It is no secret that asbestos is a material that produces enormous health and safety risks and that steps must be taken to either manage or eliminate the threat as quickly as possible. If your building requires the identification of asbestos through an asbestos survey, the assessment must to be conducted by a professional in asbestos surveying.
Depending on what that inspection uncovers, it could call for the safe removal or in-place management of the material, which is determined by an assessment made by a competent asbestos services provider.
Asbestos surveying
Before any renovation, demolition, asbestos abatement, or other activity that may disturb suspected asbestos material, an on-site assessment has to be completed by a certified asbestos inspection professional.
The professional must have the ability to demonstrate sufficient experience, competency, training and the relevant liability insurance. In short, the asbestos testing / survey process involves a thorough visual inspection of all affected building space, a full assessment of the construction, with sampling of any suspect material(s) for analysis in a laboratory.
The sample(s) will only be analysed at a certified and approved laboratory to determine its type, risk, and action to be taken, providing a fully comprehensive report to take movement towards either its containment or removal.
Various samples will be tested from each type of suspect material from the premises due to the manufacturing processes for those materials differing and the asbestos contents varying between manufacturers. This is why qualified and experienced asbestos professionals are used to complete asbestos surveys of buildings.
Which building materials get tested?
Over the last century, asbestos was used in hundreds of varied building materials. Some of them you may not even consider having been at risk at all. Therefore it is very dependent on how the building is constructed as to what materials are tested / sampled.
Floor tiles and adhesives used to put them in place are among the most common areas where asbestos has been used in buildings, with ceiling tiles also being a considerable concern. Wall boarding, felt, papers and joint compounds can also asbestos-containing materials, and it is the same with gaskets, ropes and cement pipes.
When it comes to heating areas around your building, asbestos can be found within fireproofing, thermal insulation, and sealants. Asbestos can be contained everywhere around you, from your flooring, walls, and roofing as well as many other products and installations. The list goes on and on.
What happens when a survey has positive asbestos results?
Following an asbestos survey, a thorough professional report is a must to highlight if the material needs to be removed professionally and immediately or can be managed and safely contained within the property.
Contact the team at Grosvenor Asbestos Solutions today for asbestos surveying and all services centred around asbestos-containing materials.
