You’re going to work to support your family, not to contaminate them. Being a tradesperson can expose you to risks that you’re not specifically equipped for; we don’t want to see you take home unwanted surprises from site.
If you suspect there may be asbestos containing materials or remnants from old building works, you can’t be too safe. Encountering asbestos on your clothing and then heading home could have disastrous impacts not only on your health, but on that of your loved ones.
While completely intact asbestos may not pose a risk to health, many maintenance jobs that tradies and handy people complete on a routine basis could carry inherent risks if they don’t recognise where asbestos may be involved in the job.
Here are some of the most common asbestos dangers to maintenance, trade workers and DIY renovators.
Bathroom Strip outs and Renovations
These strips outs can encounter several types of asbestos, with the most common being compressed from containing asbestos and asbestos wall linings. Removing these materials, cutting into them for pipes and wires, or sanding them is dangerous. These dangers are particularly present for:
Carpenters, Plasterers, Tilers, Demolition Crew and Renovators.
Power and Tech Installations
Installation of new lights, cameras, security systems, network & telecommunication cables and house rewires can be problematic if there is asbestos insulation, cladding, flooring or eve linings.
Even if your asbestos cladding and eves are intact, installing of wires and conduits usually required holes to be drilled. If it’s asbestos – forget it! These jobs are particularly present for:
Electricians, Telecommunications installers
Repairing Old Plumbing
When old pipes under a house need replacing, at times plumbers will change pipework under the building. If this requires cutting through the flooring material, great care needs to be taken to ensure the new holes aren’t going through compressed ACM.
This is an ever present danger for Plumbers.
Grounds Maintenance
Being outside in nature might sound like a healthy way to spend a day. Unfortunately though, if there are old asbestos fences or asbestos clad sheds, outhouses etc, your day may be anything but healthy!
Be sure not to whipper snip, pressure wash or in any way impact, abrase or damage asbestos cladding.
This is a common danger for Grounds Maintenance Workers.
If you’re in doubt, don’t be afraid to say something, request testing and stay safe! For safe asbestos removal, HTS Group are well here to help.
Find out more about Asbestos management www.grouphts.com.au/asbestos-lead/
Or residential asbestos www.grouphts.com.au/residential/asbestos/
Thankfully, the Australian Government has now made available a free two-hour online course for trades and those likely to be around asbestos to help identify the hazards. Read more on that here