Asbestos is a natural item that was used a lot in building and construction between the 1930s and 1990s. So if you have a residential or commercial property that is between 20 and 80 years of ages, it’s possible that there’s asbestos in it.
If you think you have asbestos in your house, the very first thing you need to do is get confirmation that it’s really there. You can do this with asbestos sampling.
Why do I need to know if I have asbestos in my domestic or industrial property?
You need to know if you have asbestos in your house because it can be harmful. Asbestos that is confined and in good condition doesn’t usually come with a health risk and need eliminating. However damaged or deteriorating asbestos is another matter.
Asbestos has small fibres that can leave into the air if it breaks or breaks down. If these enter your lungs you’re at risk of developing a fatal lung disease or respiratory problem. So it is crucial to know if you have asbestos in your house so you can check exactly what condition it’s in.
How does asbestos sampling work?
Asbestos sampling includes taking several samples from products and checking them in a laboratory for asbestos. Any laboratory that does asbestos sampling must be UKAS accredited (United Kingdom Accreditation Service).
Lots of asbestos sampling companies will send out professional testers out to your house. They will take numerous samples to make sure that their results are precise and transfer them back to a lab for screening. Many labs will then email you the results the same or next day.
You can do asbestos sampling yourself if you choose. You’ll need to follow a number of preventative steps, including using:
- A dust mask (or other breathing apparatus)
- Protective gloves
- Overalls
The business that you engage to do your screening will usually send you containers to put your sample in. You’ll then either have to send the sample to them or they’ll collect it.
However, collecting asbestos samples yourself can be an unsafe business. Asbestos fibres are so little that you can not see whether you’ve launched any in the air and are at threat of breathing them in. The safest option is to let specialists do your asbestos sampling for you. Simply fill in our form to get up to 4 quotes from trusted asbestos sampling companies.