Proper handling of asbestos-containing material is crucial to avoid exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. Several diseases associated with asbestos exposure include asbestosis, asbestos-related lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Because of the health risks of asbestos exposure, several regulations are in place to make sure that asbestos is not damaged and releases airborne fibers. If you need to handle asbestos-containing materials, you do not need to risk your life and health because there are several asbestos inspection companies which can do the job for you.
Since dealing with asbestos has potential dangerous effects, it’s important to choose the best asbestos inspection company that is qualified, and has competent staff with proper training and experience required for the job.
To make sure that you choose an asbestos inspection company which can properly deal with asbestos for your and your family’s safety, you should always select an expert like Greenlight Services.
Choosing an asbestos inspection company is a difficult decision to make because of the possible consequences it can have. Remember that improper handling of asbestos can increase your and your family’s exposure to asbestos fibers which can lead to fatal lung diseases. To avoid this, below are the things that you should take into consideration, as well as some things that should raise a red flag when looking for an asbestos inspection company.
Employees Who Are Retired or Former Builders
Although having retired or former builders in a company’s employee roster is an advantage for other things, it might not be for the purpose of dealing with asbestos. Knowledge about the building industry does not translate to knowledge of asbestos risk.
Due to the length of time they are doing building works, some retired or former builders, particularly the older ones, are less sensitive when it comes to safety concerns and they may not be keen in observing safety protocols. Because of this, they tend to be less careful in dealing with asbestos. Moreover, these employees probably never had formal safety training which would make their reporting ordinary.
Do a Website Check
If you want to know more about the services of an asbestos inspection company, you can check their website. You can also look for any accreditations the company has on the website because if they have any, they would probably post on their website.
However, you should be wary if the company does not only offer asbestos inspection services but other kinds of inspections as well such as dilapidation reports or termite inspections. You should also avoid companies offering asbestos removal services.
It is important that the asbestos inspection company that you hire specializes in one kind of service. It indicates that they focus their knowledge and resources in perfecting such kind of service.
Opt for a Legitimate Asbestos Inspector
As previously mentioned, you should steer clear of companies which offer asbestos removal services. Therefore, you should scrutinize whether one is an asbestos removalist or an asbestos inspector. Some asbestos removalists pretend to be inspectors. Choosing an asbestos-removalist disguised as an inspector will create an immense conflict of interest.
If you hire someone who is an asbestos removalist acting as an inspector, then there is a great probability that the report would be biased. Those pretend asbestos inspectors are, in reality, engaged in asbestos removal, accordingly, their priority would be their removal business. There would be an inclination on their part to recommend asbestos removal so they would tailor the report as to state that the asbestos materials are in poor condition and require removal. This would result in an inaccurate or substandard report.
You can avoid this situation by checking whether the company has an asbestos removal license. You can look it up at WorkSafe’s website; you can search the name of the company and if it appears in the website, then it has an asbestos removal license. You can also try to ask relatives and friends if they have encountered the particular company; if they have, it is likely that they would have an idea about the company’s other services.
You can also request to see past reports they have done. A typical report should at least be 30-pages long. If their reports are less than this, then you should steer clear of this company.
Don’t Be Fooled by Consultants From Large Consultancies
Large consulting companies with graduate consultants seem impressive and can sway you into choosing them. However, you should still investigate further whether their consultants are properly trained, whether they are overworked or not, and you should check the employee turn-over rates.
Most employees in large consulting firms do not have proper and adequate training and they are overworked, their outputs are often thoughtless and disorganized because they don’t have the proper training and experience.
One way to avoid falling prey to these companies is to check the qualifications of their consultants and how long they have been practicing in the industry. If they have less than five years of experience, then this should raise a red flag on your part.
Choosing an asbestos inspection company can be a task because it requires a lot of thought. But remember that improper handling of asbestos can lead to serious and irreversible repercussions on your’s and your family’s health. So you should be meticulous in selecting the asbestos inspection company that you will hire.
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