Protecting yourself from asbestos exposure doesn’t have to be complicated. While it might seem difficult to protect yourself from tiny particles you can’t see, you can actually take many different actions to keep yourself and others safe.

Whether you suspect asbestos or know it’s present, don’t underestimate the value of taking these steps:

Step 1: Assess the Risk

Asbestos-containing materials (ACM) aren’t always glaringly obvious. Most don’t have warning labels to tell you they’re a health hazard. As a result, you can never be sure just by looking at a building material or product that it does or doesn’t contain asbestos.

Assessing the risk can be crucial for keeping yourself safe. Whether you’re in a work environment or your own home, be aware of your surroundings and identify anything that could be a source of asbestos when you plan to disturb building materials. If you’re unsure if something contains asbestos, treat it as if it does until you learn otherwise.

Step 2: Perform Testing

While you can always treat potential ACM as if it contains asbestos, it can be helpful to rule it out or confirm its presence. Whether you’re undertaking renovations or are concerned about damaged building materials, contact a trusted asbestos removal company in NZ for asbestos testing.

A surveyor can arrive at your home or business, take a small sample of the material in question, and send it to a lab for analysis and reporting. From your sample, you can learn how much asbestos is in the material, its condition, and even its type. This information can help you make a well-informed decision about what you do next.   

Step 3: Don’t Disturb the Asbestos

Confirming the presence of asbestos can mean you now know how important it is to avoid disturbing it. Friable asbestos can be harmful to your health, with the small fibres being easy to breathe in. Exposure to those fibres may result in serious health conditions later in life, such as cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma.

As tempting as it can be to remove asbestos-containing materials yourself, any actions like breaking, cutting, drilling, and sanding can result in those small, harmful fibres being released into the air.

Step 4: Use Personal Protective Equipment

Whether you’re a trained asbestos removalist or a DIYer wanting to remove up to 10m2 of non-friable asbestos yourself, personal protective equipment is crucial. Disposable coveralls, gloves, and protective eyewear are must-haves when working with asbestos. However, you’ll also need an approved respirator with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter.

The type of respirator you use can depend on the asbestos you’re working with. A half or full-face respirator with a P2 filter can be suitable if you’re dealing with non-friable asbestos for unlicensed work. If you’re undertaking licensed asbestos work, you’ll need a P3 filter capable of stopping up to 99.95% of airborne particles.

Step 5: Use Safe Work Practices

You can protect yourself from asbestos exposure by using safe work practices when removing or handling asbestos professionally. WorkSafe outlines these online for worker convenience. Alongside never working on dry asbestos, you should also:

• Wet asbestos with wetting agents or surfactants

• Cover asbestos surfaces with thickened substances, gels, or pastes compatible with the use conditions

• Practice shadow vacuuming by collecting debris as it’s generated

• Perform asbestos work in a controlled environment

• Avoid using power tools unless they have dust suppression or extraction controls

• Have the appropriate training and licenses  

Step 6: Dispose of Materials Safely

You can’t dispose of asbestos-containing materials as you would household waste. You risk exposing other people by throwing anything containing asbestos into your wheelie bin. Always dispose of ACM safely by ensuring it’s well-wrapped and taken to an approved disposal site.

This can involve wrapping all ACM in heavy-duty 200 µm polythene bags no larger than 1200mm by 900mm. Seal the bags with gooseneck ties and mark them with caution labels. You can use polythene sheeting and sealed drums for larger ACM. If you’re using drums, line them with polythene sheeting, spray them with water to prevent dust, and seal the rims once the drums are full.

Once all asbestos waste has been appropriately wrapped and labelled, you can contact an authorised asbestos disposal site. Your local landfill or the NZ Demolition and Asbestos Association can advise on the closest or most convenient location. Always phone in advance so approved disposal sites can prepare for your arrival.

Leave Asbestos to the Experts

Whether you’re a DIYer or a business owner, there’s a chance your home or business premises may contain asbestos. While you can use these simple measures above to protect yourself, you can also avoid exposure risks altogether. Leave asbestos testing, encapsulation, and removal to the experts. Chemcare is an experienced and licensed asbestos removal business in New Zealand, ready to take care of all your asbestos requirements.