H&S

Basics.

Health and safety should always be the top priority in any building or improvement project. This ensures the well-being of everyone involved, as well as the protection of the property and surrounding areas. We recommend reviewing the latest regulations if necessary. However, if you hire professionals, you can generally expect their trained workforce to hold the appropriate certifications and be up-to-date with current laws and industry standards. Below, we provide some guidance on the requirements for both private and funded installations

Asbestos.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was commonly used in building materials due to its heat resistance, durability, and insulating properties. It can be found in homes built before the 1980s, though it was used in construction and renovation well into the 1990s in some areas. Asbestos is typically found in materials like insulation, roofing, flooring, ceiling tiles, pipes, and even some adhesives.

When intact and undisturbed, asbestos poses little risk to health. However, if it is damaged or disturbed, such as during renovations or repairs, tiny asbestos fibres can be released into the air. Inhalation of these fibres can lead to serious health issues, including lung cancer, asbestosis (a scarring of the lung tissue), and mesothelioma (a rare form of cancer linked to asbestos exposure).

If you suspect that your home contains asbestos, it’s crucial not to disturb it and to contact a professional for testing and safe removal if necessary. Below image and reference from the HSE.

Inside.

Asbestos insulating board (shortened to AIB)

A. AIB around boiler.
B. Toilet cistern.
C. Vinyl floor tiles backed with asbestos paper and bitumen adhesive.
D. AIB or asbestos cement bath panels.
E. AIB ceiling tiles.
F. AIB airing cupboard and/or sprayed insulation coating boiler.
G. Pipe lagging.
H. AIB partition wall.
I. Asbestos cement water tank.
J. AIB behind fuse box.
K. Textured decorative coating, for example Artex.
L. Loose fill insulation.
M. AIB behind fire.
N. AIB or asbestos cement interior window panel.

Outside.

Asbestos insulating board (shortened to AIB)

1. AIB or asbestos cement soffits and fascias.
2. Roofing felt.
3. Asbestos cement roof tiles/slates.
4. Asbestos cement panels.
5. Profiled asbestos cement sheeting.
6. AIB or asbestos cement exterior window panel.
7. Gutters and asbestos cement downpipes.

Gas and open flued appliances.

If the fabric of the property is being improved and open-flued gas appliances exist, then a gas spillage test should be carried out on each appliance.
Rules exist that give an average unimproved property a certain amount of leakiness (adventitious air) to allow open-flued appliances to operate safely.
This all depends on how much fuel burns over a period of time, for example: 7.5kw/hr, 9kw/hr, 6.9kw/hr. You will see this on the data badge of the appliance (gas rating of an appliance here.). The more fuel used, the more leakiness is needed. Multifuel appliances are treated in roughly the same way but do not come under gas safe legislations. HETAS and building regulations govern multifuel installations and ventilation.

This is the reason combustion ventilation is sometimes needed. This allows the air to be replenished (with an open flued appliance we are burning the oxygen in the room that we use to breathe)

With the introduction of insulation, extraction ventilation should be installed as part of the process, we now have a different factor to add in with gas safety. Extraction fans either pulling or pushing air (PIV) can now effect the performance of the appliance.

Open flued gas appliances should be checked to prove they are not spilling products of combustion into the property. This is verified by performing a spillage test.

Part J states. “Extract fans lower the pressure in a building, which can cause the spillage of combustion products from open-flued appliances. This can occur even if the appliance and the fan are in different rooms”.
Any funded insulation work now includes ventilation upgrades as part of the current PAS, so extract ventilation will be installed. This should have been factored in as part of any ventilation work carried out. A competent person is required to perform spillage tests.

Part B, 8(1) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 states that no person can make any changes to a premises that contains a gas fitting or storage vessel if the changes would compromise the safety of the fitting or vessel.
This basically means if the fabric of the building (walls, floors, roofs) are being insulated then appliances need to be checked by a suitably competent and qualified person.

Electrical.

Electrics within insulation need to be protected in a way set out by the current regulations. Any high-powered cables that enter insulation either through walls, under floors or within lofts need to be verified as being safe to pass through. If they cannot deem to meet regulations, then they need to be removed out of the insulation or derated. Usually the most common high-powered cables you will find on domestic insulation work will be from main fuse board or through loft space to supply electric showers, electric storage heaters and cooking appliances. Non-fire rated downlights can’t be covered directly with insulation, so fire retardant covers may be required.