From risks to removal, we’ll help you understand the best way to deal with asbestos waste.
Even a small amount of asbestos can cause significant health and environmental impacts. Improper management must be avoided at all costs – and improper disposal is at the heart of that. With over 27 years of experience in hazardous material disposal, we’re here to help you understand the dangers and to take the right steps.
The aim of asbestos removal is to ensure it doesn’t harm anyone – from your family to the flora and fauna that live in your vicinity. In this article, we’ll discuss how to ensure you’re putting safety first and neutralising any safety threats.
The Need-to-Know
Don’t have time to read the full article? Here’s a quick summary that could go a long way to helping you and your home.
- Even tiny amount of asbestos exposure can be life-threatening, and asbestos is present in thousands (if not millions) of Australian homes.
- While it is technically legal to remove small quantities of asbestos without a professional, the barriers to doing this safely are extremely high.
- There are extensive and severe financial (and health) implications for illegal and mismanaged asbestos removals. Engaging a professional could save a life!
What Is Asbestos and Why Is It Dangerous?
Many people are surprised to find out that asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral. Australia was the site of multiple asbestos mines and had a significant uptake of asbestos as a building material. Asbestos was valued in construction for its fire-resistant and insulating properties – it was considered durable, affordable, and versatile.
Tragically, the health risks were not fully understood during asbestos’ rise to popularity, and legislation to protect workers and homeowners took a significant amount of time to come to fruition.
When crumbled, asbestos particles can become respirable (able to be inhaled) and can cause catastrophic impacts on a person’s health. It’s been strongly linked to lung and other cancers, as well as chronic lung inflammatory diseases such as mesothelioma and asbestosis – both of which are generally considered to be incurable.
We now understand that there is no safe level of asbestos exposure. That’s why it’s so important to ensure that asbestos is disposed of properly – even small amounts of exposure to asbestos materials could put your life at risk. The latency period, too, can be extremely long: many people don’t realise that they’ve been exposed to asbestos and find out later when their health conditions are discovered.
Asbestos removal expert, Steve Dunlop of HMG, explains how their processes are built around this dire threat: “The dangers of asbestos are real and long-lasting. That’s why our approach to disposal is thorough, methodical and never rushed.”
Legal Requirements for Asbestos Waste Disposal in Queensland
In Queensland, to remove more than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos, it is mandatory to use a licensed asbestos removalist. It’s also strongly recommended to use licensed professionals regardless of the quantity of asbestos you have.
Your licensed provider will need to notify Workplace Health and Safety Queensland and confirm that the area of the removal has been sufficiently decontaminated via a clearance certificate. Professionals are best equipped not only to do the job safely, but to be able to address the situation best, with the right personal protective equipment (PPE) and the right tools. There is even legislations that speak to what tools you can and can’t use, and legal implications tied to those. For instance, power saws can cause asbestos particles to become airborne and cannot be used.
There is a great deal of emphasis on ensuring that the asbestos reaches a licensed landfill that has the capability to deal with asbestos. Improper disposal can attract significant fines of thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars. Do not take the risk – work with a licensed professional who will safely transport it to a licensed landfill. It’s not just about the costs ≠– it’s about the costs to the environment and to the people who could come into contact with that improperly managed asbestos.
At HMG, we’re fully licensed and hold $20 million in public liability insurance. This means that you can trust us to do it safely. Steve Dunlop from our team puts it best: “Compliance isn’t just a box we tick – it’s our responsibility to the community.”
The Asbestos Disposal Process: Step by Step
We take things seriously, and that’s why we have a well-designed, thoughtful and thorough process that we apply to your removal project. It’s important to note that we customise this process, because every site and every removal is different – but this guide will help you understand the steps we’re taking and why we’re taking them.
1. Site Assessment and Testing
A thorough site inspection and asbestos testing process kickstart the process. Testing samples in a lab can tell us plenty of information that will help us understand the scale of the issue. Understanding what kinds of asbestos are present and the extent of their presence is essential for effective removal and soil remediation. At HMG, we take these assessments very seriously and use state-of-the-art equipment and testing processes to ensure we’re capturing all the important information and creating the most effective action plan.
