artex: asbestos risk?

[Fred]

Hi,

I have removed some plaster coving from an artexed ceiling. The coving seems to have been held on by something resembling plaster. I would like to remove the odd lumps of this that have been left behind. I don't know how old the ceiling is but if it is the original it will be

1970s and I understand artex then will have contained some asbestos.

I can see there are three options: scraping, sanding, and angle grinder(*) but I understand sanding is the worst thing you can do with asbestos. What should I do and do I need to be worried or is the amount and type of asbestos nothing to worry about?

TIA

[* for anyone new to uk.d-i-y: the use of an angle grinder is an in-joke and I would not suggest it for this purpose]

[Peter Parry]

If it was the stuff holding the coving in place it is almost certainly just plaster and contains no asbestos. Old Artex contained 3 to 5% of Chrysotile (white asbestos) and poses little risk. If you want to minimise the infinitesimal risk from artex adhering to the plaster lumps get a mist sprayer (as used for plants) and dampen the plaster before scraping it off.

[Fred]

Thanks. I think the coving was held on with plaster but that plaster is on the ceiling which is artex. My concern was that if I scraped too hard I might remove the plaster but also the artex above it. Thanks for the reassurance and I will give the sprayer a go too.

[Peter Parry]

amount of Chrysotile and treat it appropriately.

From 1976, the UK forms of Artex no longer used asbestos.

"A conservative estimate, reached by HSL [Health and Safety Laboratory] on the basis of the available data, is that the average level of asbestos fibres in the air when removing textured coatings using controlled removal is 0.08 f/ml. The evidence available suggests that uncontrolled dry hand-scraping of chrysotile-containing textured coatings is less than twice the conservative average used for the controlled removal. This is below the current control limit of 0.3 f/ml for chrysotile and the proposed new limit of 0.1 f/ml for all types of asbestos."

(HSE - "Assessment of the potential extent of exposure to asbestos (chrysotile) during the removal of asbestos-containing textured decorative coatings" 1 Feb 2006.

[Fred]

My house was built mid 70s. Its either 74 or 76; I can't remember which. Let's hope it was '76.

This seems to suggest that dry scraping, which is the wrong way to do it, is still safe, which must be good news.

Where did you get this information? is it online? I'd be interested to read what they say about levels when sanding! Also what they say about marley tiles.

Thanks again.