Asbestos is one of the top construction materials that pose serious health risks today. As a commercial property owner, understanding hiding asbestos is crucial to protecting your customers and employees, and ensuring their safety today. By identifying the potential warning signs, you’ll be able to put measures in place to avoid the health and financial risks associated with asbestos exposure.
In this blog, you’ll discover a few warning signs to know it’s time your commercial property needs asbestos testing today.
Warning Signs Your Commercial Building Needs Asbestos Testing
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is often used in construction products. Manufacturers use this substance today because of its properties:
- Fire resistance
- Corrosion resistance
- High tensile strength
- Acoustical insulation
- Non-conducive properties to heat and electricity
As beneficial as asbestos is, it also has its issues. One of them is that it poses health risks. This explains why the US manufacturers stopped using them in their products today. Although asbestos is no longer in use, materials containing this substance still linger in older commercial properties today. When released during remodeling or renovation projects, these materials can cause significant health issues.
With the following warning signs, know it’s time to do asbestos testing on your commercial building:
1. Deteriorating Asbestos in Insulation
Is your commercial property created before 1980? If yes, then there’s a big chance that the property was constructed with asbestos-containing materials. In this case, asbestos may be present in several areas, including the ceiling, roofing material, and insulation.
Speaking of insulation, one area you certainly need to check is your boiler’s insulation. You should also check the insulation around insulation furnaces and pipes. With time, these insulations tend to deteriorate due to various factors—including heat and wear. When this happens, harmful asbestos fibers can be released into the air.
Having insulations around your pipes, boilers, and furnaces isn’t enough to know that your commercial building possesses asbestos. For clarity purposes, it makes sense to carry out asbestos testing with a reliable company like the Accredited Environmental Safety Corps. This company will test different areas of your property to identify any signs of asbestos. If this substance is detected, they’ll schedule an asbestos survey help your company to stay compliant with safety regulations in New York.
2. Damaged Floor Tiles
Asbestos-containing materials are often used in vinyl floor tiles and ceiling panels of old commercial buildings. When cracked or broken, these floor tiles can pose significant health issues to people.
You should consider carrying out asbestos testing if you currently have damaged floor tiles. You should do this before going ahead to repair or replace the floor tiles. By testing the affected areas, you can quickly find out if your building has asbestos. If yes, a good company will help you put safety measures in place to ensure the renovation project doesn’t release harmful asbestos fibers into the air.
3. Discolored Walls
Do you currently notice areas with unexplainable discoloration around your walls? If yes, then this could be a sign there are damaged asbestos-containing materials in your building. You can’t be too sure and this explains why it makes sense to carry out asbestos testing.
A reliable company, such as the Accredited Environmental Safety Corps, can help you conduct the test. If asbestos is detected, they’ll schedule an asbestos survey to assess the potential risks of the fibers released. In addition, this survey will guide you on how to put necessary safety measures in place during renovations.
Why Exactly Is Asbestos Testing Crucial?
By testing your commercial building for the presence of asbestos, below are a few things you can expect:
- First, you’ll be able to identify the presence of asbestos in your property.
- By identifying harmful asbestos-containing materials, you’ll be able to come up with strategies for safe handling.
- Being aware of asbestos also allows you to safely remove the affected materials without releasing the asbestos fibers.
Visit the Accredited Environmental Safety Corps via its official website today to learn more about how both asbestos testing and asbestos survey work.