Tips And Precautions For Asbestos Removal And Your Safety
Industries of construction and building utilized asbestos for strengthening plastics and cement. Asbestos was also used for purposes like absorption of sound, insulation, and fire proofing. The industries that built ships also used asbestos in order to insulate hot water pipes, steam pipes, nuclear reactors and boilers that were present in ships. Due to its excellent durability and resistance to friction, asbestos was frequently used in clutch pads and break shoes, in trucks, airplanes and cars. Removal of asbestos from buildings and the banning of its further usage are being implemented by the governments of many countries. It is very important to follow some of the do's and donts before removal of asbestos. These precautions are:
1. The material containing asbestos should not be removed, damaged or disturbed. A certified or trained worker, only, should remove or handle materials containing asbestos. 2. Never try to hammer, drill, disturb, cut, move, saw, damage or break any asbestos containing materials. These may include ceiling tiles, wallboard, insulation, lab bench tops, or floor tiles. 3. Always report potential debris of asbestos or damaged materials of asbestos (like missing/loose tiles of floor or pipe insulation that are damaged) that you detect, to your resident/supervisor, house/advisor corporation. This would enable the concerned contractors to sample and test the material. 4. It is always better to ask the concerned people, even if you are doubtful. Basically, four methods are available for the safe stripping or removal of asbestos coatings, insulation boards and insulation. Some of the asbestos removal safety measures are: 1. Wet stripping that is controlled: This is the safest method that can be used for asbestos removal. This method of removal involves the usage of fluids that help in wetting, and are injected with the help of needles, under pressure, into the material that is lagging. This method helps in softening of the insulation matrix. It also aids in controlling the release of fibers and the breaking down of the binding agents. The insulation is transferred to the system of disposal, after cutting it away in clean sections. This decreases the chances of the release of fibers as the asbestos after being saturated, becomes non-friable and does not disperse any fibers. 2. Dry stripping: This is the most commonly used method. Nevertheless, asbestos removal in a dry state without watering the material produces high dust levels than that caused by other methods of removal. This method for asbestos removal is not recommended by regulatory authorities. The other methods that may be used are high pressure water jetting and air management for hot stripping. They are used in extreme cases of asbestos explosions. |