General information

1. I have a question about asbestos. Where can I go?

Recognising asbestos

2. How is asbestos recognised? How can I find out whether a certain material in or around my home contains asbestos?

3. Where can I find recognised laboratories for asbestos?

Asbestos removal

4. What should I do if I suspect that I have asbestos in my home? Can I remove the asbestos myself? Where should I go with my asbestos waste?

5. Where can I find companies approved to break up or remove asbestos? 

Report an incident

6. What should I do if I suspect that asbestos is being handled negligently?

Health risks

7. I have been exposed to asbestos, what should I do now? What are the health risks?

As an employee

8. What can I do as an employee when I am exposed to asbestos?

1. I have a question about asbestos. Where can I go?

The FPS Public Health is solely responsible for prohibiting the placement on the market, manufacture and use of products containing asbestos fibres. This ban has been in place since 2001.

If you have any questions regarding asbestos, please contact the regional authorities:

Cellule permanente environnement-santé (Permanent Environment-Health Unit - CPES):
http://environnement.sante.wallonie.be/home/en-wallonie/cellule-permanente-environnement-sante.html

  • Flemish Region:

Openbare Vlaamse Afvalstoffenmaatschappij (OVAM) - Public Waste Agency of Flanders
Stationsstraat 110
2800 Mechelen
Tel.: +32 (0)15 284 284
Asbestos contact form
www.asbestinfo.be
https://www.vlaanderen.be/asbest

More information on asbestos is also available at www.solutionspourlamiante.be

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2. How is asbestos recognised? How can I find out whether a certain material in or around my home contains asbestos?

Go to the asbestos checking application, "CheckAmiante" on www.solutionspourlamiante.be

More information on recognising asbestos is available on the regional authorities’ websites (see websites and contact information above).

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3. Where can I find recognised laboratories for asbestos?

You will find the list of accredited laboratories that can verify the presence of asbestos in a material or in the air on the FPS Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue website: http://www.employment.belgium.be > Accreditations - Notifications > Accreditation: Accredited laboratories (group 2 + 6) (http://www.emploi.belgique.be/erkenningenDefault.aspx?id=5048).

For more information, please contact the FPS Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue using information@emploi.belgique.be

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4. What should I do if I suspect that I have asbestos in my home? Can I remove the asbestos myself? Where should I go with my asbestos waste?

Information on the treatment of asbestos is available on the www.solutionspourlamiante.be website and on the regional authorities’ websites (see websites and contact information above).

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5. Where can I find companies approved to break up or remove asbestos?

You will find the list of companies accredited for the demolition or removal of asbestos on the FPS Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue website: http://www.employment.belgium.be > Accreditations - Notifications > Accreditation: Asbestos: companies accredited for demolition works and asbestos removal (http://www.emploi.belgique.be/liste_enleveurs_amiante.aspx).

For more information, please contact the FPS Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue using information@emploi.belgique.be

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6. What should I do if I suspect that asbestos is being handled negligently?

If a private individual is handling asbestos negligently in your region, you can contact the environment department of your municipality or the police (outside office hours).

More information is available on the regional authorities’ websites (see above).

If employees are handling the asbestos negligently, you can report this to the Regional Directorate for the Supervision of Wellbeing at Work in your province: http://www.emploi.belgique.be/defaultTab.aspx?id=6550

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7. I have been exposed to asbestos, what should I do now? What are the health risks?

The Asbestos Fund, managed by Fedris, is responsible for asbestos prevention in Belgium.
In addition, the Asbestos Fund (AFA) compensates people suffering from asbestos-related illnesses.
https://www.asbestfonds.be/fr/ziektes-artsen (only FR/NL)

Avenue de l'Astronomie 1 - 1210 Brussels
info.afa@fedris.be
+32 2 272 20 70

Information on the health risks of asbestos are available on the regional authorities’ websites:

  • Brussels-Capital Region:

- Brussels Environment: https://environnement.brussels/thematiques/batiment/obligations/amiante

- The Green Ambulance: https://environnement.brussels/thematiques/air-interieur/depolluer-son-interieur/cripi
You can contact Brussels Environment's Green Ambulance on +32 (0)2 775 75 75 or using the online form.

  • Walloon Region:

- Cellule permanente environnement-santé - (CPES- Permanent Environment-Health Unit):
Cellule permanente environnement-santé - Portail Environnement-Santé (wallonie.be)
cpes@spw.wallonie.be, +32 (0)81 32 74 41
Freephone: 1718 - Contact form

- Le SAMI - Service d’Analyse des Milieux Intérieurs (Service for Indoor Environmental Analysis): https://apw.be/actions/samilpi/

  • Flemish Region:

Public Waste Agency of Flanders (Openbare Vlaamse Afvalstoffenmaatschappij - OVAM): https://www.ovam.be/gezondheidsrisicos

You can contact your GP or the environmental medicine experts of the Lokaal Gezondheidsoverleg (Logo)/Local Health Consultation in your region (see www.gezondheidenmilieu.be and http://www.gezondheidenmilieu.be/nl/subthemas/asbest-1238.html).

There is also a Fund for Asbestos (AFA) which compensates asbestos victims who suffer from mesothelioma or asbestosis (see http://afa.fgov.be/afa_fr.html).

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8. What can I do as an employee when I am exposed to asbestos?

As an employee, you are protected against the risks of exposure to asbestos. This is the responsibility of the FPS Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue. You can contact the Regional Directorate for the Supervision of Wellbeing at Work in your province: http://www.emploi.belgique.be/defaultTab.aspx?id=6550

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