Liverpool City Council - FAQ

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 Pollution FAQ

When will I get details if there is asbestos in my property?

The leaflet you should have recently received is the starting point of providing information on asbestos in your property. We are currently developing a number ways of advising and providing information on asbestos in your homes. During the next few months you should receive more information specific to your property. Please understand that there are only approximately 50% of council properties which contain some form of asbestos. In the majority of these cases it is found either in the roof structure or in the heating systems.

Do contractors working on my property know where asbestos materials are?

The contractors have access to the asbestos database to identify potential positions of asbestos materials. The contractors also have ongoing asbestos awareness training to ensure that any asbestos encountered during there work is dealt with in a safe manner.



What is the danger from asbestos released during fires? (e.g. warehouses with asbestos roofs)

There is no evidence of a risk to health due to exposure to asbestos released during fires. This is mainly from asbestos cement roofing materials and most of the fibres remain sealed within the fragments. However, it is best to minimise exposure to asbestos wherever possible, and so if it is suspected that asbestos may be released during a fire, local residents should stay indoors and should not pick up or otherwise disturb any debris from the fire.

I have heard that for asbestos exposure one fibre kills. Is this true?

Asbestos fibres are present everywhere in the air at very low levels. This means that everyone is breathing in a very low level of fibres all the time. The small burden of fibres resulting from this background exposure appears to be well tolerated, so the theory that one asbestos fibre kills would appear to be unfounded.

Will my Council owned property be surveyed for the presence of asbestos?

Yes all council houses will be surveyed in a programme over the next 5 years. However we have previously surveyed every type of property as a 10% sample. Any problems that where identified during these surveys, were dealt with immediately. At present approximately 50% of council properties may have some asbestos in them. Properties types where potential asbestos presence has previously identified will be targeted at the beginning of the survey programme.