How Exactly Does the Asbestos Removal Process Work?
Removing any building materials from your home can seem like a straightforward process. Remove them, dispose of them, and put new ones in their place. Easy peasy, right? Except, where asbestos is concerned, it’s not. Learn how the professionals undertake asbestos removal below.
Mastering the Technique
The fundamentals of any successful and safe asbestos removal process involve ensuring you use the most appropriate techniques. Trained and licensed asbestos removal experts have these down to a fine art.
According to WorkSafe, these techniques for safe asbestos removal and minimising airborne asbestos fibre generation include:
Using wetting agents or surfactants to wet asbestos-containing materials
Covering the asbestos surface being worked on with thickened substances, gels, or pastes
Using a narrow vacuum nozzle on a vacuum cleaner to shadow the work and collect debris as it’s generated, in a process known as shadow vacuuming
Performing asbestos removal in a controlled environment
Having Safe Work Instruments
Removing ACM requires a different approach than the removal of non-harmful materials. While you can simply cut into an average building material with power equipment like drills and saws, that approach could be dangerous for something as hazardous as asbestos.
Typically, asbestos removalists cannot use power tools, such as grinders, drills, saws, and sanders, unless they are used in an enclosure or have extraction controls or dust suppression measures. Compressed air and high-pressure water spray are also prohibited.
Trained asbestos workers must use manually-operated, non-powered hand tools where possible. If power tools are required, they must be low-speed, battery-powered, and suitable for use in wet areas for dust control. If appropriate, all battery-powered tools should be fitted with local exhaust ventilation dust control hoods or their use followed up with shadow vacuuming.
Using Personal Protective Equipment
An integral part of the asbestos removal process involves personal protective equipment or PPE. PPPE describes clothing that can minimise health and safety risks. Regarding asbestos removal, coveralls, gloves, safety footwear, and respiratory protection are some of the best protective offerings for asbestos workers and even homeowners looking to remove asbestos independently.
Removing Asbestos
After developing an asbestos management plan, donning PPE, and gathering the right manual tools, it’s now time for licensed asbestos removalists to remove asbestos materials. To do this, they’ll need 200 micron-thick plastic drop sheets in the area, duct tape, disposable cloths or wet wipes, a water sprayer, asbestos waste plastic bags, signs, barriers, and a designated waste storage area.
Performing Air Monitoring
Air monitoring involves sampling air to assess the effectiveness of your control measures. Class A and B asbestos licence holders must perform air monitoring to comply with Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations as well as the NZ Approved Code of Practice – Management and Removal of Asbestos 2016.
Air monitoring is typically only required for Class A asbestos removal, but some removalists might perform this action for Class B removal for peace of mind.
Commencing Decontamination
Removing asbestos building materials might be a reasonably fast process, but decontamination can take much longer. Experienced asbestos removal teams carry out a comprehensive cleaning process to abide by Worksafe requirements and keep themselves and their customers safe.
Workers start by using wet wipes or rags to clean dust and debris from drop sheets. To achieve a clean surface on the rag, they fold it rather than scrunch it. They then use a new rag to remove dust from their PPE and tools, which will then be thrown away as asbestos waste.
Once there is no asbestos on the plastic drop sheets, these can be folded in half, with the used wet wipes and rags placed inside. The plastic sheets can then be sealed with duct tape and labelled as asbestos waste.
When the area is clear, it’s time to remove PPE. Coveralls should be rolled inside out from the top down and put in a bag labelled asbestos waste. Workers then remove their shoe covers and clean their gumboots or other suitable footwear with a wet wipe. Shoe covers and the wet wipe are disposed of as asbestos waste.
All materials used in the removal of asbestos, excluding tools, can be placed inside approved asbestos waste bags with asbestos danger stickers.
Disposing of Asbestos Waste
After an asbestos removal company has successfully removed asbestos-containing materials from a property and stored them in appropriate bags for disposal, they now have to dispose of them at an authorised disposal site.
It’s important for companies to discuss asbestos disposal with their local council to find a facility that accepts the waste and complies with the resource management act. Sometimes, you must call days in advance.
All waste must be double-bagged in heavy-duty plastic bags twisted at the top, folded into a gooseneck twist, and sealed with adhesive tape.
Leave Asbestos Removal to the Experts
Asbestos removal experts have the removal of this hazardous material down to a fine art. Rather than trying to navigate safe asbestos removal on your own, leave it to the experts who can put the proper steps in place to manage the removal of your asbestos-containing materials from start to finish.