By Asbestos was a famous building material prior to the 1970s unless it was found to be a carcinogen. It’s commonly found in duct and pipe insulation, floor tiles, loft insulation, and cement asbestos siding. However, exposure to asbestos has life-threatening hazards related to it. Therefore, if it’s noticed on your property, the problem requires to be controlled with proper care and attention. If you do not take the required precautions while handling asbestos, it can be extremely harmful to your health.
So, if you are considering an asbestos survey at your house or business, you will understandably be worried about the health hazards of doing so. Asbestos has been connected with life-threatening diseases and when it’s not managed securely, you could wind up breathing in these fibres and they can cause different problems from pleural thickening to cancer. You might not notice any side effects immediately, but they can grow over time. Plus, it can take anywhere from fifteen to sixty years for symptoms to form after you have been exposed. The impact of asbestos surveys Hampshire is cumulative, therefore, you are required to protect yourself and your family as soon as possible.
What Happens When Asbestos Gets Disturbed?
Asbestos fibres are microscopic and if they are disturbed anyway, they can become airborne. The fibres can become trapped in the mucus membranes of the throat and nose, and into the digestive tract or lungs if they’re ingested. When asbestos fibre becomes trapped in the body, it leads to a range of health issues.
The hazard with asbestos comes when it is friable, which means that it can be broken up by hand to release the fibres into the air. Deterioration and damage enhance the risk of asbestos friability, such as from ageing, water damage, and the physical impact of cutting or drilling. It breaks down the fibres and material, which means they release more easily, making them more of a hazard to your health.
While floor tiles aren’t friable, sprayed asbestos insulation is highly friable. Therefore, it depends on the type you have in your house as to how much of a danger it poses to the health. Therefore, asbestos surveys are extremely important and they should be conducted by professionals.
Is Asbestos Removal Always Necessary?
Asbestos removal can be highly risky if it’s not dealt with professionally – inhaling these toxic fibres can lead to severe medical conditions, including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. Plus, there are strict protocols people require to follow while removing asbestos to minimise the hazard of breathing in these harmful fibres.
Whether you require termination of asbestos in your property depends on the type of asbestos you have. If the materials are not disturbed or damaged, they do not pose as much of a threat and can be left without requiring to be removed.
However, if you are not sure, it can be worthwhile to have an asbestos survey or asbestos testing carried out to understand whether your health is at risk from the asbestos in the property. It is because asbestos-containing materials are more likely to release fibres when they are removed.
Since asbestos removal is a risky undertaking, it’s so essential that it’s carried out by a certified professional so that they can terminate it safely and dispose of it properly. Whilst there are no specific rules about removing asbestos yourself, you should not try to handle or remove it by yourself since you run the possibility of inhaling the toxic fibres if it’s friable.
Summing Up
A large number of older buildings have asbestos-containing products, and all of these can pose a threat to the health of people working or living in these buildings. For keeping the risks of asbestos at bay, it is pretty important that it’s terminated safely by certified experts who understand all the hazards involved and how to dispose of them properly. Simply hire a professional team that can assist you with all the concerns such as asbestos survey, asbestos testing, asbestos removal, as well as asbestos re-inspection.
