Asbestos Removal Kingston upon Thames Greater London (KT1): Within our homes, asbestos stands as a material that elicits great fear and danger, composed of myriad microscopic fibres that can readily disperse into the air as a result of their diminutive size.
As many people in Kingston upon Thames will be aware, exposure to asbestos dust is associated with a range of lung conditions which can be fatal. As such, the removal of asbestos containing materials (ACMs) must be done properly to avoid contaminating the area from which it is being removed, and to avoid unnecessary exposure to those in the area. This means that asbestos removal is a very skilled operation.
Numerous health issues, often leading to fatality, can arise from the inhalation of these fibres. If an individual is exposed to a substantial amount of asbestos fibres in the air, the risk of developing cancer or other related conditions is significantly heightened. Asbestos is perceived as an exceptionally hazardous substance, and it is crucial to minimize all potential contact with it, even without the identification of safe thresholds.
The primary consideration when removing asbestos is to recognize that the health risks are specifically connected to breathing in the dust. Consequently, it is crucial to eliminate any activities that generate dust. A prime illustration of this is the utilization of power tools on ACMs.
Sometimes, if left undisturbed, asbestos will not inflict harm upon you or your family. Nonetheless, if you have got asbestos, it is vital to expedite its removal as soon as possible.
When asbestos is present in your home or if you suspect its existence, it is vital to hire a specialist asbestos removal company. Although well-maintained asbestos poses minimal concern, allowing it to deteriorate and generate dust can have potentially fatal consequences. In Kingston upon Thames, asbestos was extensively used for home insulation until the mid-1980s, suggesting that a considerable number of houses may contain asbestos. This versatile material was employed for insulation, floor tiles, and various other construction materials.
When searching for an asbestos removal specialist in Kingston upon Thames, it is important to have confidence in their ability to conduct the removal process in a way that eliminates or reduces the creation of dust. Although asbestos removal activities are regulated in numerous jurisdictions, if you happen to be in an area without such regulations or if you intend to handle the removal yourself, the following 10 points can provide useful advice:
- The key consideration when removing the ACM is to reduce damage as much as possible. To achieve this, it is recommended to employ a method that causes the least amount of harm (e.g. endeavor to remove asbestos cement sheeting in one piece).
- Wetting down ACM is encouraged during the removal process wherever possible and safe to proceed.
- ACMs in which the asbestos is not bonded within a matrix present a much higher risk (e.g. lagging/insulation around pipe work). Removal work involving unbonded ACM is often conducted inside custom built plastic enclosures.
- Upon removal, it is crucial to wrap ACMs in plastic and dispose of them properly. Many jurisdictions have established laws regarding the disposal of ACMs.
- It is imperative to prohibit access to the area where asbestos removal is taking place.
- The risk is reduced during the removal of ACMs when asbestos is tightly bound within a bonding matrix, as it becomes more challenging to generate asbestos dust (e.g. asbestos cement products or vinyl floor tiles).
- The appropriate personal protective equipment must always be worn. As a minimum, this must include a particulate respirator and protective coveralls.
- To ensure protection against potential contamination, it is advisable to use plastic sheeting in order to cover all susceptible surfaces.
- As stated previously, it is important to avoid using power tools. Grinding asbestos cement sheets has been observed to generate remarkably high amounts of asbestos-containing dust.
- After completing the removal process, it is essential to carry out a comprehensive cleaning and decontamination of the removal area. This will entail using either an appropriate vacuum cleaner (equipped with a High Efficiency Particulate Air filter - domestic vacuum cleaners should never be used) or damp rags to wipe away any dust.
Your compliance with local health and safety regulations is always a must.
You may have been involved in asbestos removal at home yourself. If so you should have disposed of your asbestos waste separately to the way in which you dispose of your household waste. You should arrange to have it collected by a hazardous waste carrier or, for asbestos removal contact an asbestos expert in Kingston upon Thames.
Never take chances with your life or somebody else's. It's easy to think you are not because the effects of asbestos are rarely immediate. However, that does not mean they are any less deadly. In fact, the effects of asbestos can result in something far worse than immediate death or injury, because asbestos can cause long and painful consequences. So if you suspect asbestos removal is necessary, hire someone who knows what they are doing. Hire asbestos specialists in Kingston upon Thames.
