Do-it-yourself renovators run into an obstacle when they plan to put a new faith in the bathroom or, for example, the facade or roof of their home. For example, old tiles, pipe insulation, facade boards and roofing felt may contain asbestos, which is why the structures must first be examined by a professional and must not be dismantled yourself if asbestos is found.
Asbestos legislation changed at the beginning of 2016, and information about the new sections has come as a surprise to many renovation contractors.
The use of asbestos was allowed in Finland until 1994, and all houses completed before that must now be tested for asbestos by an authorized professional before possible renovation and demolition work.
In addition, asbestos demolition work requires a permit and appropriate training.
A private person who owns a single-family house and is renovating or demolishing it is therefore not currently allowed to demolish asbestos-containing structures. The regulations regarding asbestos demolition work are clear in this respect. They concern the owner of the building and the person undertaking the construction project, be it a private person or a housing association. The entity undertaking the renovation must not endanger the people in its environment, so even a private person must ensure that the asbestos demolition work is carried out according to the regulations and using an authorized entity for demolition work.
Asbestos has once been a functional building material, but it is a very dangerous substance for health. Asbestos fibers travel with breathing into the lungs and accumulate there, never leaving. This is why even short-term exposure is dangerous. About a thousand people are diagnosed with diseases caused by asbestos each year.
When handling asbestos, asbestos dust and fibers are spread into the air. Asbestos fibers can be practically so small that they cannot be detected by the human eye. It is illustrative that it takes practically two weeks under normal conditions for a small asbestos fiber to settle on the floor from a height of a few meters.
In principle, asbestos demolition work may only be carried out by an entity that has been authorized to do so. Obtaining it requires, among other things, both available asbestos removal tools and maintenance facilities for the tools. Only persons who have received appropriate training for the work may participate in asbestos demolition work. Persons who have received a permit can be found in the Asbestos Demolition Work Permit Register maintained by the Regional Administration Office. The VTT-todistus.fi register, on the other hand, can be used to search for information on certified asbestos and harmful substance experts who can perform an asbestos survey.
Without an authorization, only a single small piece of work that does not handle friable asbestos-containing material can be done. An example of this is removing a fire protection plate or changing a fire door lock. Therefore, in practice, all asbestos demolition work must be done by an authorized agency. It is possible to drill small fasteners, i.e. installation of boards or mirror cabinets in material containing asbestos, without an asbestos demolition work permit. Even in this case, the spread of dust generated during drilling must be prevented and the personal protective equipment required for asbestos work must be used during the work.
Even though the supervisory authority cannot, for practical reasons, supervise renovations in single-family houses, it does not remove the fact that the regulations also apply to private individuals. It is also a moral issue: will I sleep peacefully when I know that I have exposed myself or people living in the same household or the surrounding area to deadly diseases for the sake of a few hundred euros.
Is this correct? Aren't asbestos regulations part of occupational safety legislation, so DIY cases fall outside their scope? I'd love to hear if anyone can tell me how this works.
In practice, the situation is that if a private individual hires an outsider to renovate their own property/apartment, then the responsibility is very clear and the regulatory requirements apply fully to the private individual. In the event that I decide to renovate, for example, the bathrooms in my old detached house and do all the work myself, starting from the demolition to the end, the basis for my answer is slightly different, but the end result is more or less the same.
If there was asbestos on the site, the demolition work would generate asbestos waste. And when it comes to asbestos waste, our regulations are unambiguous about how to act. If I were to deliver asbestos waste as normal demolition waste and “get caught” with it, then I would be acting in violation of the law. Secondly – if I dismantle the asbestos myself, the asbestos dust would spread and have effects. In other words, if other people use the same apartment, I could be considered to have caused a danger to other people and that would most likely be considered to be causing a danger under the criminal law. Especially if I had to understand, for example, when it was a house built in the 60s. If I lived alone and no other people used the apartment, then it would be “ok”. In practice, it probably happens that people dismantle themselves and then ask a contractor to do the work. That would be acting in violation of the regulations. But old asbestos-containing mineral boards are certainly removed by the user and delivered to the landfill, and only a small amount of asbestos dust is actually generated during the demolition. But in reality, it is good to know what the risks are if you remove asbestos yourself.
regards
Ville Wartiovaara
Thank you for the clear article about the change in legislation regarding asbestos removal. I am currently renovating my house, which was built in the 80s. As you said, for properties built before 1994, an asbestos survey must be ordered before any demolition, and I'm just waiting for its results.
I was just wondering if I should dismantle the fireplace in the apartment myself. Masks and coveralls would be fine. I still probably can't take the risk if there is even a 10% chance of asbestos inside the fireplace. I don't think there would be, but when I can't tell. My brick house was built in -83.
Our detached house was also built sometime in the early 80s, and asbestos was used in the old tiles. I was thinking of starting to dismantle them myself, but it's good that I read here... that means you need to get an authorized professional to do an asbestos survey. Thanks for the interesting and informative story!