Asbestos

[Ernie]

What are people's views on corrugated white asbestos roofing? Do people remove this? If so how? Are there regs on this in France?

Ernie

[Ron Avery]

How do you know it is asbestos?  Even if it is it will be an asbestos compound, so the best thing to do,  unless it is damaged is to leave it alone, there is no need to replace it just for the sake of it.

If you do remove it, you need to take it off without breaking it. But you should also take proper precautions, irrespective of French law, like using asbestos rated face masks and disposal protective suits and shoes in case it  breaks up and dust is generated.

At the moment it would appear that you can take it to the decheterie without restriction, which I must admit from my previous life I find amazing, but I suspect that it will change soon.

[parsac23]

Hello Ernie, RA is correct, you must use a good face mask and don't reuse the overalls. A good tip when you are working with asbestos products is to thoroughly wet it, this keeps down the very fine dust that causes all the health problems. In the UK when you take asbestos to the tip you have to wrap it up well in strong plastic sheeting.

[Ernie]

It's asbestos (or at least there's asbestos in it) because it showed up as that on the survey. It's on a building that I want to get rid of - just a ricketty old shed. I always had in mind getting someone else to do it - and I should presumably try and find a registered asbestos remover rather than asking a builder to do it?

[Tony F Dordogne]

We had a whole, unbroken sheet of corrougated asbestos in the garden when we moved it, toddled off to the dechertie with it and they refused it, too much of a hazard.

So now we seem to be stuck with it.

[Ron Avery]

[quote]Hello Ernie, RA is correct, you must use a good face mask and don't reuse the overalls. A good tip when you are working with asbestos products is to thoroughly wet it, this keeps down the very fine ...[/quote]

Thee is no way and nowhere in the UK that you can dispose of any sort of asbestos at a tip, unless you mean an illegal one by the roadside. 

In the UK all types of asbestos are controlled substances and covered by all sorts of H&S regulations, including the hazardous substances regulations which control how it can be disposed of and by whom, you have to be licensed to handle asbestos in the UK.  That is why I said that I was amazed to see asbestos sheets just being left at the decheterie, (unless the guy at the decheterie had been convinced it was not asbestos.) Similar sheeting is available to buy now and looks the same, but since 1980 ish it would not contain asbestos.   Best thing to do Ernie is consult a local builder as to demolition and disposal costs. 

[Ernie]

Thanks Ron. I'm easy about approaching a local builder but I had heard rumors that because of the difficulty of getting rid of the stuff, it's been known for builders to bury it some place when the owner wasn't looking! Tell me it's never happened.