Asbestos fear

[carlap]

I’ve just returned home from a old hotel,
There was what looked like a artex ceiling in the bedroom where me and my children slept for two nights.
Now I’m washing all our clothes worried asbestos dust from the ceiling has fallen onto all our clothes
What I’m not washing I’m throwing away as I don’t what to bring contaminated things back into my house

Feel like I’m going mad again

[ankietyjoe]

Asbestos is only dangerous as a dust, if inhaled over a prolonged period of time.

You would have to bang the ceiling with a hammer while living in the room for weeks or months to even come close to there being dangerous levels of exposure.

That is IF the artex contains asbestos.....which is unlikely these days.

Left untouched, there is zero risk of artex that contains asbestos being an issue, at all. No chance whatsoever.

[Fishmanpa]

I get that even with the fact that there's no chance, you're still going to have a gnawing fear. It's like someone who's afraid of spiders will freak out about a pimple sized spider from across the room (my wife for example ) and still be freaking out after the spider is dead and the carcass is squished in a tissue and thrown away.

But just like the actual threat from a dead pimple sized spider, the threat of asbestos exposure, even IF it were asbestos (highly doubtful in the 1st place), especially in that situation is in reality, without a doubt, no "what ifs" or "yeah buts", non-existent.

Positive thoughts

[KK77]

Health & Safety rules wouldn't allow exposed asbestos in a hotel. Old or new.

[carlap]

Are they checked regularly? The hotel in question is the same chain that a few years ago was sued for carrying out building work without checking for asbestos first and exposing its guest to asbestos.
It was in a different part of the country but same chain of hotels

[ankietyjoe]

Checked for what?

There is zero risk to your health even if the artex does contain asbestos.

[carlap]

Checked that the ceilings are in good order and not damaged so that the dust isn’t leaking everywhere I guess

[ankietyjoe]

Who knows?

Like I said, even if you sat there inhaling asbestos dust all day there's virtually no chance of long term issues. Asbestos is like smoking, it takes time for it to have an effect.

Stop worrying about it and don't stay there again.

[carlap]

So on Sunday I posted about my fear of being exposed to asbestos in a old hotel I stayed in and then yesterday we went out for dinner and we were sat near the kitchen and next thing I hear drilling coming from the kitchen
We ate and left but then when I got home I started worrying about drilling asbestos near our food. So I phoned the restaurant and asked what building work was going on and they said they were having a new boiler fitted
And it was next to the kitchen not in it

What if it was a old boiler thy were replacing and it had asbestos in what they were drilling.

I feel like our life’s are now doomed from all the recent exposure we have had

[KK77]

How did all this business with asbestos begin? Think of all the other diners - asbestos would be the last thing to cross their minds. Are they "doomed" as well?

Asbestos isn't the problem here: Your anxiety will move on to another object of fear unless you start treating the root cause.