Things to Know About Asbestos And Asbestos Remediation

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Asbestos was seen as a cheap panacea in the last century. Unfortunately, the health risks did not appear until years later. Even now you can still regularly come across asbestos in buildings and products. Do you want to be well prepared? You want to know more about asbestos and tips for safe asbestos removal, then you should this interesting article

asbestosis

What is asbestos?

Asbestos is a natural product that is made up of fine, microscopic fibers. We now know that this material entails major health risks and complaints such as respiratory problems and lung cancer. That is why asbestos has been banned since 1998. Yet you can still find it in all sorts of products and constructions.

As many as 3500 products are known that contain asbestos. You will find this material a lot in buildings and building materials in particular. So whether you are a construction worker, electrician or mechanic; there is a chance that you will come across asbestos.

Types of asbestos

There are naturally six types of asbestos; white, blue, brown, yellow, gray and green. After processing, however, this is no longer distinguishable. That is why we can best distinguish on the basis of:

  • Bonded asbestos fibers: these are stuck in a different material, usually cement. Well-known examples are corrugated plates, eternite wall plates and pipes for sewers, gas and water pipes
  • Non-bonded asbestos fibers: not fixed in any other material. As a result, the chance of the release of asbestos fibers is considerably greater. Non-bonded asbestos must therefore always be covered or removed. You can find it in vinyl sail, insulation boards and spray asbestos, among other things

The most common forms of asbestos are:

  • Asbestos cement such as corrugated sheets, building materials and water pipes
  • Asbestos paper / cardboard such as sheet material and floor covering
  • Asbestos brake linings for cars, trucks and buses
  • Asbestos insulation of pipes, boilers and ships
  • Asbestos gaskets in industry and heating

Safely remove asbestos

It goes without saying that personal safety when removing asbestos must be properly arranged. Both personal protective equipment for asbestos removal and general safety measures are therefore essential. Below more about the required things:

EYES AND LUNGS – RESPIRATORY PROTECTION

In terms of respiratory protection with asbestos, there are various options. The right choice depends, among other things, on the risk class of asbestos remediation. Note the following:

  1. FFP3 disposable mask: these one-off breathing masks are only suitable for occasional, short-term work and for people without stubble or beard.
  2. Half face mask with P2 filter: these masks fit better on the face than the disposable masks, but do not offer the same safety as a full face mask. Therefore not suitable for daily use in an asbestos environment.
  3. Full face mask with P3 filter: suitable / required if you work in environments with asbestos on a daily basis.
  4. Motor-driven safety mask: suitable for daily work with asbestos. This type of mask blows a large amount of air into the mask, creating an overpressure. This makes it impossible for asbestos fibers to penetrate and caused pleural mesothelioma. A motor-driven breathing mask is also suitable for people with a beard.

BODY – OVERALL

Protect your body with a disposable hoodie overall. This prevents direct contact between the asbestos and your body. Make sure that the hood fits properly on the head and possibly the respiratory protection.

HANDS – IMPERVIOUS GLOVES

Protect your hands with impermeable gloves. Make sure that you properly attach the glove to your overall.

FEET – IMPERMEABLE WORK BOOTS

Choose non-permeable work boots to protect your feet well. Also attach this well to your overall.

A safe environment for asbestos remediation

The use of a broom is prohibited during the removal of the asbestos. A vacuum cleaner for harmful substances such as the HZ (Hazardous Dust) series is the right choice here and helps prevent asbestos particles floating around unnecessarily in the room. In addition, this device is essential to properly clean the room. And remove the asbestos ? You transport it safely in special waste bags or a pallet crate according to the ADR / UN standard .

Don’t forget peripheral issues such as warning signs. Certainly with a risky activity such as asbestos removal it is important that you proactively inform the others. In addition, provide shower units so that employees can shower immediately. Finally: do the activities take place at heights? Then take the right measures to prevent the risk of falling.

Incidentally, compliance with the rules is not only important for health, but also for the financial consequences. The fines can be as high as tens of thousands of euros.

Asbestos Remediation Process

As mentioned earlier, there is a good chance that some professions will deal with asbestos. Are you going to get started with (supporting in) renovating, renovating or demolishing a building? Then take the following steps:

  • Have asbestos listed by an accredited asbestos remover . This must be recognized here by the Minister of Work
  • Determine whether or not the asbestos should be removed
  • Make a scrapping notification or request a permit
  • Determine who should remove the asbestos.

Does it concern non-bonded or heavily weathered asbestos products? Then only a recognized company can do this.

The infographic below will let you know more about asbestos management:

Asbestos