Asbestos is a harmful substance found in many houses, flats and offices. When disturbed, asbestos fibres can be released into the environment, posing a risk to anyone who lives or works there. This article tells you what you should do when you find asbestos in your property.
1. Determine the Condition of Asbestos
While you may want to get rid of asbestos as soon as you spot it, the smarter thing to do is to make sure that you get a professional who knows how to handle it properly. Asbestos, in good condition, isn’t dangerous, but it can be once disturbed. If you find asbestos on your property, the last thing you want to do is to jump into action. Instead, you should have a full asbestos survey to figure out its condition so that you can determine how to deal with it the right way. It might be in other areas of your property and our experienced surveyors know the typical places to look and how to find it safely.
2. Let the Professionals Handle the Removal and Disposal
Although you may decide that the asbestos found in your house needs to be removed, you shouldn’t attempt to do it yourself. It’s really not worth the risk. The best course of action is to get a professional who is experienced in asbestos removal to help you. This is so that you can be sure that asbestos is disposed of properly and that no fibres have escaped into the atmosphere. You can find a local asbestos expert, such as Allium Environmental for more information.
3. Minimise the Risk of Exposure
Asbestos can be difficult to detect, and it may have been residing in your property for a long time without you knowing. Once you discover its presence, you may feel shocked after realising that you and your family have been living with this dangerous material for so long. To reduce the risk of exposure to asbestos, there are certain things that you can do, including the following:
Find out if there really is asbestos in your property
Although the harmful effects of asbestos are widely known now, things were different back in the old days. Prior to its ban, asbestos had been commonly used for various construction purposes. This means that there could potentially be asbestos residing in many places inside your house. Therefore, you should have an asbestos survey carried out by professionals who can assess your home for any traces of asbestos and give you some suggestions on how to prevent the harmful risks.
Do not attempt to remove the asbestos yourself
Again, it is crucial that you do not attempt to remove the asbestos yourself. Most of the time, the asbestos present in your house may not even have to be removed at all. Without proper training and experience, you are putting yourself – and your family – at great risk when trying to get rid of asbestos. It is important that you conduct the survey before you take any action so that you know whether or not the asbestos needs to be removed.
Have your asbestos re-inspected regularly
Although you may have had an asbestos survey carried out before, it is still highly recommended that you continue to assess its condition regularly. That is because the condition of asbestos is not stable, and it can worsen over time. By having the inspections carried out from time to time, you can be assured that the material is not dangerous to you and your family.
Allium provides asbestos surveying & removal services – get in touch today to see how we can help
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