Asbestos Inspection Adelaide: The Importance of Accurate Asbestos Inspection
Asbestos is a toxic material that has been utilised in thousands of products over time, from insulation and flooring materials to paint textured coatings and even decorative wallpaper.
As long as asbestos materials are undamaged and will not be disturbed, it is generally best to leave them alone. If unsure, have it inspected by an accurate asbestos inspection Adelaide professional.
Preparation
Assuming asbestos materials are undamaged and unaffected, sealing or covering them can reduce exposure. Minor repairs should only be performed by professionals familiar with techniques for handling asbestos safely.
When sampling, always wear disposable gloves and disable heating and cooling systems to minimise fibre release when taking samples. Wet the material beforehand with a fine mist of water containing detergent drops to minimise release when taking samples.
Be certain that any contractor performing work in your home or business is licensed and accredited for asbestos work. Both the federal government and some state and local health departments maintain lists of certified asbestos professionals; ask your contractor for proof of accreditation as well as details about his or her approach for mitigating releases during his or her work in your home.
Sampling
Asbestos samples must be collected to assess their asbestos content in certain building materials, such as surface coverings and thermal system insulation materials, miscellaneous items and miscellaneous other items. Massachusetts State and United States Federal regulations mandate taking samples before renovating, demolishing or altering anything thought to contain asbestos-containing building materials (ACBMs).
Inspectors use various methods for sampling materials suspected to contain asbestos, such as cutting, breaking, scraping, pinching, and digging up samples for examination. This process should be carried out carefully using sharp instruments to prevent the release of asbestos fibres into the air. Before cutting into or disturbing it further, wet the material with water containing some detergent before altering or disturbing.
Be sure to wear a respirator while collecting samples, as well as to shut down all heating or cooling systems in the area and utilise a plastic drop sheet. Once collected, seal these in an airtight container before sending to an asbestos laboratory for analysis.
Analysis
An accurate asbestos inspection Adelaide or industrial hygienist conducts laboratory analysis on building material samples taken for inspection to detect asbestos types using Phase Contrast Polarised Light Microscopy (PLM) and/or Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM).
PLM detects asbestos by counting fibres within sample material that meet specific criteria for asbestos. Specialised microscopes use magnification to view individual crystalline fibres and identify their morphology; however, these methods do not give insight into elemental composition of minerals and could misclassify some asbestos minerals which leads to construction delays due to unnecessary material removal work and additional costs to replace items not found containing ACM.
Other analytical techniques used for environmental sampling and survey methods may include X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Sometimes more specialised analyses such as these require destruction of samples which is time consuming and costly to accomplish.
Reporting
Survey results should be collected and presented to the building owner or occupier. This data will then be used to create an asbestos register and management plan for their building, so those who may disturb it in future are aware of its risk and take appropriate precautions.
An asbestos professional with the necessary training and experience should be able to offer this service, licensed and insured to carry it out.
Asbestos in its native form is generally safe to handle and poses no health risk; the danger only becomes apparent when disturbed and fibres inhaled into the lungs – which may occur during routine maintenance, refurbishment, repair and installation activities. Building managers (known as duty holders) have an obligation to ensure asbestos management practices comply with NESHAP regulation; for more information about requirements of demolition and renovation projects please see this factsheet from the department of environment titled Asbestos Requirements for Demolition and Renovation Projects or visit accurate asbestos inspection Adelaide.