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http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/plasterers-hs-advice
Is there anything nasty in this (pictures above) that i pulled out of the bathroom yesterday, or is it just some harmless fibre board? I know it's a bit late, but it was covered in tiles so couldn't see what was behind there until it was too late. Most came out in one lump, but the end broke off behind some studwork and i had to chisel it out. Put a mask on as soon as i thought it might be possibly iffy, but the bathroom and contents got a bit dusty as did my clothes that i've now washed.
Am i panicking over nothing?
I worked in asbestos removal for a while. It's impossible to tell from the pictures if the material is asbestos board or not. If it is, then it is more than likely grey asbestos not blue asbestos, which in the general scheme of things would be a better situation for you. From what you've said, I wouldn't be overly worried. If you did send a sample for analysis you'd be unable to do much if it came back positive except spending the next thirty years waiting for something that might never happen to happen.
In my experience I'd suggest that you probably already have or probably will at some point in your life be exposed to asbestos fibres without ever knowing that they were around. I really wouldn't get too paranoid about it.
Main concern was whether just washing the bathroom stuff off and bunging my clothes in the washing machine with our other washing was sufficient/a crap idea. Also i hoovered the mess up before i read that i shouldn't have, should i lob the hoover?
I kind of presume i've been in contact with plenty of the stuff over the years as i started my brickie apprenticeship in 1986 and have done loads of refurbs, i was more worried about the kids.
I feel a right numpty, as i teach H&S and COSHH stuff at work, but it was too late to go back once it had started to come out.
thats aqua board used instead of plasterboard as it will not rot if water gets on it, made from a cement based product
If you admit it is Asbestos, youll be hit with a large fine and costs off the local jobsworths,when you take or have taken it to the tip.
Asbestos does cause lung complaints, but was widely used in the past with no precautions thats what caused all the problems.Doing a few hours work with it shouldnt cause health problems,but then im not a jobsworth.
Its impossible to tell if its asbestos by eye, although you can get a good idea with experience of working with it.
It could be woven like a textile, compression moulded, flaked into fibre dust so could be put in anything that needed heat resistance, strengthening or filling.
The reason you're not meant to hover it is because you will have re-distributed all the respirable fibres into the air, since normal hoover filters are too coarse to capture asbestos fibres.
Just about the worst thing to do, IF its asbestos.