Asbestos, am I being utterly crazy or is this unreasonable?

[Uniffo]

My neighbours are renovating. We are detached but still reasonably close. They have asbestos on some part of the outside of their house/along the garage frames etc. they are removing it all next week and casually told us that ‘I think you’re supposed to get it removed by specialists but we are just going to bin it.’ Meaning the wheely bins.

Could this not mean bits of asbestos come into our home? Our garden? Etc. we have a baby which is making me more worried.

i know quite a number of people who have died from abestos poisoning to be fair. From a family of trades and worked a long time in the construction industry. I can think of 4 that I would consider close friends, including my god father. It’s not uncommon in men of that age and background sadly

OP, I used to deal with contracts at a senior level for one of the largest local authorities in the country. This is an extremely serious situation. Get onto your local council first thing, and if you have to, call the police to stop them till the Council arrive.

Make sure you, your family and neighbours are not exposed to any dust or fibres as best you can and keep all doors and windows closed.

Edited to add, google the Armley asbestos disaster.

Well my dad is dying from mesothelioma right now, could happen any day now after couple of rough years. Thank God they are not my neighbours bc i would punch them in the face and report everywhere possible.

We had to fill in a form online & then take it to a disposal site - a council tip in the next town.
Guess it varies by council.

I would urgently report it, leave a note in all
the surrounding neighbours doors and take your baby and leave to stay somewhere else.

i know that sounds dramatic - but you really really don’t want to fuck about with asbestos.

Because asbestos is present the air we all breathe.

YES, it could. Asbestos held in sheets are ok as long as they are left alone.

If people start smashing them up, or using power tools, it's the fibres which are released as dust that are the danger.

www.croydon.gov.uk/environment/noise-pollution-and-air-quality/asbestos

Report to the council. So very dangerous!

You can't know that, nor can the doctors that diagnosed your relative, unless he lived in a bubble for the rest of his working life

There seems to be significant attention on asbestos in the UK right now, and I understand that asbestos exposure can carry serious risks. However, I have some personal perspective on this topic. I knew someone who worked in an asbestos factory for most of his life, in another country, and lived a long life, passing away at age 75 due to an unrelated motor accident.

In my own experience, I used an asbestos sheet under my electric frying pan for several years to protect my tabletop from heat. While I understand that symptoms from asbestos exposure can sometimes take many years to appear, I’ve now been retired for over a decade without experiencing any ill effects.

From what I’ve read, single or very occasional exposures generally carry a very low risk.

He was awarded compensation from the company he worked for when it happened, so evidently they saw enough to convince them for legal purposes.

Sadly, I suspect that the selfish and irresponsible behaviour displayed by your neighbours, OP, is not as unusual as I would thought, judging by all the people on this thread who are tripping over each other to minimise the dangers of asbestos and tell us we're making a silly fuss about nothing.

Report them to Environmental Health at your local authority.
Asbestos cement sheeting is safe if its undisturbed, not so if its broken up. You dont have to be a licensed contractor to remove it, but by law they do need to notify the work and they do need to control the risk of airborne fibres.
It's also illegal for them to chuck it in with other general waste as its classified as Hazardsous waste and needs to be disposed of differently to bricks, concrete etc.

Yes, the waste disposal site needs to be specifically licensed to accept asbestos as its classified as a Hazardous waste

I'm in the building trade, it is PERFECTLY LEGAL to remove small amounts of asbestos cement (roof sheets, drain pipes, gutters, fascias etc) yourself as a householder, you do not need a licence.

All you need to do is follow the guidance published by the HSE, proceed with care and dispose of the waste appropriately

From the official text:
For most small scale removals, you can usually remove it yourself. A licence is not needed. You will need to take some precautions.
If removal of asbestos cement is done according to these rules, it will not usually fall into the category where it must be notified to the enforcing authority (HSE or Local Authority, depending on the premises). This would only happen if there was likely to be exposure beyond the "action level" given in the Regulations.

Many household waste sites have an asbestos skip, ours does, guidance id to double bag or wrap in plastic sheeting.

It can take 10-50 years for asbestos related Illnesses to become symptomatic. However it only takes 1 fibre, 1 time to become problematic.
interestingly on a recent asbestos course I attended I’ve read asbestos can cause ovarian cancer..
just report them to the council.

It’s jaz waste. The bin men won’t go near it.

Well, for those of us who work with it daily, it's no big deal, we have the knowhow and equipment to press on and manage it - it doesn't jump up on its own and get you - unless you start breaking it up or don't wear PPE, that's where your trouble starts.

Rubbish, misinformation!
low risk- if you’re wearing the correct Ppe, it’s dampened down and not broken into pieces… maybe..

Calm down!

If it the asbestos cement board its fine but it still needs to be removed using PPE and wrapped and disposed off via a hazardous waste collection.

Loads of people panic but there are many many different types and risk levels.

Read up on the HSE website.

Also if you are detached and away from them you will be fine.

You are very wrong i am afraid.

do you think smoking carry low risk to your health? Because i know people who smokes a lot for 40-50 yrs and are in good health and i also know people who dont smoke and die of lungs cancer. does it mean smoking is good?

and usage of those sheets might affect you after next 20 years, its very slow and hard to detect

Please report them to Environmental Health at your local Council. Yes, there are some types of asbestos which are easier to deal with than others but why take a chance with your and your other neighbour's health?

Many years ago, I nursed a chap with mesothelioma, and it is the only time that I have actually watched a tumour grow each day... it was not pleasant. You also need to know that it can occur with just one fibre being breathed in and it is a tricksy, aggressive little bugger in that it can lay dormant in the body for up to 25 years and then start its insidious journey.

So on balance, pick up the phone, stop it and do not have it on your conscience.