Exposure to asbestos brings on a number of fatal ailments. The fibers are hazardous to health and the world over today there are precautionary measures being put into place to reduce the exposure. The most life threatening factor is that inhalation or ingestion of the asbestos fibers only manifest in symptoms decades later. In most of the cases the resultant cancer reaches its final stages and compensation is the only way out then. The material was widely used previously in every segment of homes and commercial applications.
It was mainly for insulation and fireproofing purposes that asbestos which is a strong fire resistant fiber was widely used in the past. Asbestos fiber was easily swallowed or inhaled by a large number of workers which lead to serious diseases like asbestosis which makes breathing extremely difficult due to chronic disease of the lungs, as well as other cancers. This is one reason why more and more people are concerned about asbestos floor removal from older buildings.
Asbestos is contained in vinyl floor tiles and need to be handled with utmost care while being removed. It is necessary to ensure that the material is in a state which is non-friable. A non friable state means that due to hand pressure, the material cannot be reduced to dust. Should the vinyl tiles be smashed or damaged, non friable asbestos can become friable, which results in freeing harmful asbestos fibers. It is not at all an easy task removing these tiles.
Preparation for the procedure:
In the asbestos floor removal procedure, you need to follow a few steps. The first thing is to comply with the Asbestos removal Code, as part of the preparation of asbestos floor removal. Boundaries needed in the removal process need to be determined. You need to make the place secure by putting barriers and signs in the areas, disallowing others to enter into it. To prevent asbestos from entering into the ventilation ducts, you must seal off the air conditioning and ventilation ducts. Make use of portable work lights which are grounded and wired to an outside circuit in case you need lighting in the area, for safety measures.
Also to be kept handy is personal protective equipment which includes a respirator with dual cartridges, gloves, HEPA filters, protective clothing, coverings for the head, boots etc. There are a number of tools required for preventing asbestos from becoming airborne. Putty knives, a 2-3 gallon tank sprayer, plastic sheeting, disposal bags, step ladders, duct tape, sealant, liquid detergent etc. are the tools required for asbestos floor removal. Plastic sheeting must be used on floors and walls and with a duct tape everything should be sealed off to contain the work area.
Procedure:
Amended water should be used to wet the asbestos containing material. Amended water means water mixed with a liquid detergent. The worksite should be first prepared for the job and materials should be arranged. The contaminated area should never be water blasted. The asbestos fibers need to be kept intact in the material, so that they are not inhaled. Once the material is soaked you can start scrapping off the asbestos containing material. Avoid breaking up the material as you could still ingest some of the asbestos fibers. Leave it intact after carefully scrapping all the material. When this process is done the material should remained soaked in water. You may have to call an expert for the asbestos floor removal job if you are not confident in doing it.
Disposal:
Special disposable bags including disposable coveralls are available to keep the scraped off material secured. Scrapped material should be double wrapped and double bagged. Keep it in a special bin as it is illegal to place asbestos in domestic garbage bins. It is important to mention the contents of waste material and label the bag. The local council assigns designated landfills for disposing asbestos waste. Keep a copy of the receipts in case you hire the services of a company to dispose the asbestos waste.
Asbestos floor removal should be done with care and precaution. Safety glasses and a respirator are protective gear are very necessary to prevent poor vision and harder breathing. It is not at all safe to drill, saw and grind the material while attempting to remove the asbestos contaminant. There are number of licensed asbestos abatement contractors who are educated about the process and are fully equipped for disposing asbestos. To stop the asbestos particles from moving freely they usually come to the site with armed plastic sheets. It is a serious business to safely remove asbestos floor tiles so ensure that the work is done with great precaution. There are a number of online as well as offline resources that help with the removal of the hazardous and life threatening material. A little research goes a long way.