Why An Asbestos Survey Is Immensely Important

There are instances where the places we feel safe in are actually quite dangerous, and we don't even realise it. One example is the kind of insulation that was used in the houses we live in. Although it has been largely banned due to its inherent toxic nature, asbestos was mainly used as insulation in most houses when they were built back in the day. The problem is that there are still many structures standing today that still made use of asbestos as insulation, and no one might know about it, which is why there is a need for an asbestos survey.

An asbestos survey is a process done by specialists to determine the presence of asbestos-laden materials. These materials could be anywhere within the structure, and unless the person knows where to look, finding the asbestos could prove to be immensely difficult.

How Dangerous is Asbestos to Humans?

Although no longer used as it once was, asbestos remains a grave threat to many people, particularly those in the construction industry. WorkSafe reports that at least 220 people die in New Zealand each year from asbestos-related causes, and considering the fact that many structures still contain asbestos-laden materials, the number of asbestos-related diseases could still go up.

The danger of asbestos comes from the fact that it has fibres that are so small that they could be inhaled easily and do damage to the lungs. In of itself and left undisturbed, asbestos is not an immediate health risk. If, for some reason, the asbestos material degrades and is chipped, drilled, broken, or allowed to naturally deteriorate, it can release a fine dust that contains asbestos fibres. These asbestos fibres can enter the lungs and can gradually damage them over time.

Some conditions known to come from exposure to asbestos include:

Asbestosis

Asbestosis is a chronic lung condition that afflicts a person who had prolonged exposure to asbestos, particularly to the fibres. The inhalation of asbestos fibres causes constant irritation and damage to the lung tissues, which then eventually leads to scarring. The build-up of scars in the lung tissue causes stiffening, which then makes it difficult to breathe.

If left untreated, the scarring could become so widespread and severe that the lungs could no long contract and expand enough for the person to breathe properly. Symptoms of asbestosis include:

• Shortness of breath
• Persistent dry cough
• Chest pains or tightness
• Dry and crackling sounds coming from the lungs during breathing
• Fingertip and toe clubbing (the ends appear wider and rounder than normal)

Pleural Disease

The term pleural disease covers a number of pulmonary conditions that arise from the lungs becoming damaged for some reason and then developing a progressively thickening layer of scar tissue. The thickening could encompass the entire area of the lungs, otherwise known as diffuse pleural thickening, or in select areas only, known as pleural plaques. In some instances, people might also experience fluid buildup around the lungs, which is known as pleural effusion.

Depending upon the particular physical condition of the person, these conditions may significantly affect the person's ability, or not at all. Pulmonary damage related to asbestos exposure, however, increases the risk of developing other conditions that could afflict people with a compromised pulmonary system, including lung cancer.

How will an Asbestos Survey Help?

An asbestos survey is a process done on a house, building, or any other structure with the intent of determining the presence and quantity of asbestos-laden materials. This process is an important one because any house, building, or structure that was constructed before the year 2000 has a high likelihood of containing asbestos-laden material somewhere, and this could only be accurately ascertained through an asbestos survey.

There is, however, a need to determine which type of asbestos survey is needed. There are two types of asbestos surveys:

Management Asbestos Survey (MAS)

This type is for the management of whatever asbestos might be present in the area needing the survey. MAS is mostly so that people could be aware of where asbestos is most likely to be, and so that the condition of the asbestos-laden material(s) could be monitored. It is important to know what state any kind of asbestos-laden material is currently in because the dangers arise when the material begins to deteriorate. MAS typically involves a visual inspection, determination of the condition of the asbestos-laden materials, and a risk assessment to know if the area is safe for normal occupancy.

MAS would typically be minimally intrusive and would only require minimal sampling, as the Management Asbestos Surveyor may presume some materials are asbestos-containing without taking further samples.

Refurbishment and Demolition Asbestos Survey (RDAS)

As the term might suggest, a refurbishment and demolition survey is required when there is a chance that building material might be disturbed as part of an ongoing refurbishment or demolition project. For safe practice, any kind of construction work that is set to be implemented should include a provision for a Refurbishment and Demolition survey. As mentioned, asbestos becomes dangerous when disturbed, and it is immensely easy to disturb on-site materials during a refurbishment or demolition project.

An RDAS covers refurbishment, maintenance that could entail disturbing existing building materials, demolition, extension builds, and other construction activities.

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