Asbestos removal

[Sir Percy]

There's a grey board fixed to the wall behind where the stove used to be. I haven't been able to find out what it is for definite from the previous owner, so there's the possibility that it might be asbestos. It would take a lab test to determine whether it is or not. Would anyone have any useful experience of removing asbestos from their boat?

 

Thanks

[ditchcrawler]

There's a grey board fixed to the wall behind where the stove used to be. I haven't been able to find out what it is for definite from the previous owner, so there's the possibility that it might be asbestos. It would take a lab test to determine whether it is or not. Would anyone have any useful experience of removing asbestos from their boat?

 

Thanks

It is UNLIKELY to be asbestos, more likely to be masterboard or similar.

[Murflynn]

I agree that it is unlikely to be asbestos. How old is the boat, for god's sake?

 

I suggest that for a householder or a boatowner, removing a small amount of asbestos, using sensible protective gloves and a good breathing mask, and proceeding carefully, avoiding smashing it up or sawing it, there is little risk. Most of these carcinogenic materials present a significant risk only for someone who does it regularly (like a demolition man) without protection.

[blackrose]

Yes, masterboard does look a bit like some kind of asbestos board.

[Machpoint005]

What Murflynn says is right, as far as it goes, but only a single fibre of asbestos is needed to cause disease and it could be the one that gets through the mask - hence the extreme (and well justified) caution. Many industrial diseases are dose-related but asbestosis is not.

 

Having said that, I think it's very unlikely to be asbestos in this marine application. .

[Richard T]

It depends on the age of the boat. If built before 2000 assume it is. That is the cut off date for buildings. A coat of paint will seal one surface. Wear a mask double bag and dispose of at a licences household waste site. You may need a permit to do so.

[Chewbacka]

Our local tip takes asbestos cement boards but you MUST phone first so don't just turn up or they will probably send you away.

They will also tell you how it must be wrapped etc.

[Peter-Bullfinch]

Our tip supplied the bags and gave advice on how to seal them. I think they were all double bagged. This was for asbestos from a large greenhouse and associated boiler and pipework. We used breathing masks, gloves, eye protection and disposable cheap overalls.

[Sir Percy]

Thanks for the tips.

It is an old boat, so I'm going to assume the worst. Hopefully the local waste centre will be able to help me dispose of it responsibly. Cheers

[tizzy]

Please think VERY carefully before you do this yourself.If you contaminate your boat with dust/fibres they pose an ongoing health risk to anyone who visits/lives on your boat and it only takes a very small amount to cause problems.

[cuthound]

When I worked for BT they had a major asbestos removal problem for old main frames in telephone exchanges.

 

They developed a method of spraying the frame and the 1000's of wires connected to it with dilute PVA adhesive.

 

This trapped any loose fibres, allowing the wires to be cut and the old frame removed.

 

Might be worth painting your fibreboard with PVA before you start removing it.

 

However in my limited experience of asbestos board, it is usually white/cream not grey, so you probably have masterboard.

 

Edited for tryping.

Edited December 2, 2016 by cuthound

[Machpoint005]

You can get a DIY asbestos testing kit for about 40 squid - there are several on-line suppliers. Might be a worthwhile investment instead of fannying around with masks and plastic bags that aren't necessary?

[tizzy]

Sir Percy

it's not just the disposal that is a problem but removing it that is likely to cause the problems. Asbestos is dangerous and needs to be treated with respect.

[cuthound]

Sir Percy

it's not just the disposal that is a problem but removing it that is likely to cause the problems. Asbestos is dangerous and needs to be treated with respect.

Very true.

 

You should not cut or drill asbestos board, as this will release this he dangerous fibres into the atmosphere.

 

Edited for spillung.

Edited December 2, 2016 by cuthound

[MtB]

Sir Percy

it's not just the disposal that is a problem but removing it that is likely to cause the problems. Asbestos is dangerous and needs to be treated with respect.

 

 

Yes disturbing it in the first place is daft. Introduces a whole new level of health risk.

 

A different and better approach is to encapsulate it. Cover it with something and seal around the edges. And put a label on saying what's been done. This is a recommended method on the govt website about dealing with asbestos.

[Machpoint005]

 

 

Yes disturbing it in the first place is daft. Introduces a whole new level of health risk.

 

A different and better approach is to encapsulate it. Cover it with something and seal around the edges. And put a label on saying what's been done. This is a recommended method on the govt website about dealing with asbestos.

 

... if it is actually asbestos. Otherwise, get rid of it.

[MtB]

 

... if it is actually asbestos. Otherwise, get rid of it.

 

 

Yes but how would the OP know without the risk created by chopping lumps off it to test?

 

For simplicity my view is just encapsulate it, whatever it is.

[Tony Brooks]

If this were my boat and I wanted rid of it I would definitely try the PVA spray thing and then when dry do any work with it very well wetted. I would not attempt to drill, cut or break the board.

[MtB]

If this were my boat and I wanted rid of it I would definitely try the PVA spray thing and then when dry do any work with it very well wetted. I would not attempt to drill, cut or break the board.

 

 

On the odd occasion I encounter asbestos seals in boilers I wet them with WD40 to trap loose fibres.

[Machpoint005]

 

 

Yes but how would the OP know without the risk created by chopping lumps off it to test?

 

For simplicity my view is just encapsulate it, whatever it is.

 

Not sure how the test kits work, Mike, but I imagine the procedure is as safe as it can be made. Perhaps a tiny scratch, rather than a great big lump?

 

But I don't think we are radically in dispute here.

[Sir Percy]

Hello again,

 

Thank you for your comments - yes, I do appreciate the dangers of disturbing it in the removal. The floor panels are going to be coming up, in a top-to-bottom refit, so there is the risk of the board being disturbed / damaged in the process.

The test kit that I've just had a look at seems to consist of safety equipment, tools (not specified, but not a hammer, you'd hope) and a bag for a lab test.

[jacko264]

 

 

On the odd occasion I encounter asbestos seals in boilers I wet them with WD40 to trap loose fibres.

How dose WD40 trap fibers ? Mike

[jacko264]

Be very careful my cousin has just died of Asbestosis not nice

[Murflynn]

perhaps we should put the matter into proper perspective:

NHS advice:

Asbestosis is a chronic (long-term) lung condition caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos.

Asbestos is a general term for a group of minerals made of microscopic fibres. In the past, it was widely used in construction.

Asbestos can be very dangerous. It does not present a health risk if it is undisturbed, but if material containing asbestos is chipped, drilled, broken or allowed to deteriorate, it can release a fine dust that contains asbestos fibres.

When the dust is breathed in, the asbestos fibres enter the lungs and can gradually damage them over time. For asbestosis to develop, prolonged exposure to relatively high numbers of the fibres is necessary. However, it is not the only factor, as many people avoid getting asbestosis, despite heavy exposure.

Edited December 2, 2016 by Murflynn

[Lochnevis]

I've just ordered one of the post-in lab kits (for about £25), for a similar reason: a 1987 boat, with the paloma attached to a fireboard (white, in this case). The problem being that the paloma is knackered, and attempts at repair haven't been hugely successful. Anyway, I was surprised to find that the sample required is actually an inch square piece. In my case, this means that taking a sample is likely to pose a higher contamination risk than just removing the thing would, so I think I'll have to take it off (FFP3 mask, plastic sheeting on carpet, much wetting down, etc., etc...), then cut off a piece once it's off the boat, to work out how I need to dispose of it. So to the OP: don't go ordering a test kit assuming that you'll just need to scratch a tiny piece off - maybe the amounts vary between labs, but it's worth checking first.