My neighbour has an asbestos garage. Should I be worried?

Even if you know that there isn’t dangerous asbestos on your property or at your workplace, you may be worried if you find out that your neighbour has asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in their garage.

Once asbestos becomes airborne, anyone in the vicinity can inhale the microscopic fibres without realising it. While a single exposure event may not be cause for alarm, repeated exposure to asbestos fibres can cause major, life-threatening health problems in the future.

If you spend time at your neighbour’s house or they regularly have their garage door open and you’re worried about asbestos fibres traveling towards your property, keep reading to learn how to keep yourself safe.

What is asbestos?

According to UK’s official government site, asbestos is the name for “several naturally occurring fibrous minerals that have crystallised to form fibres.” Considered a carcinogen, asbestos — particularly blue and brown asbestos — can cause cancer and other diseases.

Furthermore, asbestos fibres can’t usually be seen, smelled or tasted, making it easy to be exposed to them without knowing it. They also don’t evaporate in the air or dissolve in water, and they’re so strong that they’re not resistant to heat or fire, either.

Where is asbestos found in garages?

While asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999, any structures built before 2000 may still contain asbestos. The mineral was popular in construction, among its other uses, because it was easily accessible, inexpensive and has excellent fireproofing and insulation properties.

The most-used ACMs in garages are cement materials. Common places where asbestos can be found in garages include:

• Brick or timber packers
• Cement gutters and downpipes
• Cement roofing
• Cement wall panels
• Felt roofing
• Internal boarding

In general, ACMs in good condition don’t pose a threat. However, ACMs that are damaged or falling apart due to age can release asbestos fibres into the air. Additionally, any work that takes place in or on the garage could potentially disturb the ACMs and cause enough damage to release fibres.

How can I tell if my neighbour’s garage contains asbestos?

Assuming you and your neighbour aren’t going to conduct a thorough inspection together to identify ACMs, you’ll need a less-obvious way of determining if their garage might contain asbestos.

Finding out the year of construction

The first step is to find out when the home and garage were built. If they were constructed in 2000 or later, the garage shouldn’t contain asbestos.

According to the UK National Archives, the best place to find a residential building’s construction history is in the local archive. You can start the process of finding your local archive here.

You may also be able to find information from the HM Land Registry, which has England and Wales property records dating back to 1993.

Visually inspecting for asbestos

Whether or not you opt to find out when the property was built, you may want to inspect the garage visually from afar or without it being obvious if you’re visiting your neighbour.

Commonly, asbestos cement is either light grey or dark grey, and it can look very similar to regular, non-asbestos cement. Upon closer inspection, though, you may be able to see the white asbestos that’s mixed in with the cement. Or, you may notice that the roof or walls of the garage have a white-and-grey colouring, which is a good sign that they contain asbestos.

Additionally, cement roofing that contains asbestos almost always has a wavy design. Our gallery of ACMs can help you determine if the material is likely to contain asbestos or not.

While it’s difficult to determine if a material contains asbestos just by looking at it, what’s more important is the condition of the material. If you’re worried that your neighbour’s garage contains asbestos and you notice that some materials are damaged or falling apart, you could be at risk.

What are the risks of asbestos exposure from a neighbour’s garage?

Asbestos materials that are in good condition and are not at risk of being disturbed are not a health concern. Only when an ACM becomes damaged or disturbed does it pose a problem by releasing toxic asbestos fibres into the air.

Here are some ways that ACMs in a garage can be disturbed:

• Cutting, drilling, sanding or sawing asbestos materials
• Removing materials without taking the proper precautions
• Water can damage ACMs used for soundproofing

ACMs that are in bad condition are the most dangerous, as they’re likely to have fibres that separate from the main material.

If you live close to your neighbour’s house or regularly pass by close to the garage, you may be at risk of asbestos exposure. Asbestos fibres can remain in the air for up to 72 hours. And even once they’ve settled, a breeze or any type of movement can make them go into the air once again.

Also, asbestos fibres can make their way to you if they’re carried by wind or water, causing contamination to areas outside of your neighbour’s garage. Plus, asbestos doesn’t biodegrade or break down naturally, so it remains present and continues to create an exposure risk wherever it goes.

What should I do if there are damaged ACMs in my neighbour’s garage?

If you suspect that there are damaged or otherwise dangerous ACMs in your neighbour’s garage, consider talking to them about your concerns. If they’re willing to listen and take steps to solve the problem, encourage them to speak with an asbestos expert who can determine the safest course of action.

In the event that your neighbour is not responsive to you, the next step is to seek advice from a local environmental health officer. You can find out how to contact your local authority or council here.

The law about asbestos in a domestic property aims to protect the homeowner when an asbestos contractor performs work on the premises. However, finding information that’s helpful to a neighbour who’s being exposed to asbestos isn’t easy. While asbestos compliance is overseen by the Health and Safety Executive, your best option is to contact your local authority to find out your rights.

Concerns about asbestos contractors

If your neighbour is having contractors perform asbestos-related work and you feel that they’re not following safety protocols, you can report the contractor to the HSE. You may also want to check the UKATA licence-holder database to see if the contractor or company has the proper licensing to perform high-risk types of asbestos work.

Final thoughts

It can be helpful to build and maintain a good relationship with your neighbour so you can openly discuss your concerns. It’s possible that your neighbour doesn’t know their garage may contain asbestos or that they don’t understand the health risks associated with asbestos exposure.

If asbestos is present, the best case scenario is for your neighbour to take the necessary steps to keep the ACMs safe or have them removed by experts. Also, since you and your family could be at risk of asbestos exposure due to your proximity to the garage, it would be ideal for your neighbour to keep you up-to-date about planned asbestos activities.

If you or your neighbour need to speak with an asbestos expert, contact Oracle Solutions today.