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Writer's pictureKiera Peterson

Tips to Remember During Asbestos Removal

Asbestos is a set of six silicate minerals which occur naturally. Chrysotile is the most common of all of them, found in a majority of the asbestos in buildings. Asbestos removal requires a lot of safety measures, since asbestos is a potentially risky item. In a good condition, asbestos does not cause hazards, but over time, asbestos gets worn, and damaged with use, and it may pose risks to health as well as safety in many ways.

Asbestos abatement usually involves enclosing, which involves isolating the material, or encapsulation, which is spraying the material with sealants, or repair to fix minor damages, or removal, which is the permanent solution. The fibrous crystals that make asbestos carry a risk of flaking off and becoming airborne. These fibers, released through abrasion and other processes, can easily be inhaled. They are toxic and can be embedded in the chest. Such exposure can develop serious asbestos-related diseases like lung cancer, asbestosis or mesothelioma. Therefore, it is imperative to be careful during asbestos removal. Here are some tips and things to keep in mind during asbestos removal.

  1. At Home: Asbestos mining stopped in Australia in 1984, but homes built after that period had plenty of asbestos. Although asbestos was used in homes only until a couple of decades ago, it might be tricky to identify asbestos, since it is not visible in plain sight. Moreover, symptoms of health problems do not appear until 20 to 30 years after initial exposure. It was used in walls, ceilings, floor tiles, insulations, and sidings. Therefore, during renovations and demolition projects, it is important to handle these things with care. Hire a licensed professional, licensed under WHS, for asbestos removal, who can do it for you. They will encapsulate it, or remove it as needed, and dispose of the material safely.

  1. In the Workplace: The WHS regulations dictate several measures for handling asbestos in the workplace. Workers who might come in contact with asbestos need to be trained to avoid any hazards. Asbestos removal needs to be done by a licensed professional only, called asbestos remover. By the same law, there must be an asbestos management plan for the workplace. This includes maintaining an asbestos register, to identify and maintain all asbestos materials present and in use, with proper labeling for them. Employees should not be involved in any demolition of asbestos or removal of asbestos.

  2. In Times of Natural Disasters: Natural disasters can cause significant damage to homes, and buildings. Hurricanes and tornadoes can make the harmful asbestos in the buildings friable, i.e. prone to turn to airborne dust. It can then be easily inhaled by people, or even pets, and pose health risks. Recovery or clean-up efforts were taken up by people after a natural disaster also make those people more susceptible to such friable asbestos. Therefore, be careful during such times. In such emergency situations, the onus is on you to protect yourself. Put together an emergency kit, with things like a mask, gloves, protective eyewear, disposable clothes, and bottles of water. The water can hydrate people, and also be used to wet asbestos products, which makes them less likely to become airborne.

  3. Keep away from areas with a damaged material.

  4. Never manipulate or attempt to remove such items on your own­– that is to say, do not cut, drill, saw, scrub or even dump it.

  5. Instead of removal of asbestos flooring, prefer installing a new floor over it.

Since asbestos is highly toxic, these tips and precautions will certainly help in removal of asbestos and protect you from asbestos-related diseases in future.

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