Asbestos

GUIDANCE FOR THE REMOVAL AND DISPOSAL OF HOUSEHOLD CEMENT BONDED ASBESTOS

The Risks

Cement bonded asbestos is commonly found in sheet form as grey, corrugated or flat sheets. It is thin and brittle and has a clean edge when broken. This material contains a small amount of asbestos encapsulated within cement, which in good condition, does not normally present a health risk. However, if it is broken, drilled, sawn, sanded or scrubbed, fibres are released and become airborne. These fibres can be inhaled causing lung damage and possible cancer.

Many older garages are made from asbestos cement sheeting which can be removed and disposed of with minimum risk if done correctly. Advice on how to do this can be found on the Health & Safety Executive website (see useful links) or contact this authority and we will send you some written guidance.

Other Forms of Asbestos

Asbestos can also be found inside the home in the form of insulation board, other wall boards, ceiling tiles, pipe lagging and is a constituent of some textured coat finishes. There is a greater risk when handling asbestos indoors therefore we recommend you seek the advice of a specialist contractor or trade association - see useful links (see also no.1 below).

Disposal

Asbestos from householders cannot currently be accepted at any Recycling Centres within the Borough due to licence restrictions.

It can be disposed of in the following ways:-

1. Using a licensed collection contractor, these can be found listed in the Yellow Pages eg: East Coast Waste Disposal (01493) 653600 / East Coast Insulations (01493) 745111.

2. Taking it to a licensed site for disposal. Thetford Transfer Station and Costessey Transfer Station are the recommended sites.

The County Council will reimburse a householder for disposal of a reasonable amount of DIY asbestos, however, this is limited to one visit per year. A reasonable amount is considered to be 250kg (¼ tonne).

If there is more to dispose of within this time period or over ¼ tonne in one visit, the householder will be expected to cover additional disposal costs themselves.

To claim for one disposal please keep your receipt from the weighbridge and send it with a covering letter to Waste Management, Norfolk County Council, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich NR1 2SG (see useful links).

This scheme is only available to asbestos from your own household and not to trade. Costs will only be reimbursed if asbestos is taken to Thetford or Costessey Transfer Station by the householder.

Please ring Thetford Transfer Station, Burrell Way, Thetford, IP24 3RW on (01842) 753129 or Costessey Transfer Station, Longwater Industrial Estate, Costessey, Norwich, NR5 0TL on (01603) 743543 to check capacity and opening hours before you visit.

If you decide to transfer your asbestos to the disposal site yourself, we recommend you transport asbestos either on a roof rack, in a trailer or on the back of a pick-up type vehicle. The asbestos should be double bagged/wrapped. Asbestos should not be carried in an enclosed vehicle unless there is a separate cab and cargo bay.

If you do not have your own transport and wish to use a skip company instead, you must ensure that the company you wish to use is willing to take the asbestos waste. The skip company will need to provide you with a valid consignment note and be a registered carrier of waste. More information is available on the Environment Agency website (see useful links).