In the past, asbestos was used in various applications such as roofs and cladding. Asbestos has since been declared hazardous, and facilities that contain asbestos material must contain it or have it removed and disposed of altogether. However, one thing you must understand is that asbestos can either be friable or bonded. Notably, it is dangerous for facility managers to treat the two the same, primarily since each type must be handled and disposed of differently. This article focuses on the don'ts of bonded asbestos removal and disposal.
Avoid the Use of Power Tools
One characteristic that distinguishes friable asbestos from bonded asbestos is that the former can be easily crushed to dust by hand. Therefore, it only makes sense not to use a power tool on friable asbestos during the removal process since the fibres become airborne. However, the fact that bonded asbestos -- for instance, asbestos cement -- is challenging to crush with hand, often mistakenly leads people to believe they can use power tools to remove the material. If you use powered devices on bonded asbestos, you will disturb the fibres, consequently releasing them into the air and making a facility dangerous to stay in. When dealing with bonded asbestos, you must avoid using power tools.
Remember to Wrap the Asbestos
Most facility owners think that the asbestos abatement process stops the moment a disposal truck leaves the premises. However, this is a dangerous assumption, and it can lead to fines from local control agencies. The reason is that a facility is responsible for the asbestos removal up until the moment it is delivered to a disposal company. If you fail to wrap bonded asbestos just because it is in solid form, you will be putting the health of other people along the route in danger. As the truck moves, materials containing bonded asbestos also move about, thereby disturbing the fibres. Eventually, most of the asbestos fibres will get loose and get airborne. Therefore, remember to wrap asbestos-containing material safely as it is loaded onto a disposal truck for transport.
Always Secure the Work Site
As mentioned earlier, the stable nature of bonded asbestos is misleading to most facility managers since they believe that it cannot quickly become friable. As such, workers might feel reluctant to barricade or secure a work site from the public as they would with friable asbestos. However, according to asbestos removal guidelines and regulations, it is mandatory to secure an area during asbestos removal regardless of whether it is friable or bonded. It ensures you don't expose the public to dangerous asbestos fibres should bonded asbestos break apart.
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