Typical Uses of Asbestos in Kingston upon Thames
Throughout the period spanning from the 1950s to the 1980s, asbestos played a vital role as a construction material. Within residential premises, typical areas where asbestos may be present include:
- Floor tiles.
- Linings for doors, ceilings and walls.
- Loose asbestos packing between party walls and floors.
- Shed and garage roofs.
- Rain water fall pipes, gutter and eaves.
- Bath panels.
- Flues for central heating.
- Fire blankets
- Storage heaters (usually within the insulation panels).
Types of Asbestos
Naturally occurring on every continent of the world, asbestos is a fibrous material that was regularly used in the construction and manufacturing industries from the latter part of the 19th century until it was banned altogether in Great Britain in 1999. There are 6 different types of asbestos, which are all minerals belonging to the serpentine and amphibole groups, namely - chrysotile, crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite, tremolite and actinolite.
The 3 most widely found of these were; chrysotile, amosite and crocidolite, so it's these main types that we'll be considering in this short article.
Chrysotile (White Asbestos) - The most commonly used form of asbestos was chrysotile asbestos, also known as white asbestos. This was frequently used in the ceilings, floors, roofs, walls and insulation of Kingston upon Thames homes and businesses. It was also used in the manufacture of gaskets, pipe & duct insulation, brake linings and boiler seals. Chrysotile asbestos is part of the Serpentine family of silicate minerals.
Crocidolite (Blue Asbestos) - Crocidolite (or blue asbestos), is regarded as the most dangerous type of asbestos. It's frequently found in pipe lagging, spray-on coatings, plastics and cement products, and was most notably used in the insulation of steam engines.
Amosite (Brown Asbestos) - A part of the Amphibole family, Amosite (or brown asbestos), was frequently used in the manufacture of insulating board, thermal insulation products, cement sheets, pipe insulation, roofing materials and ceiling tiles.
Interesting Fact: Astonishingly, asbestos was even used in the production of filter cigarettes, therefore in the 1950s unwitting smokers were actually breathing this toxic material directly into their lungs. Even more implausible is that at the time it was advertised as beneficial to health! So, Lorillard Tobacco must be awarded the "gaffe of the century", for putting the most harmful kind of asbestos (crocidolite) into the filters of their Kent Micronite cigarettes, and advertising it as a safety feature. Over six decades on multi-million dollar lawsuits are still being pursued by the unfortunate victims of this scandal. Many of the victims suffered from a rare and particularly aggressive form of cancer known as mesothelioma.
Asbestos Surveys Kingston upon Thames
There is a pretty good chance that any building put up in Kingston upon Thames during the period 1850 to 1999 will contain asbestos in some form. Due to its heat and chemical resistant properties, it was an exceptionally popular building material throughout that period. Identified in the 1970s and 1980s as a major cause of some serious health conditions, such as lung cancer, pleural thickening, ovarian cancer, asbestosis, esophageal cancer and mesothelioma, it was subsequently taken out of many structures.
These issues led to a complete ban on asbestos in UK buildings in 1999, after brown (amosite) and blue (crocidolite) asbestos were initially banned in 1985. Asbestos surveys are necessary in many scenarios, because many buildings that were erected prior to 1999 still contain asbestos.
Asbestos surveys in Kingston upon Thames can be classified into 2 main types.
- Asbestos Management Surveys
- Asbestos Refurbishment/Demolition Surveys
Asbestos Management Surveys Kingston upon Thames: Asbestos Management Surveys are usually undertaken in occupied buildings in Kingston upon Thames, with the intention of establishing where and what types of asbestos exist, to make certain they cause no harm to occupants, and to ensure they're not damaged or disturbed during normal day-to-day activities or during maintenance tasks such as piping or cabling. There's very little danger to occupants when asbestos containing materials (ACMs) remain undisturbed and in sound condition. However, risks can occur if they are disturbed, damaged or in poor condition, and asbestos fibres are released into the air.
