Construction & Contractors Blog
Proper management of asbestos in the soil is crucial, especially if you are planning on developing the contaminated land. Unfortunately, there are numerous risk involved in handling, removing and remediating the soil. In simple terms, if the soil is disturbed, the asbestos fibres within will be released. If the particles are inhaled, they will cause harm to the people around. Therefore, you should establish a strategy to keep the asbestos fibres from contaminating the air. Here are some practical guidelines to help you accomplish this goal.
Apply Asbestos Encapsulant
You should think about using an encapsulating product to keep the asbestos from flying into the air during the remediation process. An encapsulant is usually a solution with special chemicals incorporated for this purpose. Simply speaking, the solution will wet the soil, preventing it from becoming dust. In addition, the chemicals will enclose the asbestos into capsules, minimising the risk of the fibres escaping. If you choose to use an encapsulant, you should consider using a sprayer to ensure even distribution of the solution.
Consider Using Misters
You can use misters to distribute water or a specialty chemical on your contaminated land before beginning remediation. As implied, the mister will distribute the fluid in form of a mist on the soil. Consequently, the soil particles will remain on the ground instead of rising into the air. When using a mister, you will need to obtain a track hoe for optimal convenience and efficiency. Misters can be pulled by tractors or other similar equipment. However, these are unsuitable because they travel ahead of the mister and disturb the dry soil.
Check the Time
When preparing to apply an encapsulant, water or other chemicals on the soil, you should choose the right time for the process. In general, if you choose to wet the contaminated land at the middle of the day, you will experience losses and inconveniences because the fluids will evaporate prematurely. Therefore, you should make time in the early morning or evening for this activity. The cool temperature will allow the distributed moisture to settle in the soil without immediate evaporation.
Wear Safety Equipment
You should ensure that your asbestos soil removal specialists have the right personal protective equipment to handle this dangerous task. Typically, some dust and asbestos particles will fly from the ground because disturbance cannot be completely avoided. The removalists should have respirators, coveralls and suitable shoes to prevent contamination during the work. You should discuss the safety measures with your contractor before commissioning the project.
Share4 January 2018
Hello, my name is Colin and this is my construction blog. When people think of the construction industry, they often just imagine guys in hard hats building brick walls. While this is a popular image of the industry, it doesn't reflect the true diversity of different contractors and tradesmen who are involved in a construction project. Lasy year, my wife and I decided to construct our dream home. I had to arrange visits of plumbers, roofers, electricians, surveyors and home builders in order to get the job done. I learnt a lot during that experience, so I decided to start this blog.