A few years back, we had to have the roof of our garage removed professionally due to the presence of asbestos. Our neighbour’s house was recently sold and the garage demolished, but despite what appears to be asbestos, they have merely rolled over the demolished pieces with a mini digger. Surely this is not the correct method of removal. Should we be concerned? Can we contact someone? I assume your concern that the garage roof contained asbestos is based on its similarity to the roof of your own garage, which was confirmed as asbestos-containing material and professionally removed. While this is a strong indication, its presence cannot be confirmed from appearance alone and would normally require appropriate sampling and analysis.It is nevertheless disheartening to hear that a material suspected of containing asbestos may have been dealt with in this manner. The presence of asbestos in older domestic garages is well known within the construction industry, as are the risks associated with disturbing it. Whether the demolition was undertaken by the owner or by a contractor, suspected asbestos-containing materials should have been identified and appropriately managed before the garage was demolished.Asbestos-containing materials generally present the greatest risk when they are broken, crushed or otherwise disturbed, allowing fibres to become airborne and potentially inhaled. Driving over asbestos cement sheeting with a mini digger could break it into smaller fragments and may have released fibres during the demolition.If the fragments have subsequently been buried, the immediate risk may be reduced while the ground remains undisturbed. However, the material should not be regarded as safe simply because it is now concealed, as it could be disturbed again during future gardening, landscaping or construction work.In short, this would not be an acceptable method of removing or disposing of asbestos-containing material. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) advises that asbestos-containing materials should be identified and removed before demolition by competent, trained contractors using appropriate working practices. Any suspected fragments should now be assessed and, if confirmed as asbestos, professionally recovered and disposed of through an authorised waste contractor. You should not enter the property, handle the fragments or attempt to collect samples yourself.Aidan McDonald is a chartered building surveyor and a member of the SCSI I recommend recording what you observed, including dates and photographs taken safely from your own property, and reporting the matter to the environmental or waste enforcement section of your local authority. Local authorities are responsible for investigating complaints concerning the unauthorised storage, removal or disposal of asbestos waste. [ We found asbestos buried in our garden, what should we do?Opens in new window ]If a contractor or other workers were involved, the matter may also be reported to the HSA. The Environmental Protection Agency advises that it does not generally investigate individual asbestos incidents, except at sites it directly regulates, and that the local authority or HSA should normally be contacted in the first instance.Your concern is therefore justified. While there is no need to panic, the matter should be investigated promptly so that the material can be identified, the site assessed and any necessary clean-up undertaken professionally.Aidan McDonald is a chartered building surveyor and a member of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland