7 Things to Know About the Asbestos Removal Process

You must have probably read or heard that asbestos is a dangerous material that can cause health hazards to you and your family. Hence, it is a wise decision to appoint asbestos removal agency and iron out this material from your property or business premises. The asbestos removal contractor will be aware of how to safely abate this material and as per the stringent laws applicable to your area. However, as a responsible person, you ought to know what happens in this asbestos removal process. For this purpose, we have provided you with a list of essential things you should know about this procedure. 

Ensure the Appointment of a Licensed Asbestos Removal Agency

All commercial asbestos removal in Melbourne agencies is not the same. Hence, you have to choose the appropriate one. For homeowners, it might not be compulsory to hire a licensed contractor, but we would highly recommend you to do so. Check the qualifications and expertise of the agency and have a discussion regarding the same. 

• Seek the Asbestos Abatement Plan Beforehand 

The contractor should provide you with a detailed written plan about the asbestos removal at your place. This will include all the cleaning details, the laws to follow and the guidelines applicable. So, go through this document consciously and discuss with your contractor about the loopholes, if you find any in the same. 

• A Complete Shutting of the Contaminated Area 

One of the vital things you ought to know prior to asbestos abatement is that the contaminated area needs to be thoroughly shut down. No activity should take place that can cause any disturbance to the asbestos-associated materials. Your agency will do this job efficiently by using durable, plastic covers and HEPA filtration methods. This sealing process ensures that there is no health hazard to you, your family or employees, and also to the agency workers. You should also mark the property as a dangerous area so that no living beings approach it. The contractors are also required to switch off the heating and cooling systems if any. 

• Handling All the Asbestos Material Safely 

During the asbestos removal procedure, all the relevant materials will be removed from their locations by the contractors. You need to know that there can be several sources of asbestos materials and hence, you have to think about its careful handling beforehand. Before they are transported from your home, make sure that they are placed in sealed containers meant for disposal only. Also, ensure that all the contracts are using protective gloves and other clothing items. In certain cases, respirators will also be required. You have to be conscious concerning the handling of all the asbestos materials and the safety measures adopted by the contractors. The asbestos materials need not be broken down into smaller chunks as they might get exposed to health hazards. It will be placed in the containers directly. 

• Common Asbestos Handling Equipment 

Well, we are sure you might be not aware of all this equipment. So, here are a few ones – HEPA vacuum, eyeglasses, respirators, gloves, coveralls (disposable) and rubber boots. Ensure that the contractors are using this equipment properly. 

• A Complete Clean-up of the Site After Asbestos Abatement 

After abatement, there could be particular traces of asbestos on the site, and it has to be removed fully. The contractors will use special vacuum cleaners, filtration techniques, and other cleaning devices to curb out all the asbestos reside on the site. An air examination will be done after all the cleaning process to ensure all the asbestos has been removed thoroughly. You can re-start using your home only after the final air examination conducted by the contractors. 

• Post-abatement Written Details by the Contractor 

Once the abatement work is done by the contractor, they will once again submit you a written report elaborating the same, how it was done, and the processes followed. If you want a final confirmation, then you can again request the asbestos inspector to evaluate the cleaned area and make sure there is no risk. So, the asbestos removal process is a complicated one, and you ought to know the important details of the same to ensure safety and legal compliance.