Asbestos is a harmful chemical known for its good fire retarding properties and also for its harmful cancerous side effects resulting from prolonged exposure to damaged asbestos containing materials which release asbestos fibers into the air. The asbestos fibers are harmful as they are indestructible one released into the air by heat or other environmental effects. They are invisible to the human eye and so there is no way the person will know if he is inhaling the asbestos fibers. Only after careful examination in the laboratory can these fibers be detected. The asbestos fibers can get trapped in the lungs and deposit in huge amounts causing lung cancer, asbestosis and many other chronic diseases. The diseases caused due to the asbestos fibers cannot be cured easily and at times chemotherapy, radiotherapy or repeated use of medication become a necessity.

There is no way to tell just by looking at a tile or pipe line if it contains the harmful asbestos in it. Only a careful examination by a professional can help in determining and proper removal can be done if necessary. Asbestos surveyors are professionals who can help with the asbestos detection and remove the asbestos without causing further damage to it which will release more asbestos fibers into the air. These professional have the required training to find out if the material contains asbestos in it and also follow procedures for proper removal. Making sure you do not inhale the asbestos is necessary, so special masks which filter out the asbestos fibers are used for this purpose. Also the asbestos fibers tend to stick to the clothing and protective clothing has to be worn. The asbestos has to be removed by first placing it inside water and soap solution to make sure all the asbestos becomes sticky and cannot fly freely into the air. Then the material has to be secured inside at least four heavy duty trash bags and tied well to ensure there is no asbestos fiber displaced into the air during transportation. The proper way to finally dispose of the product is bury it inside a land fill that allows asbestos disposal. Asbestos surveyors must make sure that they follow the guide lines specified by their health management centre for the specific state or country.

Before demolishing old buildings asbestos surveyors must be called upon and proper care must be taken to ensure all asbestos materials are accounted for. There are friable and non friable forms of asbestos. The friable from can be easily crushed by force of the human hand and these as the most dangerous as they can be easily pulverized into pieces with minimum exertion of force, which greatly increases the risks that come with repeated usage. The non friable ones are used in tiles, sidings, boiler linings and so on for the fire retarding properties and they all come with a plastic encapsulation for dual protection. So once you find the encapsulation damaged you can remove it on your own taking the necessary safety precautions or go for professional help if needed. In the case of a building destruction where everything is going to be crumpled it is a must that all asbestos material be removed prior to destruction of the building. Even the non friable asbestos becomes friable when there is such a huge force applied as in the case of a building destruction or renovation.

The asbestos surveyors undertake the asbestos survey specific to the project requirements. The particular asbestos survey must be used only for its intended purpose. The survey conducted for a pre purchase survey will not be enough if the building is going to be demolished. As in the case of a purchase survey the non friable asbestos might not have been taken into account. It is mandatory that a thorough check up be performed before demolition with proper professional help and asbestos disposal be done following the regulations put forth by the health and safety department. A set of procedures are followed in general,

• Determining the nature of materials used in the construction of the building to point out where asbestos might have been used for quick analysis.
• Existing data like the building plan and recent laboratory analysis reports must be reviewed to decide which asbestos material has to be taken down first to avoid exposure to the asbestos fibers.
• Proper equipment and safety clothing for the asbestos surveyor is a must. Wearing asbestos filtering masks are mandatory. The main way the asbestos gets inside the lungs is through breathing and ingestion. Once it settles down in the lungs it just keeps piling up as the asbestos fiber does not deteriorate over time.
• A sampling plan must be done on the suspected materials and proper laboratory analysis be done to get to know the extent of damage done. The asbestos fibers are not visible to the human eye and the material containing the asbestos cannot be differentiated just by looking at it. So it is important to stick with the laboratory rules for the best results.
• The exact location, quantity of the asbestos, if it is friable or non friable, damage already there on the asbestos material must all be noted down before going for the actual removal phase. This helps speed up the process as you will know where to look for and be more cautious when removing those items of concern.

A good asbestos survey means less time spent and efficient disposal of the asbestos material is carried out. Individual homes do not need a survey be done for changing their building parts but in the case of a building demolition it is a necessity. The most difficult asbestos material are those that are located in concealed places like heating system, cooling system, water pipes, roofing, drainage lines. These areas are not easily accessible and so it becomes hard to locate where the asbestos fiber is emanating from. Focused inspection is the only way these defects can be found and got rid of in a safe and secure manner.