Asbestos safety and your home | Tenant news

If you’re planning to carry out building work, it’s important that you notify Habinteg before you make any changes to your home so that we can ensure your and your neighbours’ safety.

Until it was banned in 1999, asbestos was frequently used in building construction. This means it’s common to find asbestos in the fabric of homes, such as roofs, walls and insulation.

Asbestos fibres are only a cause for concern if they’re disturbed. There is no safe level of exposure to the fibres, which, if breathed in, can cause several serious diseases.

How you can help

To help us ensure everyone’s safety, you must request permission – in writing or via email - before you carry out any major works to your home.

“Tenants should always seek advice from Habinteg for any home improvement work that they plan to undertake,” said our Compliance Contracts Manager for Safety, Ryan Horsman. “This will help ensure that you don’t accidentally disturb any harmful materials.

“And you will need to have written permission from Habinteg before the work is carried out.”

This advice is in line with our Asbestos Management Policy and the advice provided on our Health & Safety webpage on asbestos.

If you have any concerns about the presence of asbestos in your home, please speak to your Neighbourhood Team. They will give this information to our Surveyors and Compliance teams for investigation.

Keeping you safe

Asbestos safety is always part of any major building work we carry out, such as when we recently replaced passenger lifts at our Bristol Castle Court scheme and our Swindon Brookdene Lodge scheme.

At both projects, asbestos surveys were carried out before our specialist contractors began their work.

“All our contractors are suitably trained in asbestos awareness, and they also have an obligation to request an asbestos report before they carry out certain works,” Ryan said.

“Asbestos surveys are carried out not only to protect the safety of our contractors carrying out the works, but all tenants living at those schemes.”