12.02m² of asbestos insulating board was removed from the stairwell and understairs cupboard of an occupied private home on Oakwell Mount, Leeds. The panels were nailed in place and in good condition, with bulk analysis confirming chrysotile and crocidolite.
Asbestos insulating board is licensed work, so the project was notified to the HSE by ASB5 on 14 August 2026 and carried out inside a fully sealed enclosure with its own airlock, bag lock and transit route, built off the front entrance beneath temporary scaffolding. The staircase and hallway were sheeted throughout so the rest of the house stayed clean.
Removal ran across 28 and 29 August 2026, including weekend working, with all waste double-wrapped, sealed and consigned to a licensed hazardous waste facility.
Innov8 UK Group provides licensed asbestos removal and asbestos removal in Leeds for homeowners, businesses and main contractors alike, working UK-wide from depots in Manchester, Carlisle and London.
Following a site visit on 14 August 2026, works were awarded for the safe removal and disposal of asbestos insulating board panels totalling 12.02m², located to the stairwell and the understairs cupboard. Bulk sample analysis identified chrysotile and crocidolite, and the panels were recorded as being in good condition and nailed in place.
Because asbestos insulating board is licensed work under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, the project was notified to the HSE by ASB5 and carried out by licensed operatives to a site-specific plan of work. The property was an occupied private home, so the enclosure, transit route and welfare arrangements were positioned to keep the household’s access clear and the rest of the house unaffected for the duration.
A sealed enclosure was built around the stairwell and understairs area, served by an airlock, a separate bag lock for waste and a transit route through to the decontamination unit sited outside the property. Negative pressure was maintained inside the enclosure and a viewing panel fitted so the work could be observed from outside without entry.
Panels were removed under controlled conditions using hand tools and controlled wetting rather than power tools, then double-bagged inside the enclosure and passed out through the bag lock. Surfaces were cleaned using Class H vacuum equipment and the enclosure left in place for four-stage clearance by an independent analyst before it was dismantled. All waste was consigned to a licensed hazardous waste facility with full paperwork.
Non-asbestos risks — working at height on a stairwell, manual handling in a confined space and working within an occupied home — were controlled through suitable access equipment, trained operatives, daily supervision and access arrangements agreed with the householder before work started.
