Cut some holes on plasterboard without realising it’s asbestos cement board while doing some DIY at home recently.

Vacuum up a small amount of asbestos cement dust up (less than a handful at most) off the carpet

Immediately wiped the carpet area down with wet wipes & wet rags thoroughly.

Is this sufficient enough or do I need to go further with cleaning of the carpet, perhaps steam cleaning?

I’m thinking of disposing the vacuum cleaner as it’s most likely contaminated or just replace the filter?

Washed my clothes already or is it better just to dispose it?

Also, I didn’t wear a mask, so definitely inhaled some of the dust as well!

The more I look into asbestos & stuff, the more frightening it gets, I’m having nightmares now thinking about it!

Completer DIY disaster, kicking myself for not doing more research on older houses having asbestos material in its construction.

I am very worried now, any advice?

 

 

 

Edited January 2, 20242 yr by ks6788

Maybe order in a test kit to double check?

What age is the property? Are you 100% sure it’s cement asbestos? Would have been a notable difference from cutting plasterboard, much harder and brittle.

 

Photos?

+1 for the test.

House built around 1970’s to early 1980’s

It was hard to cut with textured pattern on one side

Thinking it was plasterboard so went ahead cutting holes, no mask, protection, all gung ho & stupidity 

Sleepless night since.

 

 

 

 

Probably just fibre cement board - the flakes are usually wood or cellulose.

Asbestos is nasty stuff, but I really wouldn't worry in your situation. It's prolonged exposure that rapidly increases your risk catagory. A one off minor exposure is pretty small in the big scheme of things. How many home owners drill through it without realising then clean up the dust etc... Its common stuff unfortunately!

 

I had asbestos removed from our place using a small firm, and the guys had a face mask and coveralls on, but we're pretty casual hanging around it during breaks or to talk without the mask on, even though I thought around the back of the van etc there could till be airborne bits... When considering it's their job I was surprised.

The plasterboard material I cut into is dense, hard, can’t really see flakes or fibre on the cut edges

 

I’m certain it’s asbestos cement board

 

Handful of dust on the carpet, vacuumed it up, wet wipe it down, is the vacuum cleaner & carpet contaminated ?

Dispose both the carpet & vacuum cleaner to be on the safe side?

 

Edited January 3, 20242 yr by ks6788

It does look like asbestos cement board (can see the hairy fibres next to the hole), but only one way of knowing and thats to get it tested. 

 

From memory (and i'm sure someone will confirm), this type of asbestos is one of the few which the body is able to expel if it got in, its not a hugely dangerous version like the insulation asbestos. 

You need long term exposure 

drilling a few holes won’t kill you, relax a bit. 

Ive removed dozens of asbestos roofs from garages, long before we knew the risks, 35 years ago, I’m not dead yet. 

 

Lesson learned do a bit of checking in future. 

 

Hoover a bit more and chuck the filters on the vac away. 

What I’ve done is probably a typical asbestos DIY mistake, drilling/cutting holes many out there would of encountered so what is done is done!

 

To be honest, I’m more worried for my family members living in the same household than for myself

 

I’m now trying to move on & here’s my plan of action to manage the situation as best as possible as follows:

I have a steam cleaner, using a hot wet cleaning method on the carpet so would this be any good?

 

Leave the vacuum cleaner running outdoor for 5 minutes or so, replace filter with brand new one so is it ok to use again?

 

Replace the carpet & get rid of the vacuum cleaner, is this just being OTT or over cautious?
 

Hire a H class vacuum cleaner with Hepa filter as this is the recommendation for cleaning carpet with asbestos, quite expensive to hire one out & there’s also either a decontamination charge or you need to have it clean by a specialist with a certificate to prove it’s free from asbestos before returning!

 

Only a handful of asbestos cement dust was initially vacuumed up so would I actually need to hire a H class vacuum?

It would be a lot easier, maybe even cheaper just to replace the carpet than hiring a H class vacuum.

 

Any suggestions?
 

