Five Critical Tips for Removing Asbestos Safely When You Have Kids
Posted on: 3 August 2015
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The act of removing or mitigating asbestos puts a lot of asbestos fibers into the air, and if inhaled, these fibers can cause lung issues and rare cancers. If you have children in your home, you need to ensure they are protected as you are removing the asbestos from your home. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
1. Leave the house during the asbestos removal
If possible, plan a holiday, go camping or stay at a hotel while the asbestos is being removed. That puts you and your kids safely out of harm's way during the mitigation process. Ideally, you should have professionals from an asbestos removal company like Total Asbestos Services handle the work while you are gone.
2. Seal the abatement room
If you cannot leave the house for any reason, you can stay there safely as long as you completely seal the room where the asbestos is being abated. It isn't enough to just close the doors and windows.
Ideally, you should cover everything in heavy plastic sheets, and you should use large HVAC filters to clean the air in the room. In most cases, these filters sit outside, and their hoses attach the windows of the area being addresses. As they vigorously suck and filter air from the asbestos-ridden area, it prevents it from getting into the rest of the house.
3. Do not let your kids touch the clothing of anyone working in the abatement area
Whether you have hired asbestos abatement professionals or are tackling the job on your own, do not let your kids come into contact with anyone who has been working in the area until after they have changed their clothes.
Even if you have taken steps to stop the asbestos from spreading into other rooms, asbestos fibers will still be the clothes of anyone working in the area. If you take a break from working and your kid gives you a hug, for example, they will be exposed to the fibers.
Instead, after working, everyone should take off their clothes and put them immediately into a bag. Then, they should shower, preferably in an outside shower, and the clothes should be washed.
4. Don't leave waste lying around
Once you remove the asbestos, you need to dispose of it carefully. Make sure it is in airtight bags or sealed containers placed somewhere your kids cannot find or access them. If you have hired abatement professionals, they can take the waste with them and dispose of it.
If you are doing the work yourself, you need to arrange asbestos disposal. Don't just put it in your garbage bin.
5. Check the air before using the room
Once the asbestos-bearing culprit has been removed from your home, check that room to make sure it is safe. Have an expert come in and check the levels of asbestos in the air to make sure it is safe to unseal the room and let your kids use it again.