It’s widely known that asbestos is dangerous. But many people don’t realise the mistakes that they commonly make with the substance. Here are three things that you should never do with asbestos:
1 – Ignore it
Perhaps the worst thing that you can do with asbestos is to simply ignore its existence. If you know that you have asbestos on your property then you need to make a plan to deal with it. At your home, this is a sensible move to ensure that you and your family are not at risk. However, if you’re in a workplace or commercial premises that you own or manage, it is your legal responsibility to have an asbestos management plan in place to mitigate the dangers to staff and other people on the property. Instead of ignoring the risk, have an asbestos survey carried out.
2 – Interfere with it
It should be noted that the safest course of action if you discover asbestos on your property is initially to leave it alone. Asbestos has a reputation for being an extremely dangerous material but many people don’t realise that it only poses a risk if it is disturbed or damaged. If the asbestos is in good condition then you should not attempt to move it or break it down – this will cause fibres to be released into the atmosphere and this is where they can be very dangerous if they are breathed in. Instead of interfering with the asbestos you should call in professionals to survey it and provide you with advice and guidance on your next steps.
3 – Attempt to remove it yourself
Another common mistake is that people find asbestos on their property and believe the best course of action is to remove it as soon as possible. Just as with above, if you have no experience dealing with asbestos, trying to remove it will cause far more harm than good. Once again, it is a much better idea to call in experts who have experience in asbestos removal.