I have a serious dilema and need opinions..........

I am an electrician. I work for a company that is a sub contractor for a large firm. I have been working during this week at a house. In this house i have been doing what they call "chasing out", which involves using a cutting machine to take out chunks of the wall in which i can then put cables. Using this machine creates loads of dust.

Basically i was working in the house this week when a worker for the company that i sub contract of popped in to fill up his bucket with some water. On his way out he commented on the slits i had made in the wall by asking "is that asbestos?". I enquired as to why he asked. He said that you have to be very careful what you are "chasing out" and drilling into as quite alot of the houses that this company does work on contain asbestos in the paint and in the ceilings.

He went on to conclude that the house in which i was working did not contain asbestos but he also told me that there are houses on an estate in a certain area of the city in which the plaster in the walls contains asbestos. He said that the electricians that work for his company refuse to chase out in these properties due to the risk and that these guys only surface mount cables etc. He also said the jobs that the contractors electricians do not want to do are most probably given to us , the sub contractor to do. I took what he told me quite seriously. My colleague and boss both dismissed him and said that the risk to us from asbestos was practically nil.

I am not so sure and am very worried. Even more so now as i am told next week that i will have to work in a house in the area mentioned above that the man i spoke said contain asbestos in the plaster. I have to chase out all over this house. I don't want to do it as i am unsure if it is safe. My colleague is not worried and says i am worrying about nothing. I want reassurances that the house is safe. If i ask for them i am pretty certain that my boss will get angry as he will not want to ask the contractor as they may feel that he is becoming a bit finicky and will decide to use another sub contractor to do their work. Bottom line is i feel for reasons that i will not go into if i refuse to chase out in this house i will probably lose my job. And yes due to my situation that would not be illegal.

What would you do? Take a risk and assume that the house contains no asbestos and chase it out? or refuse to do the work even though it may cost me a contract and my job?

Posted By: The Baron, Sep 16, 23:29:59