subject: Use Professionals to Remove Asbestos From a Building [print this page] Use Professionals to Remove Asbestos From a Building
Health and Safety Executive figures show that asbestos claims around 3500 lives a year. That's from direct exposure via having worked with the material, lived or worked in somewhere that had it, or even near somewhere that used it. The links between some of the diseases caused by exposure can be so tenuous as to almost beggar belief.
That figure is set to peak around 2015, the gradually drop off as those who were exposed gradually die off. If asbestos claims so many lives, it's a mystery why it was allowed to be used for so long, especially considering there were warnings about it as early as the beginning of the 1920's.
The use of asbestos was finally outlawed in the UK in 1978, with the legislation being finally strengthened in 2006. Now, the only time we come into contact with it is when we renovate older buildings. Asbestos materials can be found hiding in the most unlikely places, which is why the main contractor has to have a survey done first. If asbestos is found in a building there are some steps to be taken to remove it safely. It pays to follow them if you want to avoid any asbestos claims in the future.
First up you need to have the survey done to check for asbestos. Also you're going to need a Management Plan for removal if any is found. Once the paperwork is done, the real work begins.
To safely remove asbestos you need to use a trained crew. They will need protective gear, masks, and the ability to seal an area. Asbestos isn't dangerous until it's disturbed. It's only once the fibres get into the air that It becomes a health hazard, which is what you have to prevent at all costs.
The area needs to be sealed, all windows, holes, doors and vents will need taping up. Depending on the application, it might be easier to remove the offending item completely rather than trying to remove the asbestos itself.
For example, if it has been used as insulation around pipes and boilers, it's easier to take the whole thing out, than risk disturbing the asbestos. Claims that it should be left in place and sealed off are great on paper, but can throw up more problems than they solve.
To do the job properly, within the law, you'll need to follow the suggestions of the surveyor and use the professionals. They will tell you the best, and safest way of dealing with the stuff. Once the crew has removed the asbestos from the area and have is safely contained, there is the thorny question of disposal. Not all councils will handle the stuff, or allow you to dump it.
They are too scared of asbestos claims and don't always realize that once dumped, it breaks down into harmless glass fibres. That's a good enough reason alone for using a professional team to remove it. Who wants to spend all day with bureaucracy when we can be meeting deadlines?
