We take the potential risks posed by asbestos very seriously, while recognising that if left sealed and undisturbed it poses no risk to health.
If asbestos is discovered in your property (residential or business) do not try to disturb it without taking the following advice.
- Complete the contact us form or call 0344 980 3333 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm).
- For an out of hours emergency, between 4pm and 9am or at weekends, call 01603 412180.
Because of the good heat and acid resistant qualities of asbestos materials, they have been used in lots of construction products and materials. In fact, anything that requires fire protection, insulation and strength in or around it.
Asbestos may be present in any home in textured decorative coatings such as Artex, textured paints, and in asbestos cement sheets used in panels and other sheet materials.
It is also possible that you might find asbestos in the following locations:
- heating appliances such as boilers or storage heaters
- ceiling and wall board
- bath panels and some sanitary fittings such as WC cisterns and seats (black)
- window sills
- Old electrical insulation
- fire blankets
- bakelite fittings
- sectional garage and shed walls and roof panels
- roofing felt and other bituminous products such as damp proof course material
- gutters and downpipe
- lino and vinyl floor tiles
- decorative textured coatings (artex) to walls and ceilings
- mastics
- paints and sealants
- wall plugging compound
- cold water tanks in the loft
- Reused material in the garden eg panels used as fencing or edge borders
This is by no means a full list, but it does highlight the many ways in which asbestos has been used.
Materials containing asbestos are safe if they are in good condition and left undisturbed.
Everyone should take care when doing repair work or DIY, especially if drilling or using power tools. If you come across any material you think may be asbestos, do not disturb it. The main danger from asbestos comes from breathing in the dust or fibres.
Anything that you think might contain asbestos should be checked for damage. If you find damaged or broken material that may contain asbestos then leave it alone, keep away from the area and call the customer contact team for advice.
Asbestos register
We have set up an asbestos register for all our buildings, with information from surveys carried out by specialist asbestos surveyors.
This register will help us to inform occupiers, contractors and people who work in, or visit council buildings, about where we know asbestos is present.
Norwich City Council and its contractors involved in work which may bring them into contact with asbestos, have been trained to recognise suspect materials and to know how to deal with them.
Asbestos removal is only carried out by specialist contractors appointed by us.
