Many commercial and residential structures built before 1980contained asbestos in some form or the other. Features like drywall, insulation, and other building materials had some level of asbestos. Installations such as floor mastics, vinyl floor backings, wallboards, wall plasters, ceiling tiles, etc. also used to have asbestos.
In Australia, the use of asbestos was banned in 2003, but there are many older structures to this day that contain features made using these minerals. Intact installations do not pose a health risk. However, if there is damage to these features, the fibres become airborne; the fibres can be dangerous to the health of those living or working on the property.
If you find that older installations on your property have been disturbed while carrying out repairs or renovations, you must stop the work and contact asbestos removal experts immediately.
Why Asbestos Testing Is Crucial
Sometimes, property owners aren’t aware that there are structures containing asbestos, on their property. Only a qualified inspector would have the necessary tools needed to determine whether any features have this hazardous material. You should never conduct asbestos inspection and testing yourself as that can release the fibres, making the immediate environment risky to live in.
How to Remove Asbestos Safely
While you must always hire professionals for asbestos testing and removal, it’s also necessary that you be aware of the safety aspects of removing asbestos. This is what the EPA recommends:
- If you notice that the installation hasn’t suffered damage or that it will not be disturbed, leave it untouched. When you attempt to remove asbestos, it increases the possibility of fibres being released into the air.
- The material would have to be encapsulated, which means you would have to seal the installations’ surfaces to contain the risk entirely.
- This kind of encapsulation only works in settings where the installations aren’t crumbling or soft, and the features are intact. If you see any form of deterioration in the structure, encapsulation will not serve the purpose.
- All the structures that contain asbestos would have to be covered or enclosed using special sleeves or sheets.
- Once the components have been removed, they would need to be placed in properly sealed bags and labelled appropriately.
- Proper disposal of these sealed bags at a government-approved landfill is the next step.
Hire Licensed Asbestos Removal Professionals
Since there are various safety precautions, rules and guidelines to follow while handling asbestos removals & disposals, its best to hire proven and licensed professionals like us for the job. We have the skills, knowledge, and licensing needed to tackle every step of the process safely.
For any more details or information about our services and what’s involved in our asbestos removal Sydney solutions, feel free to call us at BreathEASY at 02 8093 5461. You can send us your queries or requests for asbestos inspection through this online form, and we will respond shortly. Please use the form on this page to request a free quote.
