Dealing With Material Containing Asbestos
You are planning a building renovation and considering hiring commercial renovation contractors to help. But, stop there, as the first thing you will need to do is have an asbestos abatement done. In many commercial to industrial buildings, construction was made up of asbestos.
The material is durable and fire-resistant, and other chemical reactions. In addition, asbestos comprises six naturally occurring minerals that all harm people’s health when disturbed. The regulations on asbestos use have changed, resulting from the toxic properties causing respiratory conditions.
How Do You Check for Asbestos?
With building renovations, checking if there is asbestos in the building yourself is not advisable. When you disturb or break pieces of the material, debris or dust spreads, making the particles airborne.
So, before undertaking any work on your commercial building, we recommend contacting a qualified asbestos removal contractor to help check your building out. When the minerals are left undamaged or not disturbed, they pose no threat to anyone’s health.
What is an Asbestos Abatement
An asbestos removal contractor has the knowledge with experience to manage, remove, and dispose of any material containing asbestos before a renovation or demolition of a commercial building. An asbestos removal contractor can safely detect the material.
Throughout the process, they follow strict regulations to take air samples/fiber counts and do bulk sampling to ensure the works are carried out safely. The asbestos contractor will not commence any work before a survey on your building.
From the report’s findings, they will set up a strategy with recommendations on how to remove the asbestos material safely. Even your employee will receive Asbestos Awareness training and is regularly updated with the legislative requirements.
You can feel assured that these contractors are specialists in handling your asbestos problem.
How The Asbestos Removal Process Works
The asbestos can be removed manually or mechanically. Still, a risk assessment will be created to cover all the involved activities during the process. The risk assessment details of each removal operation are taken into account when working with the hazardous material.
The licensed contractor will remove the material manually, and they use machines wherever it is not practical to remove it manually. The area will be cordoned off in both scenarios, with only authorized personnel accessing the site.
With both asbestos removal techniques, the contractors use damping down methods to prevent the release of the fiber into the air. The contractors also wear protective clothing comprising of overalls, gloves, and masks during the entire process when handling the material.
The removal to decontaminate equipment is done per the Control of Asbestos Regulations. The containers with asbestos are maintained and never exposed when stored and ready for removal from the premises.
The asbestos containers are sited to minimize handling and remain nearby exit points at the building. As a result, you can expect daily debris clearance in watered-down conditions either by hand or sweeping.
Contractors will not break sheets unnecessarily, or demolition debris will not be bulldozed. Furthermore, there is air monitoring done throughout the removal process as well.
Disposing of The Asbestos
With your commercial renovation or demolition, the contractors dispose of the waste as a licensed facility. It will only occur when analysts confirm that all materials are removed. If the crew suspects other building material containing the mineral during a demolition, they immediately inform management to work on that area as with the above steps.
So, another investigation, removal, and disposal process will occur. The mineral waste will be in suitable packaging to prevent fibers from becoming airborne. So, you can expect that everything is double wrapped and labeled for safe transit.
Full Spectrum of an Asbestos Abatement Process in Short
The asbestos abatement process, in short, includes:
Starting with a plan, the contractor will follow strict procedures by the asbestos abatement hygienist. The plant stipulates how the area will be treated from the preparation to cleanup. It will have details of the state and federal laws that need abiding.
Proper demarcation is done once the plan is put in place, as the contractor marks all the hazardous areas to inform you to leave that area until the removal is completed.
A regulated work area is set up with sealed air ducts, HVAC systems disabled, and all areas not treated need to be securely sealed off. Contractors use a thick plastic sheet with air pressure and filtration. The works area will be inspected by the asbestos abatement inspector before starting the removal or repair work.
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Asbestos material is removed with hand tools and water to repair or remove ACBM. The contractors wear protective clothing with respirators to protect themselves. Finally, the material is placed into sealed waste containers to dispose of at the project’s end. Everything takes place through a decontamination unit comprising a protective lining.
The contractors use special HEPA vacuuming with filtration for the removal work to minimize the dispersing of the mineral fibers to clean all surfaces in the area.
The final cleaning takes place after all works are completed, and inspections are done to ensure no more asbestos is present. All barriers are removed after clearance sample testings are done and reports completed.
Lastly, the post-cleanup starts after receiving the clearance certificate. The area is cleaned using HEPA vacuum systems, and the containment barriers are removed. You will receive a report from the asbestos abatement contractor with the waste shipment permits and records for licensing. You can also expect a document from the industrial hygine firm with inspection results for the analysis.
What Can You Expect to Pay for Removing Asbestos?
The costs for removing asbestos depend on the premise’s size and the findings. Hence, you can expect two separate fees, one for testing and the other for removal. So, the price varies on the project size, and best to speak to an expert. For this reason, get in touch with asbestos removal contractors to provide you with an estimate.
