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We've discovered (and tested) asbestos in the soffits on our house. It's been tested and come back positive for brown & white asbestos.
We've had 2 quotes, one for £7.5k + VAT and one for £3.1k + VAT, but they seem to have different methods for removal.
Both contractors are fully licenced so will be removed & disposed of properly. Air testing carried out etc and full reports provided.
Question is, does this type need to be fully enclosed to remove?
The higher quote is to build an enclosure around the affected areas and the other is 'semi controlled' according to their quote.
When you say 'in the soffits' do you mean the underside of the eaves boxings are lined with cementacious asbestos board? (Or is it that there is some sort of asbestos insulation within the eaves?)
If it's the former, personally I'd go for the cheaper quote (probably). If in doubt get a building surveyor to advise.
Are they broken and do they need removing?
It's in the insulation boards according to the test results.
The boards seem to be in good condition but we're having the fascia boards etc replaced so they will be replaced at the same time.
From a bit of reading up it seems that, if the boards are in good condition, the full enclosure isn't required.
There should be a risk assessment based on the type and condition usually rating it on a scale of 1 to 12 - 1 being low risk and in perfect condition up to 12 being certain death.
If it was inside then full enclosure would be the way to go but if it’s outside then it’s not always required but it’s impossible to tell without detailed knowledge of the specifics.
Get a third quote and see what that throws up.
I think it really depends on the specific composition, nature and condition of the soffits. You might need someone else to do a survey first to establish this, before deciding on next steps.
see Paragraph 50
Then P59:
The following work activities will not normally be NNLW:
Removal of asbestos cement products, (eg roof sheeting and rainwater goods)
provided the material is carefully handled/removed without breaking up; this
includes work with asbestos cement which is weathered but not otherwise
substantially damaged.
Maintenance work involving asbestos cement products (eg on roof sheeting and
rainwater goods).
Removal of small areas of textured decorative coatings using gel/steam, to
support other activities such as installation/replacement of smoke alarms and
light fittings.
Removal without deterioration, of textured decorative coatings (eg if the backing
board is carefully cut around to achieve virtually intact removal).
Drilling of textured decorative coatings for installation of fixtures/fittings.
Encapsulation and sealing-in work on ACMs that are in good condition (eg
repairing damaged sealing material).
Removal and reattachment of loosely fixed (eg screwed) AIB panels in order to
gain access to areas for other maintenance activities (eg under a bath to carry
out pipework maintenance, or for access to a ceiling void for repair of lighting).
Painting/repainting AIB.
Make sure your washing isn't on the line if you go for the cheap quote.
If you're unsure of the cheaper quote ask for more info. It's notifiable work so they'll need to inform HSE.
I expect they are going to wrap the AIB first and remove it that way rather than work in an enclosure. It all boils down to ensuring the fibre release doesn't go above the limits for exposure of their operatives and their RPE.
If in doubt, rather than let them bring in their own analyst, employ your own directly to carry out monitoring and do 4 stage clearance.
Yeah, have spoken to the cheaper company and all sounds right. They'll notify HSE etc, all work signed off by independent analyst, air checked during the work etc. EA site registration/disposal docs upon completion.
Thanks for all the info, I think we'll go with the cheaper option 🙂