What is ‘asbestos abatement’ and ‘asbestos remediation’?
Some Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM’s) are more vulnerable to damage and therefore more likely to release fibres than others. ACM’s which are in good condition, sealed and/or repaired are unlikely to be disturbed and can be left in situ. When ACM’s are disturbed, they are likely to release airborne fibres which can then pose a risk to health.
The term ‘asbestos abatement’ is used to refer to procedures that are used to control fibre release from asbestos containing materials in a building, or to remove the materials entirely. Remediation can include removal, encapsulation by way of over boarding or encasement and finally repair.
‘Asbestos abatement’ and ‘asbestos remediation’ is a specialist service and should only be undertaken by competent contractors.
How do you know the company you are appointing is competent?
Damaged asbestos or a legacy issue?
Many removal jobs in the past were not carried out to a high specification and quantities of asbestos debris may remain in an area supposedly now free of asbestos. A number of buildings are also still requiring surveys, once identified asbestos management and often remediation is required.
Summit Environmental and Asbestos Remediation Management
Managing an asbestos repair or removal contract can be a time-consuming and complex business. We work for our clients and ensure we provide appropriate guidance to our client. Our advice and consultancy services can be based around;
• Enabling and Planning – Writing asbestos removal specifications and tender documentation, completing tenders and appointment of approved Licensed Asbestos Removal Contractors (LARC’s). This can also include audits and vetting of method statements and plans of work.
• During – Full site management and supervision of contractors, with provision of UKAS accredited asbestos fibre air monitoring.
• On completion – We can update asbestos registers following works and complete site audits and investigations.
Contact us at Summit Environmental if you have asbestos that needs management, remediation management during removal or any of our bespoke services above.
https://summitenvironmental.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/ff3b7199-ffa8-4ea4-b5f7-73daf0e3fe65.jpg3071600markhttp://summitenvironmental.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Summit-Environmental-Logo-1-300x96.pngmark2019-08-02 12:06:442021-05-08 21:11:03What is 'asbestos abatement' and 'asbestos remediation'?
What are Deleterious Materials?
Deleterious materials are materials or building techniques that are dangerous to health, environmentally unfriendly, tend to fail in practice or can be susceptible to change over the lifetime of the material.
Every year, thousands of workers are made unwell by hazardous substances; this includes workers contracting lung diseases such as asthma and lung cancer or skin diseases such as dermatitis.
Types of Deleterious Materials found in historic buildings include;
• Asbestos – Asbestos is the most written about deleterious material; Please see our other blogs for information on asbestos hazards and management.
• Vermiculite – Vermiculite itself has not been shown to be a health problem. However, some vermiculite insulation contained asbestos fibres, which can cause problems if inhaled.
• Silica Dust – Silica dust is the biggest risk to construction workers after asbestos, Natural substance found in most rocks, sand and clay and in used in products such as bricks and concrete. These are widely distributed across the construction industry. Silica dust is released into the air follow drilling, grinding and cutting.
• Greenhouse Gases (CFC’s, HCFC’s and HCFC’s) – Primarily used in refrigeration and produced by industrial processes. Greenhouse Gases are also used in spray/blown foams used for insulation such as pipe insulation’s and linings to air conditioning units. Also widely used as propellants in aerosols and solvents.
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) – Volatile Organic Compounds are widely used as ingredients in household products such as paints, varnishes and waxes, as do many cleaning, disinfecting, cosmetic and de-greasing products. VOC’s add to issues such as tropospheric ozone and smog in the environment.
• Refractory Ceramic fibres (RCF’s) and Man Made Mineral Fibres (MMMF’s) – MMMF Man Made Mineral Fibres main uses are as thermal insulation, mineral wools are widely used within the building trade. Refractory Ceramic Fibres main application is as lining material for kilns and furnaces.
• Lead – Visual inspection of most solid lead installations is possible, for example lead pipes and lead flashing. Materials such as paints need samples to be taken and sent to the lab for analysis.
• Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB’s) – PCBs were used widely in electrical equipment; capacitors, transformers, fluorescent lights and switchgear because they don’t burn easily and are good insulators.
• Mercury – If mercury vapour is inhaled, it is easily absorbed by the body, where it first gets into the lungs and from there into the blood and the brain.
• Hair plaster – Historic plaster reinforced with animal hair was sometimes contaminated with the bacterium Bacillus anthracis which is the causative agent of the disease Anthrax.
