Asbestos Behind Your Switchboard: What It Means for an Upgrade

If your home was built before the mid-1980s, there’s a real chance the switchboard is mounted on a backing panel that contains asbestos. It’s common in older Queensland houses, and it comes up regularly when we’re looking at a switchboard upgrade.

The main thing to know is that it’s not an emergency, but it can’t be treated like a normal panel.

Why was it used?

Asbestos-cement sheet was a common building material for decades because it resists heat and fire. Switchboard panels were an obvious use, and you’ll sometimes see trade names like Zelemite or Lebah on them.

Is it dangerous?

Left alone and in good condition, the risk is low. The danger comes when the material is disturbed, by drilling, cutting, sanding or breaking it. That can release fine fibres into the air, and breathing them in is the health risk.

That’s why you should never drill, cut or scrape a board or panel you think might contain asbestos, and why a job that involves removing one needs to be done properly.

How can you tell?

You can’t reliably tell by looking, and you shouldn’t try to test it yourself. Some pointers:

• Age. Homes built before the mid-1980s are the most likely.
• Material. A flat, grey, slightly rough panel behind the switchboard, often with a light-coloured or cement-like appearance.
• Markings. Trade names, or a manufacturer stamp on the back.

If it’s in doubt, we treat it as though it contains asbestos until it’s confirmed otherwise.

How it affects an upgrade

Replacing a switchboard usually means removing the old board and panel and mounting a new one. If the backing panel contains asbestos, it has to be handled and disposed of under the rules that apply to asbestos, and not simply cut out and thrown away.

In practice, that means:

• A little more time and cost. It’s usually a modest addition rather than a huge one, but it’s a real part of the quote.
• Controlled handling and disposal, using the right procedures and equipment.
• Mounting the new board differently, sometimes on a new panel or in a new location, rather than working around the old one.

We check for it during the inspection, so it’s in the quote and not a surprise on the day.

What you can do

• Don’t disturb it. No drilling, no screwing things into it, no cleaning it with a wire brush.
• Tell your electrician about the age of the house so they can plan for it.
• Check the rules. If you’re renovating, buying or doing work yourself, learn what applies in Queensland. Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has guidance on asbestos.
• Don’t cut corners. Cheap quotes that don’t mention asbestos on an older home are worth questioning.

Should you upgrade anyway?

If the board is old enough to have an asbestos panel, it’s often also old enough to have ceramic fuses and no safety switches. An upgrade deals with both at once. It replaces an ageing board with something that meets today’s rules and protects the people in the house, and it deals with the asbestos properly rather than leaving it for later.

To find out what you’ve got, get in touch and we’ll have a look and give you a written quote.