Disposing Of Asbestos – What’s The Safest Way?
Asbestos can be a daunting word when you first hear it, as most people know of asbestos as the scary material that can cause life-threatening illnesses. This infamous reputation is what makes it scary when homeowners discover asbestos in their property. Due to the widespread use of asbestos, the likelihood is that there is asbestos in your home right now. This doesn’t have to scare you, as asbestos is not a major cause for concern as long if the asbestos is sealed & undamaged. Disposing of asbestos is something the team at A4 are trained to do professionally. Risking your own health to save money on disposing & removing asbestos isn’t something you should consider! Speak to our team today & find out more about our asbestos disposal service
Asbestos is only a threat to humans (and animals) if the fibres that make them substance up are disturbed. Airbourne asbestos fibres are small enough to be inhaled into our lungs which cause mutations, damage & other negative effects over long-term exposure. Asbestos is a known carcinogen, as well as an environmentally damaging material as it takes decades for the fibres to degrade. Asbestos does occur in nature, but due to modern manufacturing processes, the forms of asbestos that people were using before 1980 were fortified with additives that make it even harder to degrade.
If you suspect you’ve found asbestos in your home then the best thing to do would be to either leave it (if the asbestos is undamaged & sealed, or to have it removed and disposed of safely. DIY removal & disposal can be done but is highly unrecommended since asbestos is a very difficult material to manage. Any asbestos waste that is produced by removal needs to be sealed appropriately and disposed of with special skips that are sealed. Anything that has remnants of asbestos on them (including the clothing worn during the disposal) have to be disposed of too. This sounds like an unnecessary step but there have been stories of asbestos fibres causing mesothelioma in people that have never been exposed to asbestos directly. In these cases, asbestos fibres that were contaminating peoples clothing had the ability to cause illness (second-hand inhalation as it were). If personal clothing becomes contaminated, you must treat it in the same way as contaminated. Any piece of protective equipment that could be contaminated with asbestos must also be disposed of or cleaned to a specific standard.
Asbestos really was a wonder material before the effects it has on our health were discovered. It was used in everything from blankets, hair dryers, toothpaste, fake snow & even surgical thread. Asbestos had many properties that were desirable to the societies of the ’30s, ’40s, ’50s, ’60s & ’70s making it a very popular material of choice.
Different items may contain asbestos:
If you’re worried that you have asbestos in your home, there are a few things you can check for your own peace of mind. Old ovens may have been asbestos lined as asbestos has very good thermal qualities. This made it great for fire blankets, insulating mats, oven gloves & iron board covers. Asbestos can even be found in old car brake pads, so caution should be taken if you work with any of these materials.
Asbestos in your soil?
Asbestos in your soil isn’t that far fetched as old demolition rubble can easily find it’s way into our soil. Poor housekeeping at industrial sites or even fly-tipping can end up contaminating the soil that we see in our homes. This is why proper practice needs to be maintained during the disposal of asbestos as the fibres can contaminate so much. Soil that is contaminated with asbestos is deemed hazardous/special waste and will need to be disposed of as such. The proper procedure needs to occur in order to get rid of contaminated soil
If you’re worried about asbestos in your home & the effects it could be having on your & your families health, visit our page to learn more about our Asbestos Disposal Bristol service. By giving our team a call today, your putting your health first & getting rid of a potential hazard in your home. Get in touch with us today & speak to our experts about disposing of asbestos in your home.
