Asbestos: Inhalation prohibited
Products containing asbestos have been banned in Switzerland since 1990. Not all asbestos deposits have been eliminated. Every handyman and do-it-yourselfer must be aware of the associated health hazards.
Even today, workers can come into contact with a wide variety of building materials containing asbestos - especially during demolition work in the course of conversions. Asbestos is found in particular in panel adhesives and plaster, in plastic floor coverings, false ceilings, paints or mastics, as well as in asbestos-cement products on the building envelope and in sewer pipes. In buildings built before 1990, those performing maintenance, renovation and deconstruction work must expect to encounter asbestos-containing material during their work. This applies in particular to construction workers, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, painters, plasterers, roofers and façade builders. Decades can pass from inhalation of asbestos dust to the onset of asbestos disease. Therefore, prevention is important now during remodeling work.
Clarify asbestos before construction begins
If a builder or architect is planning to convert or renovate a building constructed before 1990, a building inspection is required beforehand. For this purpose, he should call in a building diagnostician at an early stage. During this inspection, the expert will check the building for possible asbestos deposits, have suspicious materials examined in the laboratory and prepare further measures in the event that asbestos removal is necessary.
The advantages of early detection of asbestos
Early detection of pollutants is necessary for compliance with legal requirements relating to employee safety and environmental protection. At the same time, planning and cost security are improved. If there is a suspicion that particularly hazardous substances such as asbestos may be present during a conversion, the employer must identify the hazards in detail. In a second step, the risks must be assessed. Based on this, the necessary measures must be planned.
Involve asbestos specialists
Work that may release significant quantities of asbestos fibers that are hazardous to health may only be carried out by recognized asbestos abatement companies. These companies are obliged to notify Suva of any remediation work (for example, remediation of weakly bound asbestos). The directive prescribes protective measures such as the wearing of respirators, protective suits and the sealing off of the remediation zone as well as the erection of warning signs. Before the protective measures are lifted, the asbestos concentration in the remediation zone must be checked by means of a clearance measurement.
