I think I’ve found asbestos — what should I do?

First: do not disturb it

Asbestos is dangerous mainly when fibres are released into the air and breathed in. Material that is in good condition and left alone is generally low risk. The worst thing you can do is start drilling, sanding, breaking or sweeping up debris.

• Do NOT drill, cut, sand, scrape or break the material.
• Do NOT sweep or vacuum any dust or debris.
• Do NOT attempt to remove it yourself before it is identified.
• Do keep people and pets away from the area.
• Do close off the area and stop any work that might disturb it.

Then: get it identified

You cannot reliably tell whether a material contains asbestos just by looking at it. The only way to be sure is laboratory analysis of a sample (taken safely by a competent person) or a survey.

Common suspect materials in pre-2000 buildings include textured coatings (artex), garage and outbuilding cement roofs, floor tiles, insulating board (AIB) around boilers and behind panels, and pipe lagging.

What happens after testing

If the material does not contain asbestos, you can proceed as normal. If it does, your options are usually to manage it in place (if it is in good condition and will not be disturbed), encapsulate it, or have it removed by a suitably qualified — and for higher-risk materials, HSE-licensed — contractor.

If it is already damaged

If the material is already broken, crumbling or releasing dust, treat it as higher risk: keep everyone away, do not clean it up yourself, and seek advice from a licensed contractor promptly. For significant disturbance in a workplace, the dutyholder should also consider their obligations under CAR 2012.