• Polyurethane Foam – main use is as rigid foam boards used for insulation and linings within construction. These can be used as insulation for heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. Prefabricated PIR sandwich panels are manufactured with corrosion-protected, corrugated steel facings bonded to a core of PIR foam and used extensively as roofing insulation and vertical walls
• Urea Formaldehyde used in adhesives, finishes, particle board, medium-density fibreboard (MDF), and moulded objects such as electrical plugs and sockets. Urea Formaldehyde has physical properties of high hardness and high toughness. Widely used as Urea-Formaldehyde Foam Insulation (UFFI) dates to the 1930s and widely made into a synthetic insulation for wall cavities.
How to deal with Deleterious Materials?
Proactive management of health and safety in the workplace helps organisations prevent injuries and ill-health at work.
Early identification and sampling is required to minimise the likelihood of potential exposure to a deleterious or hazardous material
Risk assessments, control measures and safe systems of work and required by law to reduce risks to health and safety and the environment
Contact Summit Environmental for further support and to ensure you are complying with regulations
https://summitenvironmental.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_20190404_114622546-2-scaled.jpg19202560markhttp://summitenvironmental.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Summit-Environmental-Logo-1-300x96.pngmark2019-07-10 15:04:052021-05-08 21:13:11What are Deleterious Materials?
What is asbestos surveying?
The purpose of an asbestos survey is to help manage asbestos in the duty holder’s premises. The survey has to provide sufficient information for an asbestos register and plan to be prepared, a suitable risk assessment to be carried out and a written plan to manage the risks to be produced.
What is an asbestos survey?
An asbestos survey is a visual inspection of a property or premises for asbestos, samples may need to be taken to identify is materials contain asbestos.
What are the types of asbestos survey?
There are two main types of asbestos survey to identify asbestos containing materials (ACM’s) within properties;
Management Survey
The purpose of an asbestos management survey is to manage ACM’s during the normal occupation and use of premises.
A Management Survey aims to ensure that:
• Nobody is harmed by the continuing presence of ACM in the premises or equipment
• That the ACM’s remain in good condition
• That nobody disturbs it accidentally
The Survey must locate ACM’s that could be damaged or disturbed by normal activities, by foreseeable maintenance, or by installing new equipment. It involves minor intrusion and minor asbestos disturbance to make a Materials Assessment.
Refurbishment / Demolition Survey
The Refurbishment / Demolition Surveys are required where the premises, or part of it, need upgrading, refurbishment or demolition.
A Refurbishment / demolition Survey aims to ensure that:
• Nobody will be harmed by work on ACM’s in the premises or equipment
• Such work will be done by the right contractor in the right way
The asbestos survey must locate and identify all ACM’s before any structural work begins at a stated location or on stated equipment at the premises. It involves destructive inspection and asbestos disturbance.
Do you know if you have asbestos in your premises? Contact Summit Environmental to find out.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral and was widely used in the construction of buildings. Asbestos was included in a huge number of construction products, for a very diverse range of uses, often centred around fireproofing or insulation purposes.
Is asbestos not a historical problem?
Asbestos is still widely present today. Potentially any building built or refurbished before the year 2000, may contain Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM’s). Do you know if your building contains Asbestos Containing Materials?
WHY IS ASBESTOS DANGEROUS?
When asbestos containing materials are damaged or deteriorate with age, they can release fibres into the air. The shape and size of the fibres released enables them to penetrate deep into the lungs. Once they reach the lungs they can lead to asbestos related diseases, such as;
Mesothelioma
Asbestosis
Pleural thickening
Asbestos related lung cancer
WHAT TO DO?
Having as asbestos survey completed can identify if asbestos is present within your premises. Identification, by way of sampling and assessment of materials within a building that may contain asbestos, can reduce the risk of damage occurring to materials that may present. Once identified, any materials identified that contain asbestos should be recorded and monitored on an asbestos register. This greatly reduces the risk of a potential exposure to asbestos by occupants of the premises.
Asbestos identification by way of asbestos survey
HOW CAN SUMMIT ENVIRONMENTAL HELP?
Summit Environmental Limited can complete asbestos management surveys, asbestos refurbishment surveys and asbestos demolition surveys to locate materials that may contain asbestos in your premises.
https://summitenvironmental.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/FM_240117_003-1-scaled.jpg17042560markhttp://summitenvironmental.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Summit-Environmental-Logo-1-300x96.pngmark2019-06-13 14:54:092021-05-08 21:15:23What is asbestos and why is it dangerous?
Take a look at our services we offer, you may be surprised to find we offer more than you expect. We cover residential, commercial and industrial buildings within the built, marine and construction industries.
Summit Environmental provides bespoke hazardous material identification, inclusive of sampling and analysis, consultancy and remedial solutions as required.
