Do they make the grade? 4 questions to ask an asbestos clearance team

Australia is a country that has had its fair share of asbestos problems. This nasty little mineral is believed to cause the deaths of around 4,000 Australians each year, with its fibrous consistency leading to a range of life-threatening diseases.

For this reason top quality asbestos clearance is imperative, as it can still be found in many homes and buildings throughout Australia.

But to get the best team on the job, don’t forget to ask them these four vital questions:

1. Is your company fully approved to provide this service?

In Australia, there is absolutely no reason why a dodgy company should be attempting to provide this service. Fully-approved companies and their teams undergo extensive and rigorous training to have the skills to offer this service, and there it goes without saying that you should be able to trust a fully-approved company to do the job properly.

They should have the following:

• ISO 9001 approval

• ISO 14001 approval

• ISO 45001 approval

• NATA World Recognised Accreditation

If you’re a home or commercial property owner looking for the best, most reputable team in the job, be sure to look out for the above and ask the company directly if they have these certifications on-hand.

1. How do you go about minimising danger when providing the service?

Asbestos clearance is no simple process, especially when it concerns such a hazardous substance. Therefore, the best company should be more than happy to outline their process and talk you through the mineral’s safe removal.

Total containment is recommended when removing this harmful substance when removing it mechanically or from large spaces, as the material can become airborne, so it requires a full sealed and contained enclosure as well as three-stage decontamination site.

The mineral’s industrial form can be highly complex to remove as it is in a working environment. Feel free to ask if the provider will work around routine maintenance periods or scheduled shutdowns to minimise operational impeding and if they have experience using scaffolding to reach all areas where the mineral is present.

In many occurrences, materials containing the substance can be encapsulated - or “sealed” - as opposed to being comprehensively removed. This is a standard approach when providing the service for pipe insulation. As there are many different approaches to the service, it is highly important that you speak to the company about their safety procedures.

2. How much does the service cost?

Asbestos clearance can be expensive due to the hazardous nature of the process - but why would you want to skimp out on ensuring your’s, your family’s or employees’ safety?

This being said, it’s important to inquire about the specific cost breakdown, asking questions about whether or not scaffolding and other structures will be needed to undertake the job? Whether encapsulation will suffice? Or whether the project requires full containment?

3. Do you have client testimonials I can read?

A few solid Google reviews is one thing, but how in-depth have clients been about the quality of the company’s service? The right asbestos clearance company should be able to provide a number of profound client testimonials that state just how efficient their service was. If not, it’s possible that they are not very experienced or, worse still, provide a terrible service (something which you simply cannot afford to risk!).

Be sure to ask these four vital questions to the company, as these are the questions that ensure they are the team to go with, and not some half-rate dodgy dealer who isn’t really concerned about whether they get the job done properly or not!