Asbestos Testing

Asbestos Testing is a must if you suspect your property might have Asbestos.

We have a large network of trusted partners who can assist you with it.

Asbestos testing in a licensed laboratory is crucial, not only to identify asbestos, but also to identify the type of asbestos. Some are more dangerous than others and you want to get rid of these as quickly as you can before they cause even more harm.

You have two options:

1. Get a licensed assessor to come out to your property to take a simple sample for you. They can help identify the potential asbestos hazards in your building and conduct thorough asbestos testing. Some will even recommend doing an asbestos survey depending on what your intentions are.

   Read more about Asbestos Surveys below.

2. If you own your home you can take a sample yourself in a safe manner, double bag it and send it in/drop it off to an accredited laboratory. For around $80-$100 you can typically have results in 3-5 working days.

   Read more about Taking Asbestos Samples in the section below.

Asbestos Management Survey

This is the standard asbestos survey required on any building. Its purpose is to locate, as far as reasonably practicable, the presence and extent of any suspected Asbestos Containing Materials in the building which could be damaged or disturbed during normal occupancy (including foreseeable maintenance) and to assess their condition.

Asbestos Refurbishment and Demolition Surveys

Asbestos Refurbishment and Demolition Surveys locate and describe Asbestos Containing Materials in areas where intrusive maintenance and repair, refurbishment or demolition work is set to take place. The fully intrusive survey requires access to all areas, including those that may be difficult to reach. Undertaking Asbestos Refurbishment and Demolition Surveys prior to any refurbishment or demolition works is a strict regulatory requirement and a duty of any PCBUs with management or control of a Workplace.

Taking an Asbestos Sample

We don’t recommend this process if you are not 100% confident that you are able to do so safely. Asbestos is an extremely dangerous substance and it’s effects are devastating. The ‘she’ll be right’ attitude should not be assumed in any circumstance when it comes to Asbestos. It’s not just your own safety you are putting at risk but also others in your household.

However if you decide to take a sample yourself, it is important to make sure that you do not expose yourself or others to asbestos fibres.
Make sure that no one else is present when you take a sample unless they are also wearing PPE (personal protective equipment, such as overalls and a respirator).

What you will need:

• A P2 disposable respirator or half mask respirator fitted with a P2 filter

  • NOTE: A simple face mask or dust mask is ineffective against asbestos fibres

• Disposable overalls-category 3 type 5/6

• Disposable gloves

• Plastic drop sheets

• Re-sealable (zip lock) plastic bags

• Wet wipes

• Spray bottle with water

• Dishwashing Liquid

• Sharp Knife/ Scraper/ Screwdriver to take the sample

• Waste bag made of thick plastic

• Sticky tape/ Duct tape

• Sample from from your chosen laboratory

(The above equipment required should all be available at Bunnings/Mitre 10, any other hardware store. Ensure you have all the above equipment before you begin the sampling process!)

Steps

Getting Ready

1. Turn off all air conditioning/HRV units/Heat pumps.

2. Put on your P2 respirator and disposable overalls before attempting to remove the sample.

3. Fill the water spray bottle and add a few drops of dishwashing liquid.

4. Place a plastic drop sheet directly beneath the sampling point to catch any loose material that may fall off while taking the sample.

Taking the Sample

5. With the spray bottle, mist the material that you are sampling. (Be careful of any electrical points)

6. Do not disturb the material any more than you need to.

• Textured Plaster Ceilings/Walls – gently scrape 2-3 cm2 of textured material off the ceiling with a flat edge scraper. Do this in a few different ceiling/wall areas.

• Vinyl Floor Coverings or Lino Tiles – cut off a piece about 2-3 cm2 (ensure the papery backing material is left on- this is what usually contains asbestos)

• Cement sheet – cut off a piece about 2-3 cm2

7. Place the sample into a re-sealable plastic bag. Each sample must be placed in a separate bag.

8. Place the samples into another plastic bags (Labs only accept double bagged samples)

9. Label each bag with date, location of sample (ceiling/floor/wall etc.), owner name, property address, phone number and email.

10. If you need to take more than one sample make sure you clean your sampling tools between each sample to avoid cross contamination. Clean tools by wiping with a wet wipe and disposing of this in your waste bag.

Cleaning up

11. After taking your sample/samples, use a damp cloth to wet wipe any sampling equipment and any material around the area that the sample was taken from.

12. Seal the sampling point after collecting the sample by covering it with sticky tape or duct tape.

13. Carefully wrap the plastic drop sheet.

14. Place overalls, damp rags, sealed drop sheet and any other materials (P2 respirator, wet wipes, gloves etc) used in collecting the sample into a plastic rubbish bag. Gooseneck the bag and secure it with Duct tape.

15. Only remove your respirator once the entire clean-up process has been completed.

16. Wash your hands including under finger nails.

17. Contact your local Council for advice on disposal of the waste bag. (ATL can also assist here)

Sending in your Sample

18. Most labs will have an “Asbestos Sample sheet” available to download on their website. Fill this sheet in and either courier your samples in or drop them off to your chosen laboratory.

Ensure you have everything you need before you get started.