Whats’ the odds I’ve taken some home on my boots.?
After driving and walking around at a building site, I had picked up the usual mud on boots. Later, while washing them with a hosepipe on the lawn at home, I noticed white granules had been washed onto the grass. I recalled workmen talking about asbestos removal that had recently been done.
So… having very young ones that play on the lawn is there any possibility that it’s asbestos granules or other dodgy material? or or the removal teams pretty ■■■■ hot on clearing it up? I have picked as many bits as I could
when kids are involved I would not take a chance on them going anywhere near it if they play on the grass,i would find a way of getting rid of it straight away,if it is asbestos they only have to breathe a couple of particles In,not worth the risk
Get a grip ffs and take off your tin foil hat, most ridiculous post of the year 
I thought it were only the blue asbestos that can cause asbestosis ?
So in your case I think your kids will be all white 
It is all very dangerous, but from what I understand the “blue stuff” is the worst as it easily turns to dust and gets into the air and then our lungs much more easily, but the grey "cement board’ stuff is still very dangerous if disturbed or broke.
I sometimes worked with stuff 30+ years ago, used to sometimes take my jumper off to shake the dust out of it. What with that and 20+ years of heavy smoking (been stopped 15 years now) and exposure to diesel fumes in workshops. I do worry for my health as I get older, although I am reasonably fit at the moment (cycled nearly 5000 mile last year) but do worry about the damage I have done to myself.
So to the original post, I would think the risks of some being at home on your garden is extremely minimal, but yes do consider these things and avoid any contact with the stuff.
5000 miles on a bike !! bloody ell, I would think that’s the most dangerous thing you’ve done.
Do they still use asbestos on building sites, I thought it was banned, unless you mean a demolition site.
I would have thought you’d have more chance of having illegally tipped asbestos on your boots from walking around a landfill than picking it up on a building site.
If demolition has been done by a reputable firm it will be perfectly safe. Asbestos is banned in the UK now. The roofing sheets that are used now look the same, but there is absolutely no asbestos in them.
It’s more likely gypsum (plasterboard) granules or cavity wall insulation. If asbestos is being moved on site the building will be covered in plastic sheets and workmen will be wearing these white suits favoured by Dr Nos’ henchmen.
My current job is removing that stuff (hopefully not much longer). Unless someone has been doing a very bad removal job, then it’s very unlikely you’ll have come across any significant amount of asbestos, otherwise HSE would be very interested.
If it’s little granules then I suspect it could just be some general building material. Not exactly sure what, but more of the dangerous types (eg: AIB) would break up quite easily in your hand and probably even under the pressure of the hosepipe so you wouldn’t be able to see them again. Sounds a little like that insulation stuff they inject into walls which are like little beads of polystyrene, but without seeing them couldn’t really be sure.
Types you’ll commonly find in buildings include:
- Asbestos cement, almost always 1- 5% white asbestos and very hard to get anything out of. Doesn’t taste very nice.
- Artex in walls and ceilings is also generally 5 - 10% white and although not dangerous, I’d be a little careful removing it en-mass.
- AIB like thin plasterboard but often greyish with lots of fibres on broken edges. White & blue assie, very dangerous if broken (safe if not).
- Pipe lagging is very fiberous, much more than loft insulation and only usually found in industrial settings. Blue & brown assie, extremely dangerous.
- Flock which is 100% asbestos usually brown, blue and white but only ever found in very hot boiler rooms (eg: steelworks).
With regards it being illegal - blue & brown were banned from being used around 1986 from memory and white was banned from being added to materials in 1999, although white asbestos products could still be installed upto April 2000, eg: artex.
Btw, if you really want to be worried, imagine the amount of asbestos in the air as it doesn’t break down very easily and could be around for many years to come, but then car fumes are probably much more dangerous.
Muckaway is right but we keep getting mixed up for CSI operatives and people ask if there’s been a murder (genuinely!). 