February 5th 2020

[M] An exciting week this as Rob and his mates turned up to remove the asbestos and, once that is done, we can then get down to some serious demolition. Asbestos is not to be treated lightly as it has been responsible for more deaths in the building industry over the years than anything else. The type we have got is not the most dangerous and was widely used in houses up until the 1980s. It was used in Cragside for the soffits (underside of the eaves) and fortunately is still in good condition, but it still has to be removed by a licensed contractor with all work being notified to the Health and Safety Executive. They even send someone along to check the air around the work to make sure that no fibres are being released. The area has to be surrounded by polythene sheeting and the workmen have to wear full bodysuit and respirator and then be decontaminated after each session (when they break for a cigarette for example!). It might seem like overkill but these guys do this every day for a living and if they breathed in even minuscule amounts of the stuff on a daily basis it would accumulate over their working life and cause serious problems.

Cragside in quarantine - complete with decontamination unit and 3-stage airlock.

Seb & Rob - posing for the camera in full protective gear.

It should be finished tomorrow just before Storm Ciara arrives at the weekend.