Contact Summit Environmental for more information.
https://summitenvironmental.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/action.jpg369735Jason Eichnerhttp://summitenvironmental.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Summit-Environmental-Logo-1-300x96.pngJason Eichner2019-04-03 10:23:272019-04-03 10:23:27Welcome to our new website
What is ‘asbestos abatement’ and ‘asbestos remediation’?
/0 Comments/in Asbestos /by markWhat is ‘asbestos abatement’ and ‘asbestos remediation’?
Some Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM’s) are more vulnerable to damage and therefore more likely to release fibres than others. ACM’s which are in good condition, sealed and/or repaired are unlikely to be disturbed and can be left in situ. When ACM’s are disturbed, they are likely to release airborne fibres which can then pose a risk to health.
The term ‘asbestos abatement’ is used to refer to procedures that are used to control fibre release from asbestos containing materials in a building, or to remove the materials entirely. Remediation can include removal, encapsulation by way of over boarding or encasement and finally repair.
‘Asbestos abatement’ and ‘asbestos remediation’ is a specialist service and should only be undertaken by competent contractors.
How do you know the company you are appointing is competent?
Damaged asbestos or a legacy issue?
Many removal jobs in the past were not carried out to a high specification and quantities of asbestos debris may remain in an area supposedly now free of asbestos. A number of buildings are also still requiring surveys, once identified asbestos management and often remediation is required.
Summit Environmental and Asbestos Remediation Management
Managing an asbestos repair or removal contract can be a time-consuming and complex business. We work for our clients and ensure we provide appropriate guidance to our client. Our advice and consultancy services can be based around;
• Enabling and Planning – Writing asbestos removal specifications and tender documentation, completing tenders and appointment of approved Licensed Asbestos Removal Contractors (LARC’s). This can also include audits and vetting of method statements and plans of work.
• During – Full site management and supervision of contractors, with provision of UKAS accredited asbestos fibre air monitoring.
• On completion – We can update asbestos registers following works and complete site audits and investigations.
Contact us at Summit Environmental if you have asbestos that needs management, remediation management during removal or any of our bespoke services above.
What are Deleterious Materials?
/0 Comments/in Deleterious Materials /by markWhat are Deleterious Materials?
Deleterious materials are materials or building techniques that are dangerous to health, environmentally unfriendly, tend to fail in practice or can be susceptible to change over the lifetime of the material.
Every year, thousands of workers are made unwell by hazardous substances; this includes workers contracting lung diseases such as asthma and lung cancer or skin diseases such as dermatitis.
Types of Deleterious Materials found in historic buildings include;
• Asbestos – Asbestos is the most written about deleterious material; Please see our other blogs for information on asbestos hazards and management.
• Vermiculite – Vermiculite itself has not been shown to be a health problem. However, some vermiculite insulation contained asbestos fibres, which can cause problems if inhaled.
• Silica Dust – Silica dust is the biggest risk to construction workers after asbestos, Natural substance found in most rocks, sand and clay and in used in products such as bricks and concrete. These are widely distributed across the construction industry. Silica dust is released into the air follow drilling, grinding and cutting.
• Greenhouse Gases (CFC’s, HCFC’s and HCFC’s) – Primarily used in refrigeration and produced by industrial processes. Greenhouse Gases are also used in spray/blown foams used for insulation such as pipe insulation’s and linings to air conditioning units. Also widely used as propellants in aerosols and solvents.
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) – Volatile Organic Compounds are widely used as ingredients in household products such as paints, varnishes and waxes, as do many cleaning, disinfecting, cosmetic and de-greasing products. VOC’s add to issues such as tropospheric ozone and smog in the environment.
• Refractory Ceramic fibres (RCF’s) and Man Made Mineral Fibres (MMMF’s) – MMMF Man Made Mineral Fibres main uses are as thermal insulation, mineral wools are widely used within the building trade. Refractory Ceramic Fibres main application is as lining material for kilns and furnaces.
• Lead – Visual inspection of most solid lead installations is possible, for example lead pipes and lead flashing. Materials such as paints need samples to be taken and sent to the lab for analysis.
• Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB’s) – PCBs were used widely in electrical equipment; capacitors, transformers, fluorescent lights and switchgear because they don’t burn easily and are good insulators.
• Mercury – If mercury vapour is inhaled, it is easily absorbed by the body, where it first gets into the lungs and from there into the blood and the brain.
• Hair plaster – Historic plaster reinforced with animal hair was sometimes contaminated with the bacterium Bacillus anthracis which is the causative agent of the disease Anthrax.
