Asbestos Air Monitoring: Everything You Need To Know

Owing to the durability and fire resistance feature of Asbestos, they were widely used for electrical and building insulation between 1930- 1970. Although they were sparingly used in the construction, materials industries and automotive, since the 1980s, asbestos has been heavily restricted and phased out owing to its toxicity and the threat it imposes to human health. Asbestos fibres get released into the air when the asbestos-containing materials become powdery or are damaged. This gives rise to many established health risks to workers as well as building occupants from inhalation or exposure.

This is the main reason why hiring Asbestos Air Monitoring Services by real estate industries has become a must to control the creation, instalment, monitoring, and removal of asbestos-containing materials.

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What is the need of hiring Asbestos Air Monitoring Services?

The presence or absence of asbestos fibres in building materials cannot be determined only by visual identification. Accurate identification and quantification of asbestos fibres in building materials can only be achieved by conducting an Asbestos Screening. The survey will be conducted by an Asbestos Consultantwho will perform a thorough sampling and laboratory analysis of the materials. Business owners and purchasers should also enquire about whether the building has asbestos-containing material so that it can be securely managed or removed.

Why is Asbestos Air Monitoring performed?

Asbestos Air Monitoring is needed as part of due diligence during financing or commercial real estate transactions, before renovation or destruction of buildings, or after suspected damage to buildings during flooding or after significant natural disasters.

Although just in the beginning of 1989, the use of asbestos for insulation was banned and phased out, but the point to be noted, is that all products were not banned, and even today, there are products which continue to be manufactured and distributed. So, if there is a suspect of ACM identification, it is better to call for an Asbestos Consultant, especially if they are in a powdery or damaged condition.

Even today, asbestos continues to be manufactured and used in some building materials like joint compound, floor tiles, roofing materials, brake pads, masts, window caulks, and very rarely in insulation. This is one of the main reasons why it has become a federal requirement, to perform Asbestos Air Monitoring for the identification of suspected ACM, before the demolition or renovation of any building, irrespective of the date of construction. Unless the Asbestos Consultant completes the survey, the local building departments cannot issue building permits. This is always a protective shield since activities of demolition and renovation can release asbestos fibres into the air, which can be inhaled by workers and building occupants.

Significant Flooding, water damage, or any other natural disaster which can compromise or disrupt the building’s structure in a significant way are some more instances where conducting an Asbestos Air Monitoring becomes a must.

Types of Asbestos Surveys:

(1) Asbestos Screening: The best solution if a damaged material is being mended which can pose a potential health risk to the inhabitants of the building is Asbestos Screening. When you call for an Asbestos Consultant, they assess suspects of ACM by a thorough analysis of the obtained samples. They target areas with damage and potentially dusty suspect of ACM. This process is sometimes referred to as a transactional survey, and is generally used on HUD projects.

(2) Limited Asbestos Survey: This is a more extensive sampling of suspected ACM and building materials. Based on the requirements of the customers, this is mainly a targeting sampling for a homogeneous building material which can include siding, roof, certain walls, or a particular area where there is a probability or suspect of ACM.

(3) Pre Renovation/Path of Construction Asbestos Survey: This is also a comprehensive survey of building materials but is restricted to the path of construction. Just for example, an AsbestosConsultantuses this type of Asbestos Survey when revamping a single storefront in a strip mall. Once Asbestos Air Monitoring is conducted, it can be ensured that there would be no release of ACM to areas that are disturbed during renovation or construction activities and that the renovation can take place without having any impact on the environment.

(4) Pre Demolition Asbestos Survey: This is by far the most comprehensive ACM assessment. All facets of an entire building, including the interior and exterior building materials are inspected in this survey. The Asbestos Consultant utilizes destructive sampling protocols for the same. A demolition survey entails the demolition of small sections of the building to bring to light ACM behind the floors, walls or other areas which are hard to get. Moreover, it is nearly impossible to notice all concealed areas within a building so additional ACM can also be discovered during the actual demolition process.

Final Thoughts:

Now, that you have got a better understanding as to why hiring Asbestos Air Monitoring Services has become so important for real estate construction, why wait? Hiring an Asbestos Consultant is definitely a worthwhile investment, nowadays, not only for ensuring a successful transaction across all types of multi-family and commercial real estate but also to protect against potential harm to human life.