Asbestos Diagnosis Vevey

Vevey: a built heritage affected by asbestos

Vevey is a city of history and industry, backed against the Lavaux vine terraces and open to Lake Geneva. Its identity is inseparable from the presence of Nestlé, whose world headquarters has been established on the lakeside since the nineteenth century. This industrial and tertiary vocation has generated a fabric of company buildings and business premises which, for those from the 1950s–1980s, present a significant asbestos exposure profile.

Vevey’s historic centre, with its large Place du Marché and medieval lanes, retains an old built heritage whose buildings were often renovated during the twentieth century. These successive renovations, particularly in the 1950s–1980s, introduced asbestos-containing materials into older structures. Investment properties in the town centre, constructed mostly between the late nineteenth century and the 1940s, frequently underwent interior alterations and partial renovations during this period.

Residential districts that developed on the periphery of the centre in the 1960s–1980s — towards La Tour-de-Peilz and towards the heights — present the classic profile of constructions from the period of maximum asbestos use. These rental buildings, constructed in series to meet the growth of the population working in Vevey companies, systematically used the standard building materials of the time.

Which buildings are concerned in Vevey?

Vevey presents three distinct risk profiles, linked to its different historical strata.

Residential buildings

Rental buildings in peripheral districts constructed between 1960 and 1980, towards La Tour-de-Peilz and towards the heights, present the classic profile of the period: vinyl-asbestos tiles in kitchens and bathrooms, fibre cement sheets on spandrel panels and balconies, suspended ceilings in common areas, heating riser column lagging.

In town centre buildings renovated between 1950 and 1985, floor tiles laid over old floors, smoothing renders and acoustic insulation between floor levels are the zones to monitor. Commercial premises on the ground floors often add materials specific to commercial uses of the period (resistant floors, asbestos-containing lightweight partitions).

Commercial and administrative buildings

Nestlé’s historic industrial site and company buildings from the 1950s–1980s constitute the most demanding profile: large fibre cement sheets on roofs and cladding, asbestos-cement floor tiles in workshops and warehouses, industrial pipe lagging. Technical rooms in these buildings — electrical substations, boiler rooms, air treatment rooms — often concentrate the most problematic materials.

Villas and single-family houses

Villas constructed between 1960 and 1980 in the higher sectors (towards Corseaux, Chardonne) present common materials from the period: fibre cement roofing or annexes, boiler room lagging, tile adhesives.

Common asbestos-containing materials in Vevey

Vevey’s diverse building stock implies a varied range of asbestos-containing materials:

In industrial and tertiary buildings from the 1950s–1980s:

• Large fibre cement sheets on roofs and facade cladding
• Asbestos-cement floor tiles in workshops and warehouses
• Lagging on industrial pipes (steam, heating)
• Insulation in technical rooms (substations, boiler rooms, air treatment rooms)

In rental buildings in peripheral districts:

• Vinyl-asbestos floor tiles (kitchens, bathrooms)
• Asbestos-containing laying adhesives
• Fibre cement sheets on spandrel panels and balconies
• Suspended ceilings in common areas
• Riser column lagging

In old town centre buildings renovated between 1950 and 1985:

• Floor tiles laid over old floors
• Smoothing renders on historic masonry
• Acoustic insulation between floor levels
• Lightweight partitions and commercial premises floors

Regulations applicable in Vevey

The pre-works asbestos diagnosis report (AvT) is mandatory in any Vaud building permit file for a building predating 1991. This obligation covers the essential part of Vevey’s building stock. For industrial buildings destined for transformation or demolition, an exhaustive pre-demolition asbestos diagnosis is required before the start of works.

The report must be less than three years old at the time of submitting the permit and prepared by a recognised FACH expert, in accordance with requirements published on vd.ch. For apartment owners in 1960s–1980s rental buildings, the federal OTConst obligation applies regardless of the building permit: any work likely to disturb asbestos-containing materials must be preceded by a diagnosis.

Neighbouring communes served

We cover Vevey and the Vaud Riviera:

• Montreux
• La Tour-de-Peilz
• Corsier-sur-Vevey
• Corseaux
• Saint-Légier-La Chiésaz
• Blonay
• Chardonne
• Chexbres

Frequently asked questions about asbestos diagnosis in Vevey

Buildings on the Nestlé site in Vevey are subject to transformation projects. What type of diagnosis is required?

For the transformation of old industrial or office buildings from the 1950s–1980s, a comprehensive diagnosis covering the entire building is required. This diagnosis must identify all asbestos-containing materials, their condition and estimated quantities, to allow the preparation of a decontamination concept and the costing of prior works. For large-surface buildings, this diagnosis may require several visits and several dozen samples.

My apartment in a 1971 building in Vevey still has the original floor tiles. Must I have them removed?

No, not necessarily. If the tiles are in good condition (not broken, not friable, correctly bonded), they do not present a health risk for occupants. The removal obligation arises when works require them to be disturbed. At that point, a diagnosis will confirm their composition, and if they contain asbestos, their removal must be carried out by a specialist company.

Vevey’s large Place du Marché is surrounded by buildings of very different periods. How do I know if my building is concerned?

The decisive criterion is not the period of construction but the period of construction or renovation between 1950 and 1991. A sixteenth-century building renovated in 1968 may contain asbestos-containing materials in the layers added during that renovation. The diagnosis is always targeted at the zones that will actually be disturbed by the construction site — not the entire structure.

How is coordination between the asbestos diagnosis and the architect in charge of the project managed?

The architect is the natural interlocutor for organising coordination between the diagnosis and the project. They know the zones that will be affected by the works and can provide plans to the diagnostician to optimise the inspection. The diagnostic report is then integrated into the permit file. We regularly work with architects in the Vevey region and ensure direct communication with their offices.

My building in Vevey underwent a partial renovation in 1995. Is it still affected by asbestos?

A 1995 renovation means that certain zones were treated after the Swiss asbestos ban (1991). However, zones not touched by this renovation — common areas, technical columns, roof, cellar — may still contain asbestos-containing materials from the original construction or from renovations predating 1991. A diagnosis targeted at the zones concerned by the new works will allow a current assessment to be made.

Is a separate diagnosis needed for the cellar and technical room of my building?

No, the diagnosis can cover all concerned zones in a single intervention. Cellars and technical rooms are generally included in the building diagnosis as they often concentrate important asbestos-containing materials: pipe lagging, boiler room insulation, car park sprayed coatings. These zones are a priority during the inspection, as they frequently present the most degraded materials.