I Found Asbestos — What Do I Do?
Finding suspected asbestos is alarming. The good news is that the right response is straightforward — and most of the time, the situation is far more manageable than it first appears.
Call Now: 07345 062075First: Don't Panic
Finding something that might be asbestos — a crumbling ceiling tile, a damaged garage roof, a suspicious material behind a wall — is unsettling. But the risk from asbestos comes from inhaling fibres, not from being near the material. Asbestos that is intact, undisturbed, and in good condition does not release fibres. The danger arises when asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) are cut, drilled, sanded, broken, or disturbed.
If you have not disturbed the material — if you simply noticed it — the immediate risk is low. The priority is to leave it alone, get it assessed, and make an informed decision based on what the assessment reveals. If you have already disturbed it, the steps below tell you exactly what to do.
If You Have Already Disturbed the Material: Six Immediate Steps
These steps apply if you were working on a material — drilling, cutting, sanding, or breaking — and you suspect it may contain asbestos. Speed matters here, but so does doing the right things in the right order.
Stop work immediately
If you were drilling, cutting, or sanding and suspect you have disturbed asbestos, stop. Put down tools. Do not continue.
Leave the area and close the door
Restrict access to the room or area. If fibres have been released, limiting movement reduces the spread.
Do not vacuum or sweep
A standard vacuum cleaner will not capture asbestos fibres — it will redistribute them into the air. Do not use one.
Wash your hands and face
If you were in the area during disturbance, wash exposed skin with soap and water. Change your clothes if possible.
Note what you disturbed and how
Write down what material you were working on, what tools you used, and for how long. This information helps an assessor understand the likely exposure level.
Contact a licensed asbestos contractor
A licensed contractor can carry out an air test to determine whether fibres are present, and arrange safe clearance if needed.
What Not to Do
- Continue drilling, cutting, or sanding the material
- Sweep or vacuum the area with a standard cleaner
- Bag the debris in normal bin bags and put it out with household waste
- Return to the area without professional clearance
- Attempt to seal or paint over damaged asbestos yourself
- Ignore it and hope it was not asbestos
How Do You Know If It's Asbestos?
You cannot identify asbestos by sight. The only way to confirm whether a material contains asbestos is laboratory analysis of a sample. Visual inspection — even by an experienced surveyor — can only indicate that a material is suspected to contain asbestos, not confirm it. That said, there are strong indicators based on the age of the property and the type of material.
Any property built before 2000 may contain asbestos. The HSE estimates that asbestos is present in around half a million non-domestic buildings in the UK, and it is present in a significant proportion of pre-2000 homes. The materials most commonly found to contain asbestos are listed below, along with their typical risk profile.
| Material | Risk Level |
|---|---|
| Artex or textured ceiling coating | Low to moderate |
| Asbestos cement (garage roof, shed, flue) | Low to moderate |
| Floor tiles (vinyl or thermoplastic) | Low to moderate |
| Pipe lagging or boiler insulation | High |
| Asbestos insulation board (AIB) | High |
| Sprayed asbestos coating | Very high |
What Happens After You Call a Contractor?
When you contact a licensed asbestos contractor, the first step is usually a site visit or survey to assess the material and the extent of any disturbance. If you have already disturbed the material, an air test will determine whether fibres are present at a level above the HSE's workplace exposure limit of 0.1 fibres per cubic centimetre (f/cm³). If the air test shows elevated fibre levels, the contractor will carry out a controlled clean-up using HEPA-filtered vacuum equipment and wet-wiping methods.
If the material has not been disturbed, the contractor will assess its condition and advise on the appropriate response — which may be monitoring and management, encapsulation, or removal. The decision depends on the type of asbestos, its condition, and what you plan to do with the property or the area where it is located.
The 5,000 Figure — Context Matters
The HSE attributes approximately 5,000 deaths per year in the UK to past asbestos exposure. This figure relates to occupational exposure — tradespeople who worked with asbestos regularly over years or decades. A single brief disturbance of a small area of asbestos cement, while not something to ignore, is a very different exposure scenario. The appropriate response is to get the area assessed, not to assume the worst.
Licensed Work vs Non-Licensed Work
Not all asbestos work requires a licensed contractor. The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 divides asbestos work into three categories: licensed, notifiable non-licensed (NNLW), and non-licensed. The category depends on the type of asbestos, the condition of the material, and the nature of the work.
High-risk materials — pipe lagging, asbestos insulation board, sprayed coatings — always require a licensed contractor. Asbestos cement work, such as removing a garage roof, falls into the non-licensed or NNLW category depending on the extent of the work, but still requires proper training, equipment, and disposal procedures. The practical advice is simple: if you are not certain which category applies, use a licensed contractor. The cost difference is not significant, and the protection is complete.
Read more about the regulatory framework in the Asbestos Regulations UK guide.
The Most Expensive Mistake: Carrying On
The most common and costly mistake is continuing work after suspecting asbestos. Homeowners who carry on drilling, cutting, or demolishing — telling themselves it is probably fine — can turn a contained situation into a widespread contamination problem that requires full decontamination of a room or building. The cost of a survey and air test is a fraction of the cost of a full decontamination. Stop the work. Get it assessed.
Your Next Step Depends on Where You Are
The right next step depends on whether you have disturbed the material, whether you need confirmation that it is asbestos, and what you ultimately need to do with it.
Air testing
If disturbance has already occurred and you need to confirm the area is safe
Book Air TestHow We Handle Discovery Calls
When you call us after finding suspected asbestos, we do not push you towards the most expensive option. We ask you to describe what you found, where it is, whether it has been disturbed, and what the property is. From that conversation, we can usually give you a clear steer on the likely risk level and the appropriate next step — whether that is a survey, an air test, or immediate removal. Most calls end with a plan, not a panic.
Pro Asbestos Removal is UKATA-certified and HSE-licensed. We cover Surrey, South London, and the South East. Same-week appointments are available for urgent situations.
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