The benefits of using professional asbestos removal services

[edit] Background

From the 1930s to the 1980s, asbestos was widely used in the construction industry. During the 1990s, however, concerns began to be raised about its potential health impact. This led to asbestos being banned in the UK (and many other countries).

Now, if asbestos is found in a building, it is standard practice to remove it. This is not (yet) a legal requirement but is considered a wise precaution for both legal and generally safety reasons.

[edit] Why remove asbestos?

The fundamental reason for removing asbestos is that it is now linked with severe health issues, including lung cancer and mesothelioma. There are other reasons that are linked to this. For example, if it is known that there is asbestos in a property, that fact must be declared to any potential buyer

At a minimum, this is likely to reduce the level of interest in a property. At worst, it could render the property unsellable.

[edit] Why use professional asbestos removing services?

There are various reasons to seek professional advice for asbestos removal, and to explain further, here a specialist shares their expertise on why it is worth considering external professional advice.

[edit] Peace of mind

In simple terms, if a property needs any sort of serious work done to it, it is not enough just to do the work. You need to be able to demonstrate that the work was done to an appropriate standard. As a rule of thumb, the term “serious work” can be taken to refer to anything that affects a property’s health and safety. Asbestos removal certainly falls into that category.

Firstly, the asbestos itself has to be removed completely in a way that keeps everyone safe during the process. Everyone means not just the normal residents of the home and the workers but also anyone that could potentially be in the vicinity of the removal site.

Secondly, the asbestos has to be disposed of correctly. To a certain extent, this is true of all waste. The disposal of asbestos, however, is covered by particularly stringent regulations as it is classed as a hazardous material.

This means that the asbestos will need to be taken to a waste-disposal location that has the proper facilities to handle it. It will also need to be transported there in a highly secure manner.

Furthermore, all of this will need to be properly documented so your compliance with all relevant rules is beyond dispute.

Using professional asbestos removal services not only ensures that all this is done but also means that you will have credible records of it being done. In other words, your defence to any legal claim would not just be your word. You would have the backing of a respected third party.

[edit] Time and cost efficiency

Any form of serious work is a disruption to the normal operation of a building, be it residential or commercial. Any form of disruption takes up time and hence money. Using professional services tends to minimise this disruption. This is likely to be particularly true of professional asbestos removal services as they require highly specialised knowledge and tools.

[edit] Considerations for removing asbestos

If you’re still weighing up your options for asbestos removal, here are the five key factors you should consider.

[edit] Training and experience

The handling of hazardous substances such as asbestos is highly regulated. This means that anyone dealing with it must have a full and up-to-date understanding of the regulations and compliance requirements associated with asbestos removal.

They must also have in-depth knowledge of proper handling and removal techniques. In particular, they need to be familiar with the specific precautions needed to minimise the release of asbestos fibres into the air during the removal process.

Professional asbestos removal services ensure that their staff undergo full training before they start on the job. In the real world, however, training is generally only a starting point. It is built on by experience. This is why, in the world of work, new staff, even fully-trained ones, are usually supervised by more experienced workers.

[edit] Tools and equipment

Handling asbestos will always require the very highest grades of personal protective equipment (PPE). Some of this may require training to use. It will also typically require the use of specialist equipment to remove the asbestos.

The specific choice of equipment will depend partly on the specifics of the removal environment. There are, however, some general considerations that apply to all asbestos-removal situations.

For example, one major consideration is the need to ensure that asbestos fibres do not disperse into the air during the removal process. This can be prevented by dampening or sealing the asbestos before removal.

Another consideration is the need to contain the asbestos safely between its removal from the property and its arrival at the disposal facility.

[edit] Effective risk assessment

Asbestos is one of the most hazardous substances known to humanity. It is therefore vital to undertake a thorough and effective risk assessment before starting to remove it. This risk assessment will inform the safety precautions taken during the removal process.

[edit] Safety precautions

The risk assessment will show what safety precautions need to be taken. There is, however, a significant difference between theoretical knowledge and practical implementation. In fact, there’s a strong case for arguing that badly-implemented safety precautions are worse than no safety precautions at all. This is because they create a false sense of security.

[edit] Proper documentation

It really is impossible to overstate the importance of properly documenting the asbestos-removal process from end to end (i.e., up to and including the disposal of the asbestos).

The law is notoriously expensive, and claims related to the disposal of asbestos can be some of the most expensive of all. Furthermore, insurance may not protect you if there is any suspicion of wrongdoing on your part. This could include failure to create appropriate documentation of the removal process.

Quite simply, the cost of hiring professional asbestos removal services is likely to be minimal in comparison to the potential risks of having a claim brought against you. This is true even if the claim simply relates to irregularities in the disposal process rather than a health-related claim.

--FlameUK 11:04, 28 Jul 2023 (BST)

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Asbestos cement.
• Asbestos coating.
• Asbestos in construction.
• Asbestos insulation.
• Asbestos management.
• Asbestos register.
• Asbestos surveyor.
• Construction dust.
• Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 CAR12.
• Deleterious materials.
• Failure to mention asbestos.
• Five signs you are at risk of asbestos poisoning at work.
• Licensable work with asbestos.
• Silica.
• The risk of asbestos on brownfield sites.