I am not surprised that the client is having kittens. An obvious solution is to rebuild the intake now.

If the chutes contain asbestos, it may still not be a risk. If it is in good condition, all well and good. If somebody pokes about taking samples, the integrity may be disrupted. The danger is inhaling asbestos dust, not walking past equipment which contains it.

I speak as somebody who has walked past asbestos lagging in one of Her Late Majesty's ships and sat in one of her offices which was festooned with asbestos warning labels.

And the ghastly Artex coating of the ceiling right above me causes me no health concern whatsoever.

I am not surprised that the client is having kittens. An obvious solution is to rebuild the intake now.

If the chutes contain asbestos, it may still not be a risk. If it is in good condition, all well and good. If somebody pokes about taking samples, the integrity may be disrupted. The danger is inhaling asbestos dust, not walking past equipment which contains it.

I speak as somebody who has walked past asbestos lagging in one of Her Late Majesty's ships and sat in one of her offices which was festooned with asbestos warning labels.

And the ghastly Artex coating of the ceiling right above me causes me no health concern whatsoever.

Unfortunately that’s the attitude of the client up until we were employed to carry out a full EICR, We  are limiting all works in connection with these boards, it gets worse the boards are fed by the oldest of old MIC cables. 

The building is due to be completely refurbished and the old switch room ripped out in two years time so just looking for a work around which will probably be the same as the last 50 / 60 / 70 years in that they will do nothing and cross their fingers.