Plan-les-Ouates: an emblematic industrial zone facing asbestos risk
Plan-les-Ouates is the reference industrial and watchmaking municipality in the canton of Geneva. The Plan-les-Ouates Industrial Zone (ZIPLO) concentrates an exceptional density of business buildings constructed primarily between the 1960s and the 1990s: precision workshops, logistics warehouses, production buildings for the watchmaking and mechanical industries, office spaces integrated in mixed business-tertiary buildings.
The ZIPLO constitutes one of the zones with the highest concentration of potentially asbestos-containing industrial buildings in the canton of Geneva. Business buildings constructed between 1960 and 1985 systematically incorporated asbestos-based materials that met the specific requirements of industry: high-performance thermal insulation for industrial processes, fire-resistant materials for workshops and storage, fibre cement sheets for large roofs and cladding. The progressive transformation of the ZIPLO, with renovation and densification projects on existing plots, is today generating a growing demand for asbestos diagnoses.
Beyond the ZIPLO, Plan-les-Ouates also has a residential fabric developed between the 1960s and 1980s in the inhabited districts of the municipality. These housing units, less exposed than industrial buildings, are nonetheless subject to prior diagnosis obligations.
Which buildings are concerned in Plan-les-Ouates?
The municipality presents two main categories of potentially asbestos-containing buildings, with very different risk profiles.
ZIPLO industrial and business buildings
Industrial buildings in the ZIPLO constructed between 1960 and 1985 constitute the most specific category to Plan-les-Ouates. These buildings present configurations characteristic of the industry of the period:
Large-surface fibre cement sheet roofs are omnipresent in workshops and warehouses. Some cover considerable surfaces — several thousand square metres — which implies significant quantities of asbestos-containing materials to manage during renovation or replacement projects.
Fibre cement panel cladding and partition walls constitute the other major category of asbestos-containing materials in these industrial buildings. Fire-break partitions between workshops, metal structure cladding and spandrel panels are zones to be diagnosed.
Suspended ceilings in office spaces integrated into industrial buildings — meeting rooms, changing rooms, catering areas — often contain fibre cement suspended tiles or asbestos-containing suspended ceiling sheets.
Watchmaking workshops and precision buildings
Precision workshops dedicated to the watchmaking industry present a particular profile: thermal and acoustic control requirements led to the use of high-performance insulation in envelopes and floors. These insulation materials, particularly lagging panels and sprayed insulation, may contain asbestos.
Residential buildings
The residential fabric of Plan-les-Ouates, consisting primarily of villas and small buildings constructed between the 1960s and the 1980s, presents the usual materials of residential construction of this period: fibre cement on roofs and cladding, vinyl tiles, pipe insulation.
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Common asbestos-containing materials in Plan-les-Ouates
The industrial character of Plan-les-Ouates implies a prevalence of asbestos-containing materials specific to business buildings:
- Corrugated or ribbed fibre cement sheets on large-surface roofs of workshops and warehouses
- Fibre cement cladding and facade panels on industrial buildings
- Fire-break and separation partitions in asbestos-cement sheets
- Sprayed thermal insulation on metal structures for fire protection
- Fibre cement tile suspended ceilings in offices integrated into industrial buildings
- Vinyl-asbestos industrial floor tiles over large surfaces
- Sealing joints between roof trays and facade elements
- Lagging on steam, heating and industrial process pipes
- Sprayed acoustic insulation in high-noise production zones
- Sprayed fire retardants on load-bearing structures (beams, metal columns)
Roofs and industrial structures concentrate the greatest quantities of materials, but technical rooms and heating substations often present the most degraded materials.
Regulations applicable in Plan-les-Ouates
Plan-les-Ouates is located in the canton of Geneva, subject to the obligation of prior investigation before any construction site likely to disturb materials in a building predating 1991. For industrial buildings, this obligation is particularly important: the quantities of potentially asbestos-containing materials at stake are often considerable and decontamination costs can represent a significant proportion of the renovation budget.
For projects subject to building permit, the diagnostic report must be attached to the OAC file. For large-surface industrial buildings, the diagnosis is often a key step in the financial planning of the project: it allows asbestos-containing materials to be quantified and prior decontamination works to be costed.
The Ordinance on the Reduction of Risks from Chemical Products (ORRChim) imposes specific obligations for the disposal of asbestos waste: waste containing asbestos is classified as special waste and subject to mandatory traceability. This obligation applies with particular acuity in industrial buildings where the quantities involved can be significant.
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Frequently asked questions about asbestos diagnosis in Plan-les-Ouates
The fibre cement roof of our workshop in the ZIPLO is 3,000 m². Must the diagnosis cover the entire surface?
For a large-surface roof, the diagnosis does not require sampling across the entire surface. The expert proceeds by representative soundings according to a recognised methodology: the number of samples is calculated based on the surface area, the homogeneity of materials and available information on the construction history. The size of the roof is taken into account in the intervention proposal.
Our industrial building in the ZIPLO was constructed in 1972 and partially renovated in 1995. What needs to be diagnosed?
All materials likely to contain asbestos must be diagnosed, whether they date from the original construction or subsequent renovations. The 1995 renovation may have used asbestos-containing materials, as the complete ban on asbestos in Switzerland only dates from 1989 and certain materials may have been used until that date or slightly beyond from existing stocks. Construction history is valuable for the expert but does not replace analyses.
Is the asbestos diagnosis different for an industrial building and a residential building?
The principle is the same, but the content can differ significantly. Industrial buildings present specific materials — process insulation, fire retardants sprayed on structures — that are not found in residential buildings. The surface area to investigate is often much larger, implying a longer visit time and a higher number of samples. The expert adapts their methodology to the specific features of the building.
Our company rents its premises in the ZIPLO. Who is responsible for the asbestos diagnosis, the owner or the tenant?
The prior diagnosis for works is the responsibility of whoever is carrying out the works. If the tenant is making alterations, they must commission the diagnosis for the zones they will affect. If the owner is carrying out works on the building, it is their responsibility. In practice, in a leased industrial building, it is recommended that the owner have a comprehensive reference diagnosis, which facilitates subsequent interventions by all parties.
Are recent ZIPLO buildings constructed in the 1990s also concerned?
The complete ban on asbestos in Switzerland dates from 1989. Buildings constructed between 1989 and 1991 are in a zone of uncertainty: if materials were ordered and installed after the ban, they should not contain asbestos. But materials from stocks predating the ban may have been used after 1989. For any building predating 1991, prudence requires a diagnosis.