Asbestos removal is a very dangerous task, and should only be performed by expert contractors. Even if the dangers don't effect you directly, any adjacent property to you could contain this toxic substance and end up costing you. Residents who own property in some areas will have to fork out more cash after asbestos has been located on-site. Could you be effected by something like this in the future? Or perhaps right now?
Asbestos was used in building constructions in Sydney until it was banned by the NSW government in 1986. In my many years working in the asbestos clean up and building demolition industries around schools and public buildings I have learnt one very important thing. The most important tip you should know is that asbestos removal can be very expensive, and puts many people off renovating and buying a house for fear it might be contaminated. It does not have to be expensive, but the reason people associate expense is because of the health risks exposure to asbestos can cause. The other major advice I can give, and this applies to any service in life, not just when you suspect asbestos in your building is to shop around, get several quotes from several providers, and chose who you like best.
Recently many local Sydney residents have discovered their properties had hidden asbestos materials used in their construction. Pardon the pun, but these residents are likely to have to "cough up" a lot of money to rectify their issue. Due to the nature of councils and the health dangers involved in such issues, there can be high costs for using a professional to do the asbestos removal job properly. It is even thought that there is asbestos in parts of the Sydney Harbour Bridge .
Exposure to asbestos fibres, especially over a prolonged period can cause the health issues asbestosis, and mesothelioma. These are both chronic respiratory diseases with no known cure, and a very high chance of death for those who are diagnosed. For this reason the most important thing you can do is eliminate exposure to these dangerous building materials. If suspect material is found within a property you should have the asbestos removed by licensed professionals as quickly as possible.
Any claims of asbestos in a building, either residential or commercial should be taken very seriously due to the health problems it can cause. Any testing, toxic material identification and subsequent asbestos removal should only ever be conducted by experts, since the material is extremely hazardous to handle. According to the local building industry and public housing representative, asbestos is now being found in many buildings in developed areas and a resort island area in New South Wales during a recent inspection.
Demolition work on one large building has been halted so the council can conduct a full review of the precinct for other deadly asbestos particles. This can be a costly and time consuming activity, but is for the benefit of the communities health.
Residents should be aware as is it consistently confirmed that asbestos is continuously been found often in the old recreation rooms of local resident's buildings especially in island resort structures. It is likely that other buildings in the city, local area and throughout the nearby community, which date back to the 1970s, could also be deemed dangerous. The majority of buildings built during this time used asbestos fibre materials as a safe guard against fire. It was not properly known by the public much later that the material used is linked to health problems including cancer.
For example in a big community, the budget to bankroll the purchase and demolition of a typical resort and it's contaminated neighbouring property and land could be estimated to cost more than $10 million, for the sole purpose of safeguarding against contaminated material.
When getting involved in the operations of one of these cases in an isolated resort town, the asbestos find could impact on the removal of building materials from the property, as standard building materials are a hazard and expense in their own right. Asbestos removal requires many more safe guards, licences and handling procedures to ensure workers and residents do not inhale any of the toxic materials. It is considerably more dangerous than standard demolition work of brick and mortar and plaster material, found standard in most building blocks and construction work.
The material was commonly used in buildings from 1940 to the '80s, and now correctly identifying and removal of asbestos is becoming a widespread issue for residents and commercial buildings alike.
When dealing with asbestos this extra careful handling requires increased costs, and care from a specialist. If you live on an island, isolated property or hard to access location transporting any building materials can be costly, so you could imagine the bill might start to get expensive if they have to remove asbestos. Asbestos waste is expected to be enclosed and removed to avoid future contamination of the site.
It is important you use an expert to remove such hazardous material. Regulations can differ in certain jurisdictions, however in Sydney since January 1st 2008 an asbestos licence is required to remove more than 10 metres squared of bonded asbestos material. A licensed bonded asbestos remover can remove any amount of bonded asbestos material. Licensing for asbestos removalists in Sydney is regulated and administered by Workcover NSW.