Denver Asbestos Testing And Analysis: How Does It Work?
Despite restrictions and bans on the use of asbestos containing building materials a few decades ago, many homes and buildings still have it in them. Even newly built homes and buildings may contain asbestos materials.
In Denver and the entire state of Colorado any public building slated for renovation or demolition must be inspected for asbestos.
A government accredited laboratory must analyze samples from the structure before the work can begin.
What Is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a heat-resistant naturally occurring and fibrous silicate mineral. It can be woven into fabrics, building and insulating materials. It is very fire resistant and has been used for centuries, but concerns over its safety led to many countries completely banning the use of it.
The United States has banned several forms of asbestos, but it is still used in some materials. Homes, building or dwellings built in the 1970s and 80s most likely have asbestos in them. Even newly built homes and buildings could have asbestos-laced materials in the roof, insulation and vinyl floor tiles.
Asbestos is very dangerous if inhaled. It can not be broken down and absorbed by the body and often cause lung disorders like cancer. There are two types of asbestos:
- Friable – asbestos that is easily crumbled or pulverized into powder and releases dangerous fibers into the environment
- Non-friable – this is solid asbestos that is not easily crumbled or pulverized and not as dangerous.
Asbestos Testing In Denver, Colorado
To protect the public from unsafe exposure the federal government agency, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), has established guidelines and procedures for the use of, testing for and removal of asbestos. However, each state is responsible for creating and enforcing its own rules, laws and procedures for testing, abatement (removal) or encapsulation (covering) of asbestos.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is the agency that establishes the rules, laws and procedures for asbestos inspections, testing, analysis and removal. This agency is also responsible for the training and ongoing education that asbestos contractors or inspectors must have to be legally certified to work with asbestos.
Whenever a property owner of a public building or dwelling wants to do renovations or demolition the law in Denver requires that the building materials be tested for asbestos. A certified asbestos contractor must conduct the initial inspection, remove materials for analysis and send them to an accredited asbestos testing laboratory.
If friable asbestos is detected then it must be carefully removed by professionals before renovations or demolition can begin. Depending on the analysis, air quality testing may be necessary as the work progress to ensure the contractors, workers and public in general are not being exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos in the air.
Analysis
Asbestos can only be positively identified with a special type of microscope. Laboratories that do asbestos analysis have to be accredited by the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) operated by the National Institute of Standards. If the results of the analysis find there is friable asbestos in the building materials, then there are abatement procedures that have to be strictly adhered to before any work can begin on the building.
Testing For Asbestos At The Work Site
Any building slated for renovations or demolition that the general public could come in contact with must be tested for asbestos by a certified asbestos contractor. A list of those individuals is provide by the EPA for each state. Before hiring anyone to test for asbestos be sure to ask for their credentials.
Prior to testing all air-conditioning, fans and any kind of ventilation system that could spread asbestos fibers into the air should be shut off. The area should be closed off to everyone accept the inspector. Plastic sheeting should be laid out and secured in place with tape and water sprayed on the areas to be tested to minimize the risk of fibers escaping into the air.
The asbestos professional will first do a visual inspection of the property. You cannot tell if a wall or floor tile has asbestos in it just by looking at it. The visual inspection is to identify areas or things that may have friable asbestos like:
- Disintegrating pipes
- Frayed or worn vinyl floor tiles
- Insulation
- Crumbling wall tiles
- Cracks, dusty areas or anywhere materials appear to be breaking apart
The next step in testing is to collect samples from around the work area. These samples are carefully stored in a plastic bag to be sent to the lab.
After testing, those areas where materials were removed should be patched with a plastic sheet or taped to prevent asbestos fibers from escaping into the environment. All clothing worn by the asbestos contractor and the materials used during the test should be placed in a sealed plastic bag for disposal.
Even if no asbestos is detected in the samples the State of Colorado requires you to pay a fee and submit a notice to demolish or renovate ten working day prior to the project beginning.
Homeowners
A homeowner is not required by law to test for asbestos materials before renovations and are allowed to remove materials containing it without a permit. However, the EPA and all public health agencies STRONGLY recommend that you have your home tested by a professional asbestos contractor before beginning any renovations or demolition. You should never attempt to remove anything that might contain asbestos because the risk of releasing fibers into your home and putting your family’s health at risk.
The older your home the more likely it contains dangerous friable asbestos. Even if you remove the materials yourself you can not legally transport it anywhere without a permit from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and CDOT (CO Department of Transportation).
Only five landfills in the entire state will accept asbestos containing materials and they have very specific guidelines as to what they will dispose of. It is best to hire a professional, certified asbestos contractor (or company) to perform the initial tests and interpret the laboratory analysis. If abatement is needed they can do that for you safely and dispose of it properly.
Best Asbestos Practices in Denver Colorado
Because of the extreme health hazards of asbestos exposure there are very strict guidelines concerning its removal and disposal. Failing to get the required testing done by a certified asbestos contractor and following safe abatement procedures for removal can result in big fines and severe penalties. Work on a building may even be halted if the proper testing is not done to ensure all workers on-site are not being exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos fibers in the air.
No property owner or homeowner should risk not following the rules, procedures and laws when it comes to asbestos removal. Hiring a certified asbestos contractor is the safest and smartest way to ensure that neither yourself, your family or anyone else is exposed to the dangerous fibers. The testing procedures, precautions and analysis by accredited laboratories assures that asbestos is handled properly and does not pose a health risk to the public.