Asbestos Testing: Getting Rid of the Hidden Hazards

Asbestos testing is extremely important for assessing the type of asbestos samples present in one’s building samples.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral. It was widely used in construction materials due to its desirable properties such as heat resistance, durability, and insulating capabilities. But, later scientists and ecologists discovered that asbestos fibers can pose severe health risks if inhaled.

Due to the potential health hazards associated with asbestos, testing whether they form a part of any building material has become a crucial part of surveying private and commercial buildings.

Need for Asbestos Testing

Along with the obvious environmental needs, one also needs to take care of the legal compliances a private or commercial building needs to go through. Here are some reasons why you must conduct asbestos testing for your building.

Requirements of Local Authority

The local authorities of many electorates in Australia, assess the regulatory compliances of the buildings in their areas. This is the reason why most buildings, privately owned or for commercial uses need to conduct asbestos testing. It officially makes sure that the level of asbestos in the building material is within the permissible limit.

Extension of a Dilapidation Survey

While the nearby buildings of a construction site are surveyed, they also need to go through an asbestos check. This is to compare the asbestos content of the building material before and after the completion of the construction work.

Buying and Selling a Property

If someone is buying or selling a property that was built before the 2000s, then they must carry out an asbestos testing of the building. This is because, in the 2000s, buildings used asbestos without any proper check.

Types of Asbestos

There are majorly six types of asbestos prevailing in the market:

• Amosite
• Tremolite
• Actinolite
• Chrysotile
• Anthophyllite
• Crocidolite

These six types of asbestos can be reclassified under two major categories of asbestos materials. They are as follows:

Amphibole Asbestos

These categories of asbestos are the most dangerous ones. They are very harmful to humans as they are easy to inhale.

Their molecular structure is an elongated chain-like structure making them penetrable inside the lungs. The good part is they are not as prevalent as white asbestos.

Crocidolite (Blue asbestos) and amosite (Brown asbestos) are the most common forms of amphibole asbestos found in Australia.

Serpentine Asbestos

Also known as white asbestos, Serpentine asbestos is the most common form of asbestos across the globe and Australia is no exception. It was widely used on the floors, roofs, ceilings, and walls of the buildings- both private as well as commercial.

At a molecular level, this asbestos has a curly fibrous structure with complex layering. This gives the asbestos material a lot of sturdiness. This is why it is used as brake pads in gaskets, boiler seals, pipes, and automobiles.

Guidelines for Asbestos Testing

Here are some guidelines to follow while conducting an asbestos testing in your building:

Contact an Expert

There are a lot of reputed surveying companies that carry out asbestos testing with precision. Contact an asbestos testing expert to get your house or your office building checked.

Assess the materials used in your Building

Asbestos was very popular as a building material back in the 1980s. So, there is still a chance that a new building may contain recycled materials back from the day when asbestos was widely used. These asbestos particles are generally found in the:

• Vinyl tiles: Asbestos is a waterproof material. So, back in the day, it was used with the vinyl tiles that were used in the bathrooms, pipes and other areas that stay wet. So, while asbestos testing, one must inspect the tiles used in the building, especially in the kitchen and bathroom where the chances of them getting wet are very high.
• Sprayed Coatings: Sprayed coatings are generally used on walls. This is a very dangerous asbestos-containing material as it can be easily inhaled.
• Cement Sheets: Cement sheets are also top-rated for containing asbestos materials. Earlier people used to build asbestos roofs as they resist heat. As a result, the new-age cement sheet may have some recycled asbestos materials.

Get the Building Tested again after the asbestos samples are removed

Observing with eyes is insufficient to check whether all the asbestos materials are removed after the inspection. So, it’s better to leave the testing part to the experts.

• Seal the area from where the samples will be collected. One must make sure that there are no pets or children present in the area
• If someone is on the site of asbestos testing, they must take proper precautions. They must wear protective gear, protective eyewear, gloves and masks as it’s extremely poisonous for the body if inhaled or ingested.
• Use the right tools to collect the samples. It’s recommended that you check through the layers of materials.

Summing Up…

Asbestos testing plays a major role in protecting people from the health hazards of asbestos and promoting a safe environment. Identifying the presence and concentration of asbestos fibres can help in taking the right measures to protect people from the damages due to asbestos exposure. It is important to hire qualified professionals and reputed surveying organisations to ensure precision in testing and reliable results.