 

 

 

Edited January 3, 20242 yr by ks6788

Just dump the vaccum filters / bags etc and wet wipe clean. No harm in getting the carpet shampooed. No need to replace! Remember the risk from asbestos is direct inhalation of fibres. Cement bound is far less risky, as even the liberated fibres are still attached to cement particles.

Logic tells me to wet wipe clean the vacuum cleaner, replace filter, wet method of cleaning the carpet by shampoo or hot steam cleaning should be sufficient.

 

Scaremongering, contradictory information & fear is to take no chances whatsoever?

 

All this starts playing tricks on your mind, not good for your mental health either!

 

 

 

 

Evenn If its asbestos, I can imagine you were breathing it in, any more than with plasterboard dust. 

Mist of it us cement, and that type of asbestos is low risk.

Damp cloths to pick up and remains. 

And relax.

Do get the test done.

Hoover thoroughly, bin the bag, 10min wipe down... Move on!!

 

This really is not a big an issue as you are fearing! If you'd been doing it for 6 months and have just realised, it's a very different story, but something like this barely registers in my book.

 

There are millions of properties out there with asbestos in them, what you did will be done a 1000 times a day, most without anyone even knowing! 

 

 

But as @saveasteading says, get the test done! If it comes back negative you will know you were worrying about nothing, but you have climbed a steep knowledge ramp in terms of future works. Make HSE's Asbestos Essentials a 'must read' item.

Plenty of UKAS lab based test kits on Amazon

Amazon.co.uk : asbestos test kit

 

 

I’ve just ordered an asbestos test kit on Amazon UK, get it tested is the only definite way to find out!

 

Yes, the bottom line, we all learn from our mistakes too, more wiser next time!

 

Thanks for all the advice & replies guys, all helped sharing your knowledge & experience on this matter, very much appreciated 👍

 

 

 

 

Edited January 3, 20242 yr by ks6788

1 hour ago, ks6788 said:

ordered an asbestos test kit

Report back please. I didn't know these existed.

The asbestos test kit I ordered on Amazon UK cost £34.95, includes UKAS lab testing fee, you send a sample back to them, they do the testing in the UKAS lab & send you certification of the results back by email.

 

It’s just your standard UKAS lab asbestos test kit widely available!

 

 

2 hours ago, saveasteading said:

Report back please. I didn't know these existed.

I was looking at the providers over Christmas as I need to test what could-be-artex-but-is-probably-textured-plaster. https://www.bradley-enviro.co.uk/services/asbestos-consultants/asbestos-sample-testing is the cheapest I found, and I checked out their lab accreditations to make sure they can do what they said.

16 hours ago, saveasteading said:

Report back please. I didn't know these existed.

I used one of the test kits from Amazon around six years ago. Everything needed was included in the kit and the results were back in a few days. Mine came back as positive Chrysotile.

My dad worked for the GPO (i.e BT) and in his younger years used asbestos for cable protection; red lead for ... maybe something to do with batteries; vermiculite which back then contained asbestos fibres; and spent a deal of time up telephone poles with nothing more than a thick leather belt around his waist for protection. He died at 90 - mostly of 'old-age'.

 

His hearing wasn't good - probably due to decades hanging around in Strowger exchanges. Imagine thousands of these operating at the same time:

 

 

 

On 03/01/2024 at 19:12, Sparrowhawk said:

I was looking at the providers over Christmas as I need to test what could-be-artex-but-is-probably-textured-plaster. https://www.bradley-enviro.co.uk/services/asbestos-consultants/asbestos-sample-testing is the cheapest I found, and I checked out their lab accreditations to make sure they can do what they said.

Hi, I am looking at doing this too - did you buy the sampling kit for £45 or just send them some to be tested? (£15)

19 hours ago, Square Feet said:

Hi, I am looking at doing this too - did you buy the sampling kit for £45 or just send them some to be tested? (£15)

Just send them to be tested. I have PPE here already but honestly the amount of disturbance taking a sample was less than the disturbance I'd made to discover something that needs to be sampled.