Asbestos Removal: Key factors to keep in mind

The prevalence of asbestos in domestic and non-domestic properties is a cause for concern for many property owners, especially when the property is more than 30 years old. Yet, a lot of building owners are completely oblivious to the presence of asbestos; with it often only being accidentally discovered during a renovation project.

This is quite alarming as the health risks associated with asbestos inhalation include mesothelioma, lung cancer, diffuse pleural thickening and asbestosis (lung tissue scaring). As asbestos is only a health concern when it is inhaled it needs removing prior to carrying out any type of contracting work, which may dislodge fibres into the air. With the death toll of asbestos-related diseases being in the thousands, the presence of asbestos needs to be taken extremely seriously. If it isn’t then not only will you endanger the life of an innocent party you could also face legal action.

The main people that are at risk of asbestos inhalation include:

• Contractors –  including construction and demolition crews, as well as painters, joiners, gas fitters, plasterers and roofers.
• Electrical engineers – IT technicians, alarm installers and phone line installers.
• General engineers – surveyors, heating engineers and shop fitters.

Some of the key areas that are likely to contain asbestos include halls, stairwells and ceilings. More precisely, the main products/materials within a building which are are likely to contain asbestos include:

• Lagging – this is usually used for the thermal insulation of boilers and water pipes.
• Insulating board – any areas that has insulating board for fire protection or thermal insulation are likely to include traces of asbestos
• Cement & corrugated sheets – roofing, cladding and water tanks in older building may contain asbestos.
• Texture wall/ceiling coatings – skimmed or decorative ceilings heavily used asbestos in the past.
• Bitumen and vinyl – roofing felt, as well as floor and ceiling tiles are also likely to contain asbestos in older buildings.

As asbestos is common place in a lot of older buildings and is present in all of the materials mentioned above, property owners have a duty of care to manage the proper disposal of asbestos. This involves: having an asbestos company assess the presence of asbestos, noting the location and prevalence of asbestos within the property, assessing the risk of the material to labourers and preparing and actioning a plan to contain/remove the affected areas.

Most importantly if you have any suspicions that asbestos is present in your property then you need to carry out a survey of the property and get samples from the affected areas. This should be done without hesitation.

This is a guest post from the content team at Northern Insulation, a leading asbestos removal company in the UK.

We Can Help
Many thanks to our colleagues at Northern Insulation in the U.K. for an informative and timely guest post. At ESG, we know that knowledge is the best way to protect yourself and your family and we can provide asbestos testing and removal services.

Let us give you peace of mind – call the Environmental Services Group for a quote.

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Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!

Many thanks to our colleagues at Northern Insulation in the U.K. For