If you think you have discovered or accidentally disturbed and released asbestos during the course of your work or a DIY project, you should immediately stop whatever it is you are doing and leave the area.
Inform anyone around you what has happened and vacate the room/area. Put up a warning sign that clearly states that an asbestos incident has occurred to ensure that nobody else accesses the area until the problem has been resolved.
If you are at work, report the problem to your line manager or relevant site manager. If you are at home, telephone your local UKAS accredited asbestos laboratory for further advice.
If necessary, the laboratory will arrange for an asbestos surveyor to come round and take a sample of the suspect asbestos material for analysis. If the material is found not to contain asbestos then work can continue. If the material does contain asbestos, the laboratory will be able to provide better guidance on how to deal with it.
Do not attempt to clean up any dust or debris using a domestic vacuum cleaner or brush. Both of these activities will give rise to increased airborne asbestos fibre concentrations.
Remove any potentially contaminated clothing and wash/shower to decontaminate. Place any infected clothes in a sealed plastic bag and place in a secure area until you have established whether the material is asbestos. The laboratory will be able to give better guidance once the type of asbestos and material is known.
Details on how to select the correct asbestos removal company can be found at: https://vinteclabs.com/selecting-asbestos-removal-contractor/
The benefits of using a UKAS accredited asbestos surveying and testing company can be found at: https://vinteclabs.com/selecting-asbestos-testing-provider/
If you would like to chat with one of our asbestos experts please feel free to call us on 01923 66144.