Asbestos pipe lagging and insulation

Where it turns up around Bendigo

• Under floors and in roof spaces of older homes, around hot water and heating pipes
• Old hot water services and boilers, particularly in halls, schools and churches
• Behind or inside wood heaters and old space heaters, as insulation board or rope seals
• Plant rooms and boiler houses in older commercial and community buildings in central Bendigo and Castlemaine

How to recognise it

• A white, grey or cream wrapping around pipes, often with a cloth or paper outer layer
• Moulded half-round sections clamped or wired onto pipes
• Rope-like seals around heater doors and flue joins
• Crumbling, frayed or dusty patches where it has aged

Treat any old pipe insulation as asbestos until it is tested. Don't break a piece off yourself to check.

Why it's handled differently

Friable asbestos can only be removed by a WorkSafe Victoria Class A licence holder, in any amount. There is no small-quantity exemption. The work needs:

1. WorkSafe notified at least five days before work starts
2. A sealed enclosure around the pipework, under negative air with filtered extraction
3. Wet removal in sections, with the waste double-bagged
4. Independent air monitoring throughout
5. An independent clearance certificate, with final fibre levels below 0.01 fibres/mL

Until it's removed

• Keep people and pets out of the subfloor, roof space or plant room.
• Don't vacuum or sweep around damaged lagging.
• If a plumber or electrician needs to work nearby, have the lagging assessed first.

How it's tested

Because lagging is usually friable, sampling is done with extra care: the area is wetted, a small core is taken with hand tools, and the lagging is immediately re-wrapped and sealed. Many removalists will treat old lagging as friable asbestos without testing, which is the cautious approach.

Pipe lagging: common questions