Asbestos is a mineral fibre resistant to heat, chemicals, and electricity. In the late 20th century, building and insulation industries used asbestos widely in their operations. Some building materials that may contain asbestos materials are vinyl floor tiles, patching compounds, textured paints, furnaces and stovepipes, insulation, stove door gaskets, roofing shingles, cement, and siding material. Check out our asbestos testing service in Melbourne.
In 2003, Australia enacted a total ban on asbestos because it was found that asbestos exposure caused diseases like asbestosis and mesothelioma (a cancer of the lung lining.) But homes and establishments that were built before that are still standing today. Materials used to build these homes most likely contain asbestos. Asbestos can also be found in everyday products like home appliances, not just building materials.
One can be exposed to asbestos when asbestos-containing materials get damaged. When asbestos fibers get exposed and disturbed, they are likely to go airborne. When these fibres are inhaled, they get lodged in the lungs, causing permanent damage to the lung tissue. This may then lead to the development of serious, incurable asbestos-related diseases.
The ones most vulnerable to asbestos exposure are those that work in the construction, mining, manufacturing industries, as they are directly exposed to the substance due to the nature of their job. But those who live in houses that were built using asbestos-containing materials or those who own appliances that contain asbestos may be equally vulnerable. There are no safe levels of asbestos exposure: even short-term exposure to asbestos makes it possible for you to develop an asbestos-related disease. Undisturbed asbestos may not pose too big of a health risk. But accidents or natural disasters can happen anytime, causing walls to crack or tiles to get broken, thereby exposing asbestos fibers and running the risk of these fibers going airborne. This makes asbestos home testing necessary. Prevention is better than cure (and note that currently, there is no cure yet for asbestos-related diseases.)
Asbestos home testing
With a thorough asbestos home audit and abatement, you can determine the status and stability of asbestos-containing products in your home. Never try and remove asbestos-containing products yourself. This may be a more convenient option, but the health risk is too high to ignore. You need to enlist the help of professionals in the asbestos removal industry. What asbestos removal companies like AW removals will do for your property is:
- Survey each floor of your property separately
- Provide photographic evidence of suspected asbestos-containing materials
- Take samples and put them through microscopic analysis
- Interpret the results
- Make recommendations as well as a complete Asbestos Material Report and Register that contains all the relevant details and suggested plans of action
All these will be done in compliance with local standards of inspections and audits.
Removing Asbestos From Your Home
The type of asbestos removals to be performed depends on the concentration of asbestos in your home and what class it is under. Class A or Friable means asbestos fibers are already exposed and likely to be airborne when disturbed, so they have to be removed immediately. It is not necessary that you have to remove all the asbestos material from your home. Class B or Non-Friable means asbestos is present in the materials, but is not disturbed and therefore is low-risk. For this, enclosures or encapsulation will usually be performed instead.
Have your home tested for asbestos now. With two decades of experience in the asbestos removal industry, AW removals can be trusted to remove the asbestos hazard from your property. The staff at AW Removals has undergone all the necessary training and are backed by the appropriate equipment to perform asbestos audits, abasements, and removals. Contact AW Removals now at 0488 12 12 14 or (03) 9798 3891. You may also email us at info@awremovals.com.au. To get a free quote, fill out our online form here.