What No One Tells You About Construction and Contractors

Once the darling of construction, asbestos has been proven to have serious health risks. This has prompted commercial, industrial, and domestic property owners who used an asbestos-based material for their construction needs to consider removing them. However, you might have limited knowledge on the information related to professional asbestos removal if you want to get rid of this dangerous material. The following guidelines should aid decision-making when you are looking for a qualified contractor for the job.

Type of Asbestos – The type of asbestos influences the level of health risk and type of work that has to be done. When the material containing the asbestos, say roofing, can be easily crushed by hand pressure (friable asbestos), the risk of fibre exposure is increased thus the need for immediate professional removal. Though potentially dangerous, non-friable asbestos can be removed with much ease. This means that any asbestos removal contractor can perform this task.

License – The contractor should prove their qualification by producing a Work Health and Safety license for asbestos removal and clearance. Currently, WHS Regulations approve Class A and Class B license. You should be particular about the Class A business license if your building has friable asbestos. This is because the Class B license holders can only remove the asbestos materials that cannot disintegrate to release asbestos fibres.

Experience – While the license is important, the contractor should have gained experience in the business. This will be important in how they handle the removal and disposal of the asbestos materials. The experienced contractors are familiar with the SafeWork and WHS standards. This ensures that they responsibly and efficiently carry out duties while ensuring the safety of their technicians.

Cost – Like any other home or workplace expense, it is usually a good idea to find a fair deal. Based on the risk level and amount of work needed for the clearance, one can ask for quotes from the professional contractors. Most of these contractors offer free quotes that can be negotiated.

Asbestos Assessors – As a final step, it is advisable to monitor the air after the removal of asbestos materials. This is particularly important if the removed asbestos material could have released airborne asbestos fibres. This inspection helps you in knowing if the property is ready for reoccupation. While the asbestos removal contractor can refer you to an assessor, it is important that you get an independent assessor. This is important as it eliminates any conflict of interest thus ensuring unbiased inspection.  

As a word of caution, you should also ask if the contractor has insurance that protects your property from damage when they are performing their work.