2. Safe Removal Procedures
After this thorough assessment and laying out our removal plan, we start our work – using extensive and specialised PPE, isolating the asbestos, undertaking controlled removal, and keeping the site safe with dust suppression methods that prevent the asbestos particles from becoming airborne and respirable. We work to the highest of industry standards, using top-tier equipment and trained professionals. We never cut corners, and we don’t compromise safety for speed.
3. Secure Packaging and Transportation
We ensure that asbestos waste is properly labelled and packaged, so that safe transportation can take place. Before transportation, all asbestos is double wrapped, sealed, and clearly labelled as hazardous. We use licensed waste transport vehicles to ensure that the waste is tracked and makes it to the landfill without causing any further complications.
4. Approved Disposal at Regulated Waste Disposal Facilities
Only specific landfills will accept asbestos – we work with our partners at disposal sites to ensure that the highest environmental standards are being upheld, and that all safe handling processes are being adhered to. When it reaches the disposal site, the asbestos materials are registered, deposited in a safe, specialised landfill cell, and contained underground to ensure that they don’t contaminate other materials or environments.
Why DIY Disposal of Asbestos is Unsafe (and Illegal)
Asbestos fibres are highly respirable. The health consequences are dire. The financial and environmental regulations are strict. It’s not something you should leave to DIY handywork. Due to the microscopic nature of these asbestos fibres, you likely won’t even know that you’ve caused contamination. That’s contamination that can have life-altering consequences for you and your family, and your entire vicinity: “DIY asbestos removal puts lives at risk – including your own and your neighbours,” Steve Dunlop at HMG says.
How we ensure safe and compliant asbestos removal
At HMG, our every action centres around safety. We invest in significant training for our staff, and have put nearly three decades of hazardous material removal experience into servicing commercial, educational, and residential clients across South-East Queensland. We create tailored solutions to give our clients the peace of mind they deserve, and work across removal, encapsulation, re-sheeting and roof replacement. In short, we’re your proud partner in regulated waste removal, ensuring that asbestos waste doesn’t impact the health of your family, staff, customers, or environment.
What To Do If You Suspect Asbestos On Your Property
If you suspect asbestos on your property, contact a licensed professional as a matter of priority. Avoid disturbing the site you suspect may be contaminated and vacate the area if at all possible. Once a professional from HMG is on your site, we’ll conduct our extensive inspection and testing. Our customer service team will prioritise your job and get your site back to safety as quickly as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions: Asbestos Disposal in Brisbane & SEQ
These are the questions we often hear from our customers and community when it comes to asbestos waste – and we’ve got the answers ready for you.
Can I take asbestos to the tip myself? Do I need to get waste tracking documentation?
It is highly recommended that you do not transport regulated waste such as asbestos without the help of a professional.
Technically, when transporting quantities of under 1765kg of asbestos-containing materials, you don’t need to have an environmental authority transport or an asbestos removal certificate. However, the process is still difficult and dangerous. Not all council landfills will accept asbestos waste, and the removal of asbestos is a dangerous project for DIYers. You will have to check with the individual council landfill and the relevant environmental authority, and they will be able to direct you to the right information and explain any associated costs you might incur.
How much does asbestos disposal cost?
This is highly variable and is based on the complexity and quantity of asbestos-containing materials. We have our helpful asbestos removal calculator on hand to help you get an idea of the costs involved – try it here. But as always, we’re happy to give you a competitive quote via the form on our website, or via phone!
What safety measures do professionals use?
Professionals have an extremely strong toolkit for dealing with asbestos waste, including extensive PPE that’s not readily available in all hardware stores, including disposable coveralls and high-grade respirators. They’ve also got dust-suppressing equipment that can include specialised spraying and misting systems, as well as industrial-grade HEPA-filtered vacuums that remove asbestos fibres that may have settled in the area. These safety measures aren’t just to support the health and safety of the professionals – they help ensure that when you return to your home, you’re not at any risk of exposure yourself.
The Final Word
At HMG, we take safety seriously – and have nearly three decades of experience to support it. Working with us, you can feel confident that you’re taking the safest path toward an asbestos-free home or business. Need support to remove asbestos? Get in touch with us: we’re here to help!
The Final Word
At HMG, we take safety seriously – and have nearly three decades of experience to support it. Working with us, you can feel confident that you’re taking the safest path toward an asbestos-free home or business. Need support to remove asbestos? Get in touch with us: we’re here to help!