If you are the person responsible for the management of a building, whether domestic or commercial, or you own a property, and you are concerned that there might be asbestos or asbestos-containing materials present, it is important that you quickly seek to resolve the issue. Any asbestos found in a building must go through a rigorous asbestos testing and survey service, before an asbestos management company can safely remove the materials if it is necessary to do so. Asbestos is a killer, and if asbestos-containing materials are disturbed it only takes one inhalation of asbestos fibres for a person to put themselves in danger of suffering from asbestosis mesothelioma or other types of asbestos-cancers. If asbestos fibres are released into the air it can be incredibly dangerous, so testing for asbestos in the air is vital.
Asbestos can still be found in a large number of buildings and structures in the UK, despite it being banned completely two decades ago. If materials that might be deemed to contain asbestos are dislodged or disturbed it can cause asbestos fibres to become loose and go into the air. If a person breathes in asbestos fibres, they can quickly become lodged in the lining of the throat and lungs, causing long-term health problems that are fatal but might not show symptoms for many years and decades to come. Testing for asbestos in the air is therefore the best way to ensure that everyone present is safe from harm, and the test and analysis must take place as quickly as possible.
When testing for asbestos in the air it is important that only a licensed asbestos management professional performs the test. An experienced asbestos surveyor knows how to safely and effectively carry out asbestos air tests, as it is a technical process and can be unsafe for any other person to perform. A specific volume of air is drawn through a filter over a period of time that is carefully measured. The filter collects particles of air and then it is analysed in a laboratory to see if there are any asbestos fibres present, and the percentage of air that contains asbestos.
If asbestos is found during the test of the air, further investigation and a fuller asbestos survey will be required at the property to ensure that all asbestos is found and removed safely before it has the chance to be breathed in by people working or living in the building.
Once you realise that there might be asbestos present in your building, time is of the essence. In order to keep people safe, you must employ the services of a professional asbestos testing service that can take a thorough look at the potential asbestos and asbestos-containing materials, analyse them to see if there is asbestos present, and then deal with the issue. In some cases, asbestos might be left where it is, out of the way of harm in a certain part of the building. In other cases, asbestos-containing materials can be sealed up and repaired, but in the vast majority of cases it is vital that the asbestos is safely and securely moved from the premises using an experienced asbestos removal company. Testing for asbestos in the air is a critical process that could save lives. If you are responsible for a building and the people working and living within it, hire the specialist services of an asbestos management company immediately.
