No risk assessment or asbestos survey. Is this a norm for an electrical company in England?

[Evans Electric]

Hi Guys,

Thank you so much Essex1, Evans Electric, Sharpend, Canoeboy, switch10, rapparee, binky, Revved Up Sparky, Blue Duck, SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH, M107, ProDave, Tony S, Rob_the_rich, steptoe, Sidewinder, apprentice87, kerching, MysticalGandy for sharing your knowledge. Thank you for your life saving replies!

Cheers, 

Andy_Dandy

And the Thank You is appreciated ..............sometimes the OP gets a deluge of assisance and just signs off ...never to be heard of again.

 

[binky]

What annoys me is it appears covering up asbestos is acceptable. I have worked in a few places where the report has said to  plaster over asbestos  based artex & this was carried out.  What chance do we have when drilling out for downlights, even an asbestos survey would not find that. 

I have also been asked to work in an (ex) council house bought by the tenants. All internal walls and ceilings were asbestos sheets. The report was (and a retainer put on the mortgage) to plasterboard over all, no removal. The customer then could not understand why i said you cant then chase/cut or even safely hang a picture, because they had there 'safe' certificate (whatever its called). All these jobs were between 3-6 years ago, have the rules changed ?

I remember using the Rawlfix stuff. I also remember whilst an apprentice in the 70's working for one of Londons largest electrical companies in a BT exchange standing on asbestos lagged pipes in the risers, whilst the stuff crumbled off and got in your hair & clothes, we also used to chuck bits at each other.

covering over, or even just sealing with paint seems ot be standard practice still from what I have seen.

 

[Evans Electric]

Yes ....Artex ceilings are usually plastered over not removed.

 

[Sharpend]

I seem to remember from the AAcourse that this rate is very low risk? 

 

[kerching]

I suppose, in a perverse way, plastering over the ACM is similar to fitting a metal Consumer Unit.....it is merely containing the problem and not removing it

just expostulating 

 

[Andy™]

pretty much. wonder if the asbestos ceiling will contain a fire better than a metal board?

 

[Sharpend]

pretty much. wonder if the asbestos ceiling will contain a fire better than a metal board?

Thinking of cutting the ceiling out to put around your plastic box? 

 

[Andy™]

no. itll be fine in 18th when we have those spark detection thingy's to stop it self igniting

 

[Tony S]

no. itll be fine in 18th when we have those spark detection thingy's to stop it self igniting

I wouldn’t count on it, they are inside the CU.

 

[Evans Electric]

I suppose, in a perverse way, plastering over the ACM is similar to fitting a metal Consumer Unit.....it is merely containing the problem and not removing it

just expostulating 

I've warned him  about expostulating in public ?  :red card

 

[kerching]

no. itll be fine in 18th when we have those spark detection thingy's to stop it self igniting

If the clients had a "Spark detector". And detected that a proper "Spark" was doing the job in the first place then the world would be a better place!