Bad day - asbestos

[Rickster123]

I starting contacting for a company today. They've got a load of back boiler for system boiler replacements to do. Today's job was in Slough. Left the house at 6.15am to make the 80 mile trip. Get there nice and early. Go in and sus the job out. Not the easiest but a jobs a job. Drain down the system, remove fire front and it's an asbestos flue to the boiler. So I ring the boss man in the office to be told "just rip it out and bag it up." Didn't sit right with me. So I refused. He said he'd ring his asbestos guy to come and rip out. 2 hours later a builder turns up! He refuses to do it to. Refill system so the old girl can have some heat back on. Boss turns up at 2.30pm and says the job will have to be rebooked. Earned naff all, wasted half a tank of fuel and feel thoroughly peed off.
would you of ripped it out and bagged it? Am I being to careful?
I don't want to talk myself out of work and not get any more work from them.

 

[Barry98]

I starting contacting for a company today. They've got a load of back boiler for system boiler replacements to do. Today's job was in Slough. Left the house at 6.15am to make the 80 mile trip. Get there nice and early. Go in and sus the job out. Not the easiest but a jobs a job. Drain down the system, remove fire front and it's an asbestos flue to the boiler. So I ring the boss man in the office to be told "just rip it out and bag it up." Didn't sit right with me. So I refused. He said he'd ring his asbestos guy to come and rip out. 2 hours later a builder turns up! He refuses to do it to. Refill system so the old girl can have some heat back on. Boss turns up at 2.30pm and says the job will have to be rebooked. Earned naff all, wasted half a tank of fuel and feel thoroughly peed off.
would you of ripped it out and bagged it? Am I being to careful?
I don't want to talk myself out of work and not get any more work from them.

not in a million years would i off disturbed it. i wouldnt even send safegasinstall oir ecowarm to do it. your boss is a prat for telling you to crack on. money is nothing if your dead fella

 

[Rickster123]

Cheers bod. He said try to keep it in one piece and bag it up. It disappeared up the chimney and couldn't see how far it ran. I was annoyed that they were willing to put me in that position.

 

[Barry98]

stick it in a bag and go put in his office bin the prat. really goats me that pen pushers like this will put you in danger like this .

do you need the work from them if not i woulod be telling them to go forth and multiply. report to hse.

 

[Hardy1]

not being rude but your boss clearly doesnt care about his employess then(not sumone you want to work for), you shouldve asked him ''would you come and take the asbestos out for me'' neva get another person to do something that yourself wouldnt do, you did the right thing mate it aint worth your health and worst case your life.

 

[cdodds2004]

i wouldnt of done it either mate, a couple of times i have disconected from a asbestos flue, but i never remove i leave it in place and squirt loads and loads of water on it to stop any of the fibres moving around! but its your health mate and your decision, i certainly dont do it on subbies work, odd occasion for my own job i do but u need to be careful

 

[AWheating]

is it a contract for HA or counsil?? if so its the responsibilty of the landlord or there nominated duty holder to test and identify asbestos before anywork is carried out in the propertys. I would not touch it, there should be a system in place for say removal buy asbestos contractors. Ask for a copy of the risk assessments and method statements so ensure you dont do anything you are not covered for. Also you may find that if the propertys have artex and floor tiles then a written asbestos report will be done for each property identifying anything that you should not touch.

 

[Rickster123]

It's housing association. I'm only subbing for a company to them. Had no health and safety info or asbestos info from them at all.

 

[Guest123]

No way I'd touch it in a million years. There is no cure for asbestosis. The muppet pen pusher should have been forced to do it himself.

 

[AWheating]

It's housing association. I'm only subbing for a company to them. Had no health and safety info or asbestos info from them at all.

by law there should be a process in place to identify and deal with any asbestos relevant to your work.

 

[Howsie]

You should still get your money imho

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[Rickster123]

That would be nice howsie but I won't hold my breath!

 

[SafeGasInstall]

i am the same ...... soon as i notice there is some i walk away from it if is a flue or tank !

boiler gaskets I wet them down with lots of water and use mask and I get them off but other then that will not touch it !

did price a job 3 weeks back , it was full ch install . Job was involving remove of a warm air unit and install combi and 9 rads , problem was this air unit was surrounded with asbestos , hw tank surrounded with asbestos and flue was asbestos when i said to customer you got to get it out before we come in and she ask how much will it cost i told her could be around 1k she did not like it .
Any way I did not get the job so in health and safety terms i ma happy that i did not have to deal with it , I was planing to mix some PVA and water and spray airing cupboard and boiler room top to bottom !

 

[stevetheplumber]

flue pipe is low risk asbestos there are instructions on how it should be handled on a goverment website some where Basicly it has to be double bagged break it as little as possible use wetting agents clean area with tack rags after and transported by registered carriers

 

[mfgs]

Asbestos cement you can remove yourself if you are careful. Not that I get involved in it myself. I have walked off a few jobs because I have found broken insulation board etc where I was working near.

You did the right thing by refusing to take it out.