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Asbestos surveysare a requirement by law to make sure that all buildings meet safetyregulations concerning the use of asbestos.
Formally the mostcommon type of insulation used in buildings, it was in the 1970's that asbestoswas found to be a deadly substance if it was disturbed and then inhaled byhumans. Naturally once this was discovered the removal and safe guarding of thesubstance was of great importance which is where the asbestos survey wascreated.
Most commonlyfound in flooring, pipes and ceilings asbestos is a heat resistant material thatcan occur naturally and asbestos surveys aim to detect any potential dangersresulting that may result from it.
With approximately3500 people a year dying from exposure to asbestos, asbestos surveys can not beundervalued in its importance towards providing a safe workplace or home. Asbestoscan become life threatening if it is cut, drilled or roughed up so that its fibresare then produced into the air.
Failure toundertake an asbestos survey could lead to a ?20,000 fine and other severepenalties if not done through a recognised company. An asbestos survey comes inthree different types depending on the situation.
The first asbestossurvey is the presumptive survey that will start with locating any possibleasbestos that may be in the buildings materials and then assessing itscondition to see what risk it may pose.
The next asbestossurvey would be the sampling survey where samples are collected and tested forasbestos. This is then followed by a full access and sampling identificationsurvey where it is attempted to find all materials containing asbestos in thebuilding. This asbestos survey could include destructive inspection if neededto locate all the asbestos in a building.
These surveys willhelp to alleviate any risks that are posed by asbestos in a building and helpto provide a safer living and working environment for all concerned.
The importance ofasbestos surveys can not be underestimated. Asbestos if left in a dwelling canproduce fibres so small that if they are breathed in can avoid the lungs and thensettle in the alveoli. As the asbestos can not then be broken down as this isonly done through very high temperatures it firstly scars the lungs and will thencause inflammation around them. This leads to the lungs being unable totransfer oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from the blood and can result in labouredbreathing that then leads to a painful death.
With so manycompanies specialising in producing asbestos surveys can you afford not to haveone done immediately?