It’s unlikely that you haven’t by now heard about the dangers of having asbestos in your home or office block. It is rare for any street not to have witnessed an army of people in space-suits and masks moving into a home, and finding out that it’s an asbestos removal team. Despite this, many homeowners continue to live in their homes without arranging for an asbestos survey. This might well be because they worry about the attached costs to having a survey and potential removal conducted, but the potential danger is definitely worth the expenditure that you may have to make. In any case, legislation passed in 2012 held any landlord liable for his/her tenants if asbestos was found on the property, so you may well be forced to have an inspection to prevent prosecution and a large fine, or even a jail sentence.

Arranging for an asbestos survey in Wakefield

If you think you may have an asbestos problem, the first thing you will need to do is to arrange for a survey. There are several companies that can conduct asbestos surveys in Wakefield, so you should find out from each what their qualifications are and how much experience they have in the field. Remembering always that asbestos is a dangerous substance you will want to engage a company that is licenced not just to survey but to remove the mineral if it’s found. A surveying company that’s adequately trained will know where to look for the asbestos and will be able to assess the risk to the inhabitants of the building. Even if there’s low risk, it seems that the best course of action is to have all asbestos removed. Click here to know more.

Following on from a survey

Once you know the situation, the company you’ve engaged should provide you with a plan that will explain the work required to remove the asbestos and to dispose of it. Once again because this is a hazardous material, it’s not as simple as simply engaging a team to conduct the removal. The relevant local council or Health Services need to be notified that removal is going to take place – at present, these authorities need 14 days of notice before the process begins.

Once the process begins, there will normally be a complete briefing of workers on site. Preparation of the site is intensive with taping off of the area. In some cases it might even be necessary to install an airlock system, depending on the severity of the situation.

If you suspect that you may have asbestos in your building or home, the safest thing to do is to contact an expert company to conduct an asbestos survey in Wakefield. ACS Health, Safety & Environment can provide expert advice and assistance.