Asbestos Has Been Disturbed — What Now?
If asbestos-containing material has been accidentally broken, drilled into, sanded, or otherwise disturbed, follow these steps immediately. Stay calm — the risk from a single brief exposure is low, but you need to act quickly to prevent further contamination.
Immediate Steps
Stop all work immediately
Do not continue drilling, cutting, sanding, or removing material. The priority is to stop generating dust and fibres.
Leave the area
Move everyone out of the immediate area. Close the door behind you if possible to contain any airborne fibres within the room.
Do not clean up
Do not sweep, vacuum (unless with a Type H HEPA vacuum), or attempt to tidy the debris. Sweeping and standard vacuuming will spread fibres further.
Turn off forced air systems
If the building has mechanical ventilation, air conditioning, or forced-air heating that serves the affected area, turn it off to prevent fibres spreading through ductwork.
Restrict access
Prevent anyone else from entering the affected area. If possible, put a notice on the door. Keep children and pets away.
Contact a professional
Get in touch with an asbestos specialist who can assess the situation, take air samples if necessary, and arrange safe cleanup. Do not attempt to resolve this yourself.
Do NOT
- Sweep or dust the area
- Use a standard household vacuum
- Attempt to bag or remove debris yourself
- Use compressed air or leaf blowers
- Allow others into the area
- Continue any building work in the space
- Wash contaminated clothing in a domestic machine
DO
- Stay calm — single brief exposures carry low risk
- Close doors and windows to contain the area
- Lightly dampen visible debris with a water spray if safe to do so
- Remove and bag any contaminated clothing carefully
- Shower and wash your hair if you were in the dust
- Contact an asbestos professional immediately
- Document what happened (photos, what material was disturbed)
Understanding the Risk
Asbestos-related diseases are caused by repeated or prolonged exposure to airborne asbestos fibres over time. A single, brief accidental exposure — such as drilling into an asbestos-containing material for a few seconds — carries a very low statistical risk. The purpose of the steps above is to prevent the situation from becoming a prolonged exposure by containing the contamination and getting it cleaned up properly.
The greatest risk arises when people do not realise asbestos has been disturbed and continue working in a contaminated area, or when they attempt to clean up without proper equipment and training. Both of these scenarios significantly increase exposure.
If you are concerned about a potential exposure, you can report it to your GP. For occupational exposures, the incident should be recorded under RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) if asbestos fibres may have been released in a workplace.
Common Scenarios in Edinburgh Properties
In Edinburgh and across the Central Belt, the most common accidental asbestos disturbances we see are:
All of these situations are avoidable with a simple asbestos test before work begins. Testing a suspect material takes minutes on site, and laboratory results are typically back within two to three working days.
Need Emergency Help?
If asbestos has been disturbed in your property, contact us now. We offer rapid response across Edinburgh and the Central Belt for emergency asbestos situations.