Testing Asbestos

Asbestos Analysis

If you are about to embark on any type of restoration or just feel uneasy about a certain material and you want to be 100% positive that the material you are working with is Asbestos free, QBM offers you a soloution. While all workplaces must have an Asbestos Audit, residential properties do not. STOP - before you start drilling that hole in the babys room check to make sure the wall you are drilling into is Asbestos Free.

All we require is a piece no smaller than the size of a 10 cent piece, and for $80 for the first sample and $50 for each one after you can rest assured that what you are working with has been properly identifed of any Asbestos content.

what you need to do:

1. Scrape a small sample of no more than the size of a 10 cent coin.
2. Seal the surface of where you have taken a sample. ( pva or glue or paint )
3. Place the sample in a plastic snaplock bag and seal then place into another snaplock bag, as all suspect material must be double bagged.
4. Mail it to QBM, PO Box 1474 Capalaba DC 4157.
5. Ensure to enclose your name and contact details
6. Once we have recieved the sample we will be in contact with you.
7. Once samples have been paid for they will be sent to the lab and you will be notified by email or phone and the sample analysis will be sent out to you in the post.

Sampling

Samples should be taken of all suspect friable material. Whatever method is used, it is important that a representative sample be taken. Any change in the appearance, texture or colour of the material will necessitate additional samples being taken. For multi-storey buildings, at least one sample should be taken per floor. Samples taken should be adequately labeled for follow-up action. For example, the name and location of the sampled material, date of sampling and a batch identification number should be recorded.

Analysis

Once obtained, the samples will be analysed. Three methods for identifying asbestos currently exist; Polarised light microscopy (PLM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Electron Microscopy (EM). The PLM method is preferred.

It is important that the analysis be performed by a competent laboratory to ensure accurate results. False results could lead to expensive removal or allow an existing risk to remain.

Analysis of the suspect material is the only acceptable method of identifying the presence or absence of asbestos, i.e. air monitoring to determine the presence of asbestos is not acceptable by itself. Suspect material should be treated as if it contains asbestos, until the results of the analysis are available.