What are the dangers of being exposed to the removal of asbestos roofing tiles?!
Question: My next door neighbor is replacing the asbestos roofing tiles on her 45 year old back house. The men doing the work are wearing gas masks. The dust and particles from the removal are flying over my six foot fence which sits about three feet from the structure. My two year old twin daughters were playing in the driveway adjacent to the work area. Is it safe and customary to remove asbestos tiles without some kind of tenting to prevent the dust from blowing into adjacent living areas? If we have been exposed to carcinogens what are the risks? Is it possible my children will contract asbestosis?
Answers: My next door neighbor is replacing the asbestos roofing tiles on her 45 year old back house. The men doing the work are wearing gas masks. The dust and particles from the removal are flying over my six foot fence which sits about three feet from the structure. My two year old twin daughters were playing in the driveway adjacent to the work area. Is it safe and customary to remove asbestos tiles without some kind of tenting to prevent the dust from blowing into adjacent living areas? If we have been exposed to carcinogens what are the risks? Is it possible my children will contract asbestosis?
Unfortunately, the roofing industry is granted exemption from the asbestos abatement conditions. However, I would make sure to check your property for debris and ask them to remove it. They should remove any debris that comes onto your property, but don't make a stink about removing dust. I'd also check to make sure that they have a work permit (if one's required). I had a situation where my next door neighbor had a second story built and the contractor he hired tore off the old roof and tossed the debris onto my yard. OH,, I was SOOO upset. What kind of crap-and-a-half contractor does that to the client's neighbor??? I guess a *bad* one.
As for your kids, keep them inside until the work is all done. Just to keep the mess limited, the crew should have tarps and drop-cloths to collect the debris. There would be nails and other sharp debris within those shingles. Why wouldn't they have a tarp? Also, since a lot of debris is created in a roofing tear-down, they ought to have a dumpster VERY closeby.
There's much more nastier things in roofing shingles than asbestos. Those nastier things would effect you pretty quickly if you inhaled/ingested enough.
Contact a local certified abatement company in your area for their slant on asbestos removal criteria as well as local ordinances your municipality may require. Exposure can cause asbestosis, mesothelioma and other illnesses...sometimes not until many years later. Personally, I would close all doors and windows, seal all cracks and limit/avoid outside exposure during construction.
the answer no. 1 is correct. this is nothing to be trifled with