• Polyurethane Foam – main use is as rigid foam boards used for insulation and linings within construction. These can be used as insulation for heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. Prefabricated PIR sandwich panels are manufactured with corrosion-protected, corrugated steel facings bonded to a core of PIR foam and used extensively as roofing insulation and vertical walls
• Urea Formaldehyde used in adhesives, finishes, particle board, medium-density fibreboard (MDF), and moulded objects such as electrical plugs and sockets. Urea Formaldehyde has physical properties of high hardness and high toughness. Widely used as Urea-Formaldehyde Foam Insulation (UFFI) dates to the 1930s and widely made into a synthetic insulation for wall cavities.
How to deal with Deleterious Materials?
Proactive management of health and safety in the workplace helps organisations prevent injuries and ill-health at work.
Early identification and sampling is required to minimise the likelihood of potential exposure to a deleterious or hazardous material
Risk assessments, control measures and safe systems of work and required by law to reduce risks to health and safety and the environment
Contact Summit Environmental for further support and to ensure you are complying with regulations
What is asbestos surveying?
/0 Comments/in Asbestos, Hazardous Materials /by markWhat is asbestos surveying?
The purpose of an asbestos survey is to help manage asbestos in the duty holder’s premises. The survey has to provide sufficient information for an asbestos register and plan to be prepared, a suitable risk assessment to be carried out and a written plan to manage the risks to be produced.
What is an asbestos survey?
An asbestos survey is a visual inspection of a property or premises for asbestos, samples may need to be taken to identify is materials contain asbestos.
What are the types of asbestos survey?
There are two main types of asbestos survey to identify asbestos containing materials (ACM’s) within properties;
Management Survey
The purpose of an asbestos management survey is to manage ACM’s during the normal occupation and use of premises.
A Management Survey aims to ensure that:
• Nobody is harmed by the continuing presence of ACM in the premises or equipment
• That the ACM’s remain in good condition
• That nobody disturbs it accidentally
The Survey must locate ACM’s that could be damaged or disturbed by normal activities, by foreseeable maintenance, or by installing new equipment. It involves minor intrusion and minor asbestos disturbance to make a Materials Assessment.
Refurbishment / Demolition Survey
The Refurbishment / Demolition Surveys are required where the premises, or part of it, need upgrading, refurbishment or demolition.
A Refurbishment / demolition Survey aims to ensure that:
• Nobody will be harmed by work on ACM’s in the premises or equipment
• Such work will be done by the right contractor in the right way
The asbestos survey must locate and identify all ACM’s before any structural work begins at a stated location or on stated equipment at the premises. It involves destructive inspection and asbestos disturbance.
Do you know if you have asbestos in your premises? Contact Summit Environmental to find out.
asbestos
sampling
What is asbestos and why is it dangerous?
/0 Comments/in Asbestos /by markWHAT IS ASBESTOS?
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral and was widely used in the construction of buildings. Asbestos was included in a huge number of construction products, for a very diverse range of uses, often centred around fireproofing or insulation purposes.
Is asbestos not a historical problem?
Asbestos is still widely present today. Potentially any building built or refurbished before the year 2000, may contain Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM’s). Do you know if your building contains Asbestos Containing Materials?
WHY IS ASBESTOS DANGEROUS?
When asbestos containing materials are damaged or deteriorate with age, they can release fibres into the air. The shape and size of the fibres released enables them to penetrate deep into the lungs. Once they reach the lungs they can lead to asbestos related diseases, such as;
WHAT TO DO?
Having as asbestos survey completed can identify if asbestos is present within your premises. Identification, by way of sampling and assessment of materials within a building that may contain asbestos, can reduce the risk of damage occurring to materials that may present. Once identified, any materials identified that contain asbestos should be recorded and monitored on an asbestos register. This greatly reduces the risk of a potential exposure to asbestos by occupants of the premises.
Asbestos identification by way of asbestos survey
HOW CAN SUMMIT ENVIRONMENTAL HELP?
Summit Environmental Limited can complete asbestos management surveys, asbestos refurbishment surveys and asbestos demolition surveys to locate materials that may contain asbestos in your premises.
Welcome to our new website
/0 Comments/in Asbestos Compliance /by Jason EichnerTake a look at our services we offer, you may be surprised to find we offer more than you expect. We cover residential, commercial and industrial buildings within the built, marine and construction industries.
Summit Environmental provides bespoke hazardous material identification, inclusive of sampling and analysis, consultancy and remedial solutions as required.
Contact Summit Environmental for more information.