Asbestos Air Monitoring
Airborne asbestos is extremely dangerous and hard to detect without the use of professional, advanced testing equipment. Our experts can help monitor the quality of the air before, during and after asbestos removal to ensure that there has been no exposure.
What is asbestos air monitoring?
Asbestos air monitoring is a process whereby experts measure airborne asbestos fibres during a period of asbestos removal, ensuring that there is no external exposure.
After asbestos is successfully removed, air monitoring will take place in and around the area to test for any residual airborne particles that could be dangerous to people re-entering the area. Air monitoring is necessary to clear an area and deem it safe from asbestos.
For friable asbestos clearance, air monitoring is legally required as this is the most dangerous form of asbestos, so ensuring that there is no exposure is crucial to public health.
How is asbestos in the air measured?
Calculated with reference to the size of the area where asbestos removal has taken place, a specific volume of air is drawn in through a filtered pump. If there are any airborne asbestos particles, they will be collected by the filter in the pump.
The filter will then be examined closely to determine whether asbestos is still present in the area and to identify how many respirable fibres are in the sample. The results of the test will determine the next steps concerning the affected area.
If asbestos fibres are present in the air sample, experts can calculate an average fibre concentration level and multiply this to fit the size of the contaminated area. This value will then be used to determine how much more interference is needed to successfully remove all traces of asbestos and airborne particles.
If no traces of airborne asbestos are found in the sample, the area can be cleared and deemed safe from asbestos.
What does asbestos air monitoring cost?
Asbestos air monitoring requires the use of advanced equipment and technologies, operated by a professional, accredited expert with experience in the industry.
Air monitoring is not a simple process and can’t be done successfully without the use of trained professionals and lab technicians to test the samples. At EDP, we offer competitive prices for asbestos air monitoring.
Costs for asbestos air monitoring will depend on the size and type of project and the potential levels of asbestos involved.
When is asbestos air monitoring required?
Government legislation states that asbestos air monitoring is a legal requirement when removing friable asbestos from your home or workplace. As friable asbestos is the most dangerous form of asbestos, there is more risk of severe contamination during removal, so exposure needs to be monitored closely and kept under control.
In all other cases, asbestos air monitoring isn’t legally required. It is, however, a wise choice to have this process done when you are removing asbestos from a building. Not only will air monitoring ensure that you, your neighbours or co-inhabitants and the general visiting public are safe from exposure, it may save you a lot of money in the long run.
Asbestos air monitoring, particularly in indoor settings, can help detect any leftover airborne asbestos particles, meaning that you can have the area cleared and made safe rather than waiting to find out that there has been exposure when somebody becomes ill in the future.
What types of air monitoring are there for asbestos?
There are a few types of asbestos air monitoring processes, each of which is undertaken to assess a certain aspect of the asbestos or at certain points during asbestos removal.
Background asbestos air monitoring
This method is where air monitoring is carried out prior to any asbestos removal and disturbance. It allows you to identify any other pre-existing conditions and whether asbestos removal needs to be carried out in a specific manner.
Clearance asbestos air monitoring
This air monitoring process is carried out in order to fully clear a building and provide owners and occupants with the relevant certification to state that the area is safe and completely asbestos free. This also acts as the final legal step should friable asbestos be the type of asbestos being removed.
Leakage asbestos air monitoring
This method follows the same procedure as the other forms do, but with the added use of a purpose built, air-tight asbestos enclosure that surrounds the bulk of the asbestos affected area. The enclosure is pressurised and acts as a seal – if the seal were to break or fail, airborne asbestos would leak out and spread.
The asbestos enclosure allows the surrounding air to be kept secure and clean, then the affected area can be cleared of remaining fibres and the entire building eventually deemed secure.
Who can perform asbestos air monitoring?
Our team of experts can perform asbestos air monitoring, providing you re-assurance that any asbestos removal work is being carried out safely and is completed to a high standard. Our asbestos consultants are fully qualified to undertake asbestos air monitoring work and equipped with the latest, advanced equipment and technology.
We have our own in-house, NATA accredited laboratory based in Sydney, so we are fully qualified and authorised to carry out asbestos monitoring and testing.
Asbestos air monitoring can only be carried out by people with the appropriate equipment, such as an air filter and a test lab. This means that building owners and inhabitants worried about asbestos will need to contact professional asbestos removal experts to help test, remove and monitor the area.
Do I need asbestos air monitoring?
If you are having friable asbestos removed, then air monitoring during and following removal is a legal requirement. Although not legally required during the removal or disturbance of other types of asbestos, asbestos air monitoring is still strongly recommended to ensure the work is carried out properly, asbestos is removed completely and the environment is left safely.
Asbestos is highly dangerous, can cause severe health issues and disease and has affected a significant amount of people across Australia as a result of ignorance or bad practice.
Undertaking asbestos air monitoring shows that you are taking action to monitor the potential release of dangerous asbestos fibres and potential airborne particles, covering all areas and providing the public with peace of mind knowing that the building they either inhabit, visit or work in is free from asbestos.
If your building:
- Is under the process of having asbestos removed;
- Has been identified as potentially having asbestos;
- Has had previously maintained asbestos disturbed, or;
- Has had building works that may have uncovered asbestos
… then you should contact professional asbestos consultants who can help you to quickly and safely remove the asbestos and test and monitor the surrounding air to ensure that no asbestos particles have become airborne and threaten to cause issues with public health.
Asbestos air monitoring with EDP
At EDP, we provide expert asbestos air monitoring services across Australia and have a NATA accredited laboratory ready to test samples in a timely manner. We can then assist you with building out an asbestos management plan and work to ensure that your building is safe.
Get in touch with us today to book an asbestos air monitoring service for your building and ensure that your environment is free from dangerous airborne asbestos.