It is a common occurrence during the demolition of a building that asbestos will be present. When this happens, it is a standard precautionary measure to isolate the asbestos to prevent it from releasing any fibres into the atmosphere, which can be extremely harmful if inhaled.

Most demolition companies will therefore have an environmental division to take care of this process without affecting the surroundings of the building. It is extremely important to comply with all legislations regarding asbestos because of how potentially hazardous it is.

When Asbestos is found on the premises, it has to be isolated within a sealed area. Specially trained personnel wearing suitable protection as well as an air supply will then safely remove the asbestos into sealed bags ready for disposal off site. This can be a time consuming job as it is important to contain the Asbestos fibres completely. Once the area is clear of all traces of Asbestos material then the rest of the demolition process can continue.

It is important to conduct a comprehensive site survey initially in order to locate any Asbestos as this will save you unexpected down time once the demolition process has begun. The removal of Asbestos materials takes precedence over other activities on site in order to protect all staff working on site.

Although it is dangerous, asbestos is still present in a variety of buildings including hospitals, homes and schools. Its most common locations are in walls, ceilings and there may be some lagging around steam pipes. Because of its dangerous nature its use has sharply declined in recent years and there are strict regulations in place to stop it being used to the point where it is dangerous.

Discovery of asbestos in a building often causes alarm among people living and working in it. Usually this alarm is not justified. Providing the asbestos is well maintained and preferably covered by an impermeable layer of paint or other material so that it is not releasing dust, it does not present any hazard to health. It is only the inhalation of loose asbestos fibres which causes disease.