Asbestos Removal
Asbestos was first used in the 1940's and since that time the material kept gaining prominence due to its versatility. It was widely regarded as a fireproof material but not any less important was its acoustic property. In fact, even seen from a stylistic point of view, asbestos provided homeowners with a decorative option. However, unfortunately, the material carried secret risks and exposed many people who worked with it as well as those who were just around it to serious health hazards.
Asbestos can cause serious health hazards
Science has conclusively stated how continued exposure to asbestos can result in poisoning. Mesotheliomia patients would vouch for the hazards of prolonged asbestos exposure; it is a life-threatening form of cancer caused by this mineral fiber. Instead of focusing on installing asbestos, the focus now is on asbestos removal in the safest possible way.
After all, if there is something in the environment that can easily develop into a toxic pool of airborne particles, it should be removed from the environment without a second thought. After a consensus from Environment Protection Agencies, many professional companies for asbestos removal have come to light. They have looked to provide technical and step-by-step methods for the elimination of asbestos.
Friable asbestos is the main worry
Asbestos is not as dangerous when it is physically intact or less prone to being disturbed. The actual problem begins to brew when it becomes friable and starts crumbling. In such cases, the particles become airborne and infiltrate the environment. Asbestos removal techniques look to contain the negative effects of this friable form of the mineral fiber.
Professional firms are your best bet
Asbestos removal can be undertaken with the help of a professional abatement unit and it can also be done as a do-it-yourself method. Many homeowners go for the latter one assuming the expenses to be lower but in the end they also run the risk of doing the work imperfectly. Such imperfection can very easily lead to further issues related to health.
The method of asbestos removal
While undertaking asbestos removal, it is ideal to wet the asbestos sheets placed over the steel girders. You should start by wetting the surface at any place you feel the mineral fiber might crumble. On wetting, the airborne particles lose the ability to travel to the nearby environment through air and keep sticking to the surface. Such wetted crumbled asbestos is scraped off the surface and packed in a waste disposal bag and sealed. The bag is furthered to another worker who reseals it prior to disposing it in accordance with government stipulated norms.
The need of an approved respirator is mandatory while performing asbestos removal. It is also important to wet your body after the operation. While taking off your clothing, the respirator is the last piece you should remove. It is significant to remember that any asbestos worker must not carry back his job-clothes home as it may contaminate his home surroundings.