If you’re renovating or even demolishing any part of your home, and are aware of the existence of asbestos in the structure, you need to make sure that asbestos removal is carried out efficiently, safely and in line with the government rules and regulations. While following the code is a legal requirement, it will also ensure that you and your family are safe.
DIY asbestos removal isn’t something the government recommends. In NSW, a non-licensed person is permitted to remove non-friable asbestos features as long as that area is not more than 10m² in size. Here we provide some crucial information and details to help reduce the chances of asbestos exposure-related risk, in case you decide to remove 10m²/less of any non-friable asbestos from your home.
Important Things To Keep In View
- A non-licensed individual undertaking the non-friable asbestos removal work needs to be a competent person. It means that they need to have completed training, have some industry experience as well as the appropriate equipment for the job.
- When a non-licensed person is allowed to handle the work of this type, there is always the risk of danger to human health.
- Just as a general estimate, 10m² is the size of the wall of an average-sized bathroom (that’s four sheets of asbestos wall sheeting).
- All asbestos removal tasks usually involve much larger areas. It also means that in most instances, a licensed asbestos removalist would have to be called in to handle the job.
- Most standard insurance policies won’t take any responsibility for work relating to asbestos removal. You must be aware of this and keep in mind that as a non-licensed removalist or DIY renovator, you could end up being liable to pay very high clean-up costs.
Before you Start
If you are a home renovator planning on doing a DIY job and are planning to remove any friable asbestos on your own, you need to be objective. Decide whether you have the experience, equipment and skills to keep the risk related to asbestos exposure as low as possible. Under the government rules and regulations, risk of exposure to asbestos fibres has to be minimised at all times.
Disposing Asbestos
While you need to follow the right process while removing asbestos from your home, you also need to think about how you will dispose of it safely. The EPA has set precise guidelines related to the disposal of asbestos waste. They are as follows:
- Waste has to be stored on the premises in an environmentally safe way.
- All bonded asbestos material always has to be securely packaged.
- Friable asbestos materials have to be placed in sealed containers.
- Asbestos-contaminated soils must be wetted down.
- All the asbestos waste has to be transported in a covered, and entirely leak-proof vehicle.
- It has to be disposed of at a certified landfill site that can handle the asbestos waste.
The best way to avoid risk and ensure that the asbestos removal work is carried out as per government guidelines is to hire a licensed asbestos removal company like BreathEASY. We handle projects of any shape and size. For any information on our services, contact us at02 8093 5461 or request a free quote through this form, and we will contact you shortly.
