dennis@home wrote:


"geoff" wrote in message
...
In message , "dennis@home"
writes


"TheScullster" wrote in message
. uk...
Hi all

Does anyone know whether the soffits in 1970s houses tended to
contain asbestos?
Our house is looking well-tatty as all the paint is flaking and
falling off the soffits. They look suspiciously like asbestos boards.
Our neighbours recently had all uPVC replacement stuff. When the
company came to fit these they claimed that they would have to
engage "specialists" to remove the soffits due to asbestos risk.
The specialists arrived and, using nothing more than paper
nose/mouth masks, proceeded to smash out the soffits with hammers!
Surely, if the soffits were high-risk asbestos, a more professional
method should be used. It certainly looked like the ideal way to
release the maximum amount of fibre/debris into the surroundings!
Any comments please?

You can have a sample tested.
If it is asbestos you have to enclose it before you start removal and
take regular air samples to prove you are not releasing the stuff.
It is an offence to release asbestos dust into the air these days

Chapter and verse please ...?

Go and look at the court cases.
You will find Marconi/GEC was fined £50,000 (IIRC) for removing asbestos
without taking the samples even though they agreed that the method used
would have prevented any stuff escaping.



Surely not well preserved asbestos cement.