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Asbestos is a term that most of us are familiar with, but luckily, most of us won’t have needed to learn much more about it. While that won’t pose an issue for a lot of people, if there’s a chance that you’re going to come into contact with the stuff, it’s important that you know what to watch out for. From locating it in your average building to navigating the relevant regulations, here’s what you need to know.
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Where might it be located?
The first thing to note when looking out for asbestos is that it can be found in a wide range of materials and locations. There are guides that outline where it can be found in the average home, and it can be helpful to consult with these briefly before doing any renovation work.
Common materials include tiles, roofing sheets, insulation, and even textured paint. It’s crucial that you keep an active eye out for it if you’re doing work on any home built between the 1930s-1980s, or in a home that had work done on it during this time period.
When will asbestos be most dangerous?
One thing to note is that asbestos isn’t contained in a single kind of material. Indeed, there are a number of different materials in which it can be found. And some types of asbestos are a lot more dangerous. In general, white asbestos – the most common kind – is less volatile and thus less dangerous than blue or brown asbestos.
That being said, any kind of asbestos can still be highly carcinogenic if it’s disturbed and enters into the air. As a result, any kind of asbestos-containing material needs to be dealt with with the utmost respect.
How should it be dealt with?
If you suspect that there’s an asbestos-containing material in your home, the first thing you need to do is get that material tested. There are a number of providers out there that provide testing services. Often, all you need to do is put a little sample in a bag and send it off.
If the test comes back positive, then you may need to have the material removed by a professional service. It’s important that you don’t try to remove it yourself. Even if you manage to protect yourself while removing it, you’ll likely contaminate the rest of the area. This will leave it a hazard for future inhabitants.
What laws need to be followed?
It’s important to note that there are certain regulations covering the removal of asbestos. Most importantly, with certain materials, you’ll need to make sure that you get them removed by a contractor that’s licensed by HSE. It needs to be dealt with using very specific methods. And it’s important that the contractor does things by the book.
When doing any serious home renovations, it’s important to keep the risk of asbestos in mind. It might be a bit of a pain if you have to get it professionally removed, but it’s far less painful than the prospect of being exposed to such a carcinogenic substance.