Understanding Asbestos Abatement: What You Need To Know

Asbestos was once a common fixture of construction. Prior to the 1980’s, it was incorporated into a lot of different structures, chief among them homes and schools.

Since then, we don’t see it as much though it’s not outright banned either. This reduction is the direct result of increased awareness of the dangers of asbestos.

As a result, asbestos abatement has become a fairly regular practice among those who can afford it. Abatement in this sense is essentially the removal or repair of material that contains asbestos.

It’s often required by large buildings scheduled for demolition. This is because it can’t be allowed to release the fibers into the air once it’s torn down. You can also have asbestos abatement done in a residential capacity.

Health Risks

Before getting into anything else, it’s very important to understand how asbestos compromises our health.

A natural mineral, it was used in cement because of its resistance to heat, electricity, and corrosion. However, it’s also a carcinogen, which means you can develop cancer if you inhale or consume any fibers.

The reason these fibers are so dangerous is that they can become permanently stuck in your body. Consequently, prolonged exposure can cause inflammation in the body, and in its most dangerous form, it can cause irreparable genetic damage.

These are the most well-known conditions caused by asbestos fibers:

● Mesothelioma

● Asbestosis

● Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

● Pleural effusions

These are extremely horrible diseases and they can even be fatal. This is why we need to be careful with asbestos.

Since the danger comes from inhaling the fibers, the damage it causes largely targets the lungs and respiratory functions. And diseases that impact the lungs often don’t show up in medical tests or scans until it’s too late to stop them.

This is why the utmost caution is required every step of the way.

Understanding Asbestos Abatement

This process is very important when ensuring the safety of those working with asbestos. The abatement is carried out with the goal of safely handling the material in order to perform repairs or removal.

It requires releasing the fibers and using specialized vacuums to suck them in. This is after the proper seals and precautions are taken so that the released fibers don’t go on to contaminate any other area or get inhaled by anyone at the site.

What The Process Looks Like

Though there aren’t that many steps, what matters more are the precautions involved. It will also require a decent amount of time so don’t expect quick results.

● The property is inspected and samples are taken

● Samples are studied to determine the extent of the issue

● Establishing and demarcating the relevant area

● Sealing off any openings to prevent fibers from escaping the area

● Combine the use of wet wipes and HEPA filters to prevent airborne fibers

● Collect the waste materials while wet and seal them in specialized air-tight containers

● Perform extra cleanup with your HEPA vacuum

Also, keep in mind that you’ll need to arrange for separate accommodations if your entire house is undergoing abatement.

This is to ensure your own safety as you won’t have access to the same protective gear as the company and it’s safer (and arguably easier) to just stay somewhere else for a short while.

Safe Disposal

Due to the nature of asbestos, it can’t simply be collected and thrown away. It’s entirely necessary to collect the pieces containing asbestos and seal them in 6 Mil poly asbestos disposal bags.

These bags have to be tied in a goose-neck style and further secured with duct tape; keeping the material sealed. Stay aware of the fact that you can’t use generic trash bags. So when hiring a company, please double check that they are using the proper kinds of disposal bags.

More often than not these bags are dumped in landfills, however as you’ll see later on it’s also possible to recycle the material.

Trusting The Professionals

While there are things you can do for your house (or any building in your possession), you shouldn’t pursue asbestos abatement without hiring a company that specializes in it.

There are myriad reasons for this, largely revolving around safety. Trained professionals understand the risks of the process and are further educated on how to keep themselves and others safe.

After responsibly sealing off concerned areas, they can rely on professional tools to carry out the work. They are also equipped with protective clothing to further guarantee their safety.

Other than that, of course as such a dangerous material you can’t simply carry out asbestos abatement. There are considerations involved to ensure that all precautions are taken and that no harm is inflicted by unqualified parties.

● Specialized equipment

● Additional materials for sealing the concerned area, such as duct tape or polyethylene film

● Knowledge of proper safety practices

● Disposal of the asbestos containing material

Equipment

Some of the tools involved are fairly common items, however the real work gets done by equipment designed for this kind of work. The following is a list of the required equipment however it is not exhaustive and is not limited to the items listed below.

● Disposable items such as gloves or protective coveralls

● Rubber boots

● Protective eye-wear

● Protective plastic coverings and adhesives

● Approved disposable bags

● Portable decontamination equipment

● HEPA Vacuum – Extremely necessary to ensure proper cleanup

● A respirator – So that no fibers are inhaled accidentally

Finding Reputable Abatement Companies

As mentioned earlier, you need to be mindful and cautious. Even if you understand that this is not something you can reasonably do on your own, it’s still important to keep these in mind when hiring help.

By going the extra mile and making sure that you are working with a company that covers all their bases, you’re going to benefit considerably.

While there are different laws on how to proceed with asbestos abatement, it’s your duty to do your due diligence and find out which applies to your area.

● Find out if the company has a license

● If they provide liability insurance

● Accreditation from any relevant authority

● Look into asbestos laws in your area and see how far these companies comply

● Ask for references

Asking for references is admittedly one of the best practices here. While every city or town might not require licenses or accreditation, references will always be available.

So even if there aren’t a lot of regulations in your area, you can make an informed decision after investigating the references a little bit.

Defining Costs

Overall, it can be fairly expensive to begin the process. The reason being, you need to pay for almost every step in the process. As a residential client you would need to account for costs as follows:

● Home inspection – Between $400 - $600

● Sending the sample to a laboratory – Between $25 - $75

● The actual abatement process – Between $20,000 - $30,000

Noteworthy is that you can minimize costs by sealing the asbestos containing material with a protective sheet and foregoing the landfill so that it gets recycled instead. The extent to which your costs are impacted will vary depending on where you live.

If you’re pursuing asbestos abatement as a business/enterprise you would be charged higher rates. Depending on the size of the structure, you could pay up to one million dollars for every floor.

And while these numbers are by no means a small amount, keep in mind that it’s still cheaper to hire a company over doing it yourself.

It’s also important to acknowledge that these costs are applied in order to ensure that companies are responsibly conducting business. Not only do these expenses prioritize safety measures, they also keep operations in compliance with legal requirements.

Why Recycling Is Better Than The Landfill

As mentioned earlier, most asbestos is collected and dumped in a landfill. This isn’t an ideal solution because it endangers landfill workers and creates a toxic zone.

For a more environmentally conscious approach, you should consider having the material recycled instead. When recycled the asbestos fibers are essentially exposed to intense heat or pressure which converts the material into a non-hazardous substance.

This has far-reaching benefits as it prevents future cases of asbestos related diseases and it provides utility in its non-hazardous form. You also have the opportunity to reduce costs if you choose not to dump the material in a landfill since you’re providing a helpful resource to many people.

Conclusion

In summation, asbestos abatement is an extremely risky process. Even professionals need to be trained extensively before they are able to carry them out.

The health risks of asbestos containing material are deeply concerning and require precise action to prevent the onset of dangerous diseases. This is why you have to be very discerning when looking for a company to hire.

With matters related to health, the costs can add up quickly. But ensuring the safety of oneself and others is worth the trouble.

Based on the pointers mentioned here, you should be able to spot a legitimate company with ease. Just remember to ask them the important questions and it should be smooth sailing from there.