Asbestos safety information for housing tenants
What is asbestos?
Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous material. It was regularly used in the construction industry until 1999. For a long time, the dangers of asbestos were not widely known. It is not necessarily a hazard unless it’s damaged or disturbed.
Asbestos in good condition is not a problem, but if it gets damaged it can release tiny fibres into the air. These fibres can cause serious lung disease if they are breathed in. For this reason, you should not drill, saw, cut, sand or scrape materials which may contain asbestos.
What we do
With asbestos, we:
- survey our properties and communal spaces, so we know where there may be asbestos
- keep records of any identified asbestos to help us keep you safe and to enable our teams to safely carry out work
- may carry our surveys to make sure repairs and work within your home are carried out safely
- inspect any asbestos within our properties periodically to make sure it is maintained and in good condition
- work, where we need to, with specially trained contractors to maintain and remove damaged asbestos
What you can do
If you plan to do some work or think you may have asbestos in poor condition, you should let us know so that we can give you advice and arrange for any tests to be carried out.
If you think asbestos-containing materials may be in your home, don't panic. Asbestos in good condition is not a problem.
If you suspect there may be asbestos in your home:
- don't touch it, but look for signs of wear and tear, such as scratches, scuffs or water damage
- if you can see damage or deterioration, please contact us