Asbestos Refurbishment and Demolition Surveys Kingston upon Thames: When there are plans for demolishing or restoring a building in Kingston upon Thames, an Asbestos Refurbishment/Demolition Survey will be necessary. In most cases ARD surveys are carried out on buildings that are unoccupied or vacant, because a significant amount of structural damage can be inflicted by this kind of survey. Where demolition, upgrading or refurbishment is planned an ARD survey must be undertaken before any of this work starts. This will find any ACMs that exist in the structure and establish how such materials can be safely managed or removed. Occupants, professionals or management agents involved in renovations of any size have the responsibility of organising these surveys. (Tags: Asbestos Surveys Kingston upon Thames, Asbestos Managements Surveys Kingston upon Thames, Asbestos Survey Kingston upon Thames).
Other Kingston upon Thames Trades: When you're in need of asbestos removal in Kingston upon Thames, you may also need the expert services of other specialists, for example you could need waste removal in Kingston upon Thames, a garage conversion specialist in Kingston upon Thames, a stonemason in Kingston upon Thames, a dry lining specialist in Kingston upon Thames, a painter & decorator in Kingston upon Thames, garden clearance in Kingston upon Thames, a floor screeding specialist in Kingston upon Thames, a joiner in Kingston upon Thames, a cleaner in Kingston upon Thames, an odd job man in Kingston upon Thames, a landscaper in Kingston upon Thames, removal services in Kingston upon Thames, an electrician in Kingston upon Thames, woodworm treatment in Kingston upon Thames, a builder in Kingston upon Thames, a bricklayer in Kingston upon Thames, a roofer in Kingston upon Thames, a plasterer in Kingston upon Thames, SKIP HIRE in Kingston upon Thames, demolition services in Kingston upon Thames, or some other Kingston upon Thames tradespeople.
Asbestos Removal Nearby
Also find: Hampton Court asbestos removal, West Barnes asbestos removal, Merton Park asbestos removal, Tolworth asbestos removal, Berrylands asbestos removal, Hampton Wick asbestos removal, Copse Hill asbestos removal, Long Ditton asbestos removal, Kingston Vale asbestos removal, Ham asbestos removal and more. All these towns and villages are served by asbestos removal companies. Property owners in these places can get asbestos removal estimates by going here.
Asbestos Removal Tasks Kingston upon Thames
Asbestos removal companies should be able to help with the identification of asbestos containing materials, asbestos dismantling, asbestos air testing, landlord asbestos surveys, house clearance, asbestos surveys, asbestos waste collection, soft strip demolition, industrial asbestos removal Kingston upon Thames, asbestos removal quotes Kingston upon Thames, fly tipping clearance in Kingston upon Thames, asbestos removal services, garage asbestos removal Kingston upon Thames, white asbestos removal Kingston upon Thames, corrugated asbestos removal, building waste removal, asbestos replacement, asbestos ceiling removal, asbestos floor tile removal, the removal of asbestos, residential asbestos survey, asbestos pipe lagging removal, Artex removal, unsafe asbestos removal Kingston upon Thames, reinstatement services, residential asbestos removal Kingston upon Thames, asbestos management services Kingston upon Thames, ethical asbestos disposal, asbestos risk assessments in Kingston upon Thames, lead paint testing Kingston upon Thames, asbestos garage removal Kingston upon Thames, asbestos testing Kingston upon Thames, and other hazardous waste related jobs. These are just a selection of the activities that are performed by those installing asbestos removal. Kingston upon Thames specialists will be happy to tell you about their full range of asbestos removal services.
TOP - Asbestos Removal Kingston upon Thames
Asbestos Management Kingston upon Thames - Hazardous Waste Removal Kingston upon Thames - Asbestos Removal Companies Kingston upon Thames - Asbestos Encapsulation Kingston upon Thames - Asbestos Survey Kingston upon Thames - Asbestos Removal Quotes Kingston upon Thames - Asbestos Disposal Kingston upon Thames - Commercial Asbestos Removal Kingston upon Thames - Domestic Asbestos Removal Kingston upon Thames