Do-It-Yourself Asbestos Sampling
It is almost impossible to tell whether a piece of material contains asbestos just by looking at it. If you are about to start a renovation project or feel uneasy about certain materials in your home it’s best to be 100% certain that you’re safe. A qualified asbestos removal specialist should do asbestos sampling for analysis given the ease at which disturbed asbestos can release harmful fibres into the air. However, if you wish to take samples yourself there are a number of do-it-yourself kits available on the market.
Each kit provider will have procedures in place to correctly and safely gather samples. At a minimum, anybody sampling materials potentially containing asbestos should observe the following:-
- Shut down any ventilation systems, air conditioning and heating ducts to minimise the potential spread of asbestos fibres.
- Make sure nobody is in the room or enters the room until sampling and cleanup is complete.
- Wear disposable gloves.
