Hi. We’ve had a query from a member who runs a tool library and recently had an item returned that the user said they had unknowingly used on an artex ceiling This raised a question about risk in relation to asbestos. Just wondering if anyone has come across any similar issues or points of concerning with items you have fixed? Thanks
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An old toaster. We spoke to folks on restarters.net for advice as we didn’t know much about repairing these appliances in early days. One repairer replied and informed us that he actually had the service manual. Reading the manual it was clear that asbestos was a potential risk from the cards that had the heating element wound round. We opted not to repair it. Not that we could have anyway.
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Hi @JaneOwens i haven’t heard of anything other than the WEE/forever chemical concerns, but i can forward this on to the Tool library team and ask if they have anything.
Just posted on Restarters.net they are discussing things they don’t accept to repair cafes. An interesting list of items for Cambridgeshire Repair Cafe.
quite a few items on there which I hadn’t considered and some that are only rejected because of the setup of a cafe event vs a permanent repair shop, such as time to order parts, etc.
please don’t edit. Just for conversation.
That’s really helpful Alan - thanks
Thanks - interested in any thoughts!
Domestic appliances made after 1999 do not contain asbestos.
With regards to repairing something that may contain asbestos, I think i’d have to make judgement call on whether I was going to disturb the asbestos. If it was an appliance with a damaged plug that needed replacing, sure, no worries, I don’t need to open the device. If it was an old toaster with a asbestos based element that needed replacing, that’s certainly something I’d be more concerned about doing within the context of a repair cafe. Part of that concern would be ensuring that any removed parts were correctly handled, but to be honest, realistically if we reject the device it’s going straight to the dump without any special handling…
I have an old 1960’s Dualit myself that I’ll happily continue to maintain, maybe with a bit more caution now and will definitely consider ensuring all the elements are modern ones next time I need to repair it.
In the case of something being loaned out and returned potentially contaminated… Pffftt, that’s a tough position. I’d certainly hope it was removed from circulation. I assume the tool is potentially covered in dust contaminated with asbestos. I’d probably consult some of the asbestos testing companies, I think the test kits you can buy (where a sample is sent off to such places) generally need a larger sample than you’d be able to get from a dust covered device. Maybe they’d be willing to advise on the best way forward.
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