Proper Handling Is Essential For Safe Asbestos Removal

At no cost, asbestos removal should be considered as a DIY process. This is because a lot of safety issues are related to it. Therefore, it is essential that it is handled carefully and essentially by a professional. The reason behind this is that asbestos exposure can cause a variety of diseases such as:

• Malignant mesothelioma
• Lung cancer and 
• Asbestosis. 

These diseases are caused when asbestos is airborne. It releases toxic fibers that you cannot see with the naked eye. This means that you will be exposed to these harmful fibers without even knowing about it and inhale or ingest these toxic materials. These materials will be deposited in the linings of different organs in your body such as:

• Your heart
• Your abdomen and 
• Your lungs.

This will cause different health issues, some of which may show its effect even after decades. 

Therefore, whenever you want to use asbestos (though you should shift to other safer alternatives) or remove it, you will need to follow the rules and regulations as laid down by different government agencies for asbestos removal. These agencies include:

• AHERA or Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act
• NESHAP or The National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
• OSHA and 
• EPA regulatory authorities. 

All these agencies focus on the Permissible Exposure Limits or PEL for employees and reporting through the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Asbestos Worker Protection Rule.

Safe removal process

Therefore, with so many regulations in asbestos removal it is paramount that you follow the right process for it to avoid legal issues. The first step includes hiring a certified and experienced professional. It will ensure that the right process is followed according to the law.

• First the asbestos should be thoroughly wet by spraying eater on the surfaces gently. Apart from water, the professional can also use water mixed with detergent or a PVA solution in the ration of 1:10. Water should be sprayed throughout the asbestos removal process after ensuring that all electrical hazards are removed.
• If the asbestos sheets are bolted, it must be dampened first and then cut the bolts without cutting the Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) and place the cut bolts in the asbestos-waste container.
• Bolt cutters must also be used to release the drain pipes, gutters, ridge caps and others that are in contact with the ACM.
• Large pieces of ACM should be lowered carefully and not dropped or put in rubble chutes.
• The fibro asbestos-cement sheets should be stacked carefully avoiding breaking of any sheets or crushing the ACM debris to the ground.
• All small pieces of asbestos debris should be placed in the asbestos-waste container.
• The large pieces of ACM should be double-wrapped in plastic sheets that are at least 200 microns thick. All openings should be sealed securely with  duct tape. Also, all these wrapped asbestos-waste should be labelled correctly.

When the asbestos removal process is completed, the service provider should inspect the site to ensure that it is cleaned properly and there are no asbestos dust or residues left in the work area, its surroundings, and the entire route to the asbestos-waste storage area. Any remaining asbestos material should be left intact.

Summing it up

Since a lot of care and concern are needed for asbestos removal, it is important to have a proper removal plan in place. Make sure that everything is written in the contract provided by the asbestos removal company, right from actual removal to the cleanup, from the regulations to the transport and disposal.

Th site should be demarcated as a hazardous area during the process and no one should be allowed, including  pets, in this area. Proper plastic sheets should be used to seal off the area and to avoid the fibers from spreading.