How Asbestos Audits Minimise Exposure Risks During Demolitions
It is important for an asbestos audit to be conducted before demolition work begins on any section of a building. This article discusses some of the ways through which an asbestos audit can be helpful in minimising asbestos exposure risks as you demolish part of your old commercial building.
Better Budgeting
The asbestos audit can help you to budget appropriately for the demolition project. This is because the audit can alert you to the need of hiring asbestos abatement experts to remove any asbestos within the section of the building that will be demolished before demolition work begins. Asbestos abatement increases project costs so the audit enables you to plan for those additional resources before you select a demolition firm to effect the demolition. This can also help you to reduce exposure risks by budgeting for safety mechanisms, such as supplementary HVAC facilities, for other sections of the building.
Proper Contractor Selection
An asbestos audit can also help you to set the parameters that prospective demolition contractors should meet in order to bid for the demolition job at your commercial building. The asbestos audit report also helps the contractors to bid when they know what will be required in order to remove the asbestos that was discovered at the proposed demolition site.
You can therefore be sure that the contractors that you select will have the appropriate certification and equipment to conduct asbestos abatement before they start demolishing that section of the building. Appropriate equipment can prevent the accidental release of asbestos fibres into the atmosphere as abatement activities are going on.
Thus, an asbestos audit report can help you to save some money by allowing you to hire a single team of contractors to conduct both asbestos abatement and demolition. This may be more affordable than having to hire separate teams to conduct those activities.
Institution of Adequate Supervision of Demolition Works
Having an asbestos audit report before demolition work begins also allows you to recruit proper supervision personnel for the demolition works. For instance, you may hire an industrial hygienist to oversee the demolition works. That hygienist will also confirm that no asbestos residue is present once the demolition is complete. This can enable other users of the building to resume using the rest of the building sooner without having to wait for an external team to come and conduct tests for asbestos fibres after the demolition works.
Do not rely on an old asbestos register when demolition work is planned on your commercial building. Have an asbestos audit done so that you have the latest information that will help all concerned parties to do their part in safely removing any asbestos that exists where demolition work is going to be done.