Asbestos Soil Removal: What You Need to Know

Posted on: 30 May 2017

If you have recently purchased a piece of land, you may be disheartened to discover that the soil is contaminated with asbestos fibres. However, asbestos contamination doesn't mean that you will not be able to use the land. It simply means that you will need to take steps to have the asbestos contained and removed by a professional soil removal service. Below is a guide to the process of removing soil contaminated by asbestos:

Quarantine 

If contaminated soil is disturbed, it can create clouds of asbestos dust. This dust can then be carried on the wind to the surrounding area. If this dust is inhaled, it can lead to serious health problems. For this reason, it is important that you seal off and quarantine the area by placing warning signs on entry points as soon as asbestos is discovered. A professional soil removal service will be able to provide official-looking signs and barriers.

Testing

The first step is soil testing. The contractor will visit the site and take soil samples from various locations. These samples will be analysed in a lab. The tests which are carried out on the soil will help to establish the type of asbestos which is contaminating the soil and the extent of the contamination.

Removal

Once the area has been contained, and the type and extent of the contamination have been established, the soil removal service will get to work. The contractors will wear specialist personal safety equipment such as goggles and respirators to protect themselves from any asbestos fibres. They will also spray water onto the soil in order to keep it moist. The moisture in the soil will help to trap any asbestos fibres and prevent them from becoming airborne. Using heavy equipment, they will strip the soil from the land to a depth of several feet. This will leave a clean depression in the land which can be refilled using fresh soil.

Disposal

There are strict laws in place which dictate how soil which is contaminated with asbestos can be disposed of. The soil which has been removed from the land will be transported in sealed containers to a specialist disposal site which is equipped to deal with asbestos in accordance with the law. 

If you would like to find out more about the process of asbestos soil removal, you should contact a professional soil removal service today for further help and advice.

Share

How Contractors Helped my Commercial Business

Hello, my name is Craig and I own a large commercial business which is located in Brisbane, Australia. When I purchased my current premises, my company was quite small. However, as my sales improved and I began to buy more stock, I suddenly found that I didn't have room to store it or display it in my small shop. I started to look for new premises but the cost of moving would be very high. Thankfully, my friend suggested I build an extension. I contacted a team of contractors. They constructed a great extension and my business is now doing really well.

Latest Posts