WAYS to deal with the asbestos crisis in nearly all Waverley's council houses have been revealed.
The measures, which were recommended in a report to Waverley's executive committee at its meeting on Wednesday, include proposals to seal in asbestos in affected homes and to remove the harmful substance from high-risk cases.
The council is currently in the process of carrying out a £650,000 survey of all its properties. In all, 82 per cent of the council's housing stock is affected and of the 2,000 properties surveyed so far, approximately four out of five were found to contain asbestos.
The officers report stated: "Most houses and flats in the country, built before the mid-1980s, contain asbestos, either as a result of asbestos being used in their construction or by it being used in improvements to older homes built before asbestos came into use."
The report added that under current legislation the council is not obliged to remove asbestos unless it is deemed to represent an immediate health risk.
The health risks from asbestos arise when the material is disturbed and fibres are released into the atmosphere. If these fibres are inhaled they can penetrate deep into the lungs and this can lead to scarring of the lungs, the respiratory disease asbestosis, and cancer.
But results from the Waverley survey show there is a "mostly low-risk presence" of asbestos in its properties, which can be dealt with by encapsulating the substance.
As part of Waverley's asbestos debate, a recent meeting of the community overview and scrutiny committee, heard the estimated cost of removing asbestos from all identified sites would be £24 million.
Councillors were informed that this option would be "neither mandatory, practical or sustainable in the short or medium term."
As The Herald went to press, councillors on the executive committee were expected to support officer recommendations and opt for the proposal, which deals with the problem by minimum removal, encapsulation and management of asbestos.
Under this option, Waverley would deal with high-risk cases immediately, continue its two-year housing survey, and carry out work to seal in asbestos that is in good condition and does not present a current health risk.
Officers also propose that a leaflet about asbestos should be distributed to all Waverley tenants informing them of the potential risks of the substance and discouraging them from taking on DIY projects without the advice from the council.
Other information proposed to be included in the leaflet for tenants includes details about where asbestos is found in houses.
And in a draft leaflet, tenants are advised that asbestos may be found in a range of materials including insulating board in materials such as infill panels and ceiling tiles, sprayed coatings of lift shafts, and asbestos-cement products such as wall-cladding, fire surrounds, and roofing tiles.