Asbestos Risks During Renovation in Ireland | OHSS

19 Oct 2026

Small Renovation Jobs in Older Buildings: The Asbestos Risk That's Easy to Miss
When people think about asbestos, they often picture large demolition projects or the removal of old industrial roofing. But asbestos can become a problem during much smaller building jobs too.

Replacing a ceiling, moving an internal wall or installing new electrical services might seem straightforward. However, in older Irish buildings, work like this can disturb asbestos-containing materials that have remained hidden for decades.

And discovering them after work has started can bring the project to an unexpected halt.

Where Can Asbestos Be Hiding?
Asbestos was used in a wide range of building materials because of its durability, insulation properties and resistance to heat.

According to the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), asbestos may be present in buildings constructed or refurbished before 2004.

While roofing and pipe insulation are commonly associated with asbestos, there are other places where it can be overlooked.

These include:

Ceiling tiles and certain textured coatings

Floor tiles and some older flooring materials

Insulation boards used around walls and ceilings

Pipe lagging and heating systems

Fire-resistant panels and service ducts

The difficulty is that asbestos-containing materials aren't always obvious. In many cases, they look much like ordinary building products.

You generally can't tell whether a material contains asbestos simply by looking at it. Proper identification requires assessment and, where necessary, sampling by a competent person.

Why Small Building Jobs Can Create Problems
Imagine a contractor arriving to replace a suspended ceiling in an older office.

The job appears straightforward, but removing the ceiling exposes insulation boards that haven't been checked for asbestos.

Or an electrician begins drilling through a wall to install new cabling, unaware that the material being disturbed could contain asbestos.

These are the types of situations where asbestos risks can be missed.

Materials that have remained undisturbed for years can release harmful fibres when they are cut, drilled, broken or removed.

If asbestos is suspected, work that could disturb the material should stop until it has been properly assessed by a competent person.

That can mean delays and additional costs, but continuing without knowing what you're dealing with could expose workers and building occupants to serious health risks.

What Should You Check Before Renovating?
One of the most useful steps is to consider the age of the building and exactly which materials the planned work will disturb.

An existing asbestos management survey may provide useful information about known asbestos-containing materials. However, it doesn't automatically mean every concealed material in the building has been investigated.

Where refurbishment work is planned in a building where asbestos could be present, the appropriate refurbishment asbestos survey must be arranged before work begins.

The HSA distinguishes between management surveys, which help manage asbestos during normal building use, and refurbishment or demolition surveys, which investigate materials that may be affected by planned works.

Identifying these risks before contractors arrive is generally far easier than discovering a problem halfway through the job.

Don't Overlook Asbestos During Routine Maintenance
Asbestos isn't exclusively a concern for major construction projects.

Maintenance teams, electricians, plumbers, carpenters and other tradespeople may encounter it while carrying out everyday work in older buildings.

This is why asbestos awareness training is required for employees whose work may bring them into contact with suspected asbestos-containing materials.

However, awareness training alone does not qualify someone to handle or remove asbestos.

Knowing when to stop, avoid disturbing a material and seek specialist advice can help prevent unnecessary exposure.

Planning Work in an Older Building?
Whether you're refurbishing an office, upgrading a commercial property or carrying out maintenance in an older building, it's worth checking for asbestos before work starts.

At OHSS, we've been helping Irish businesses identify and manage asbestos risks since 2001.

Our services include asbestos surveys, sampling, risk assessments, fibre monitoring and asbestos training.

If you're planning renovation work and aren't sure whether asbestos could be present, contact the OHSS team on 01 6905907 or visit www.ohss.ie.

Further information: Health and Safety Authority – Asbestos Surveys

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