner] should tackle themselves", he said.
"I would suggest that anywhere where a householder is concerned about asbestos, they should consult their local authority and have them come over and assess what the extent of the problem is, and then deal with it accordingly," Mr Leech continued.
The survey undertaken as part of the home information pack will inform homebuyers of any asbestos in a property before they buy, the National Home Improvement Council has announced.
26 Feb 2008
