Asbestos

Asbestos is a natural material made up of tiny fibres. These fibres are usually safely fixed in another material like cement or insulation board, but they can be released into the air by cutting, breaking, drilling or sanding.

Reporting asbestos

If you suspect that there is asbestos on your property or within another building, you can report it and have it tested before removal.

If the asbestos is on council housing land we pass your report to them.

If found or dumped on your property

The property owner must have it removed
If privately rented your landlord is the owner
If the asbestos ends up on the roadside the owner could be prosecuted
To confirm it is asbestos, you can have the materials tested by an accredited asbestos laboratory.

Report asbestos if it hasn't been removed

You can contact Environmental Protection if the owner hasn't had it removed.

Email us

After you've applied

Your report is passed to the correct teams within the council to arrange disposal.

If your landlord won't take action to remove the asbestos, you can email housing.solutions@kirklees.gov.uk

Disposal of asbestos waste

Kirklees residents should take their asbestos waste to Emerald Street Household Waste Recycling Centre. See household waste recycling centres.

07811 034340 to book in advance for free disposal.

This service is not available to commercial operators.

Removal of asbestos cement products

This advice applies to asbestos cement only. Other types of asbestos-containing materials are usually more hazardous and require more stringent precautions.

What asbestos cement is

Asbestos cement is a well-bonded, sheet-building material, commonly used for roofing and outbuildings such as garages. Care must be taken not to confuse it with asbestos insulating board which is similar in appearance, but much more hazardous, since it is softer and often contains more dangerous types of asbestos.

Advice about anything other than garage roof and wall sheets, guttering or fall pipes

If you are in any doubt about if a product contains asbestos, contact The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). They will give you details of companies that can identify the type of asbestos, provide advice and arrange removal if required. There will be a charge for these services.

Contact UKAS

Precautions to take

Breathing asbestos dust is dangerous. Any work on asbestos cement may generate asbestos dust. We advise taking these precautions to minimise the risk:

Avoid creating dust.
Never sand down or wire-brush asbestos cement.
Do not use power tools.
Avoid breaking asbestos cement.
Wear disposable overalls and a face mask. Check that they are suitable for use with asbestos. You can get advice from safety equipment centres.
After use, dispose of the overalls and face mask. Treat them as asbestos waste.
Thoroughly wet the asbestos cement first, particularly around any fixings. Use an ordinary hosepipe or watering can for this, not a high-powered water jet. Add detergent to the water if possible.
If fixings are difficult to undo, try to cut them off rather than break the asbestos cement.
You MUST wrap asbestos cement in a double layer of strong polythene and seal loose edges with tape before taking it to the disposal skip.

Bins and recycling