Asbestos Sampling

[Milkybars]

The search engine is throwing up loads of suppliers. Could anyone give me a recommendation ?
This is a fairly large area of 4 single garage roofs and want to ensure before I go down the disposal route is actually asbestos or contains it

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

I've used www.asbestos-sampling.com ...they were quick to send out the sampling kit and quick to send back the results.

I agree with your approach....I did the same...best to find out what stuff is before launching into expensive removal work.

 

[Parm]

Post up a picture on here. Easy to tell if it’s corrugated AC sheeting

 

[Agroshield]

In case it does turn out to need special disposal, have a look at your local council's site.

In London, for _domestic_ asbestos, there is a cheap/subsidised/maybe free service available.

The scheme is administered by the City of London. See these ones for Ealing and Harrow, which both link to the City one:

Other ways to get rid of your rubbish | Other ways to get rid of your rubbish | Ealing Council

You can take your waste to the tip, ask for a bulky collection or if it is hazardous, contact City of London

www.ealing.gov.uk

Asbestos and hazardous waste – Harrow Council

Find out what you need to do to expose of asbestos and hazardous waste safely

www.harrow.gov.uk

Hazardous Waste Collection - My City

cityoflondon-self.achieveservice.com

So there might be something similar in your area.

 

[ampegboy1]

I've used Cavendish Laboratories in Writtle (just outside Chelmsford) for asbestos identification from samples in the past and been very satisfied with their service.

Michael

 

[jimbo84]

I've used www.asbestos-sampling.com ...they were quick to send out the sampling kit and quick to send back the results.

I agree with your approach....I did the same...best to find out what stuff is before launching into expensive removal work.

I've used these too and thought they were a good service. You can get the sample only kits a bit cheaper if you have your own PPE.

Also same company is available on amazon prime next day if you're in a rush.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

you can get the sample only kits a bit cheaper if you have your own PPE.

I had a bunch of suspect materials...including vinyl kitchen tiles from the 1960s (who knew they can contain asbestos!). As it happens because they are low risk I decided to remove the tiles myself using the full haz mat suit, mask, gloves (duct taped up)....plastic bags over my shoes (also duct taped up). It was the middle of the summer too so I got bloomin hot...but it was worth taking every precaution....except...

...what I should have done is sent off a sample to get it tested before I started....because then I would have known for sure that it wasn't bloomin asbestos and I could have done the lot in my shorts and a t-shirt

 

[Barking Mat]

If it's brown, leave it alone.

Or blue.

Generally.

 

[BarrieJ]

Parm's right, corrugated AC sheeting is easily identifiable, it generally has a dimpled or swirled finish.
I recently had a single garage roof removed and disposed of. They quoted from size and photographs, £730, all in.
Disposal team, three in all, full Hazmat suits took about an hour, it was loaded into the back of an adapted van, sealed from the occupants.
Payment in cash or bank transfer. They were a firm in Northampton I think, so perhaps unlikely to operate as far as Essex.

 

[keithski122]

Our local tip will tke up to ten sheets if its bagged(£12 per sheet/bag), handy as I'll have a garage roof to get shot of next year.

 

[addjunkie]

Our council will arrange a single garage roof too.

 

[Parm]

I had a bunch of suspect materials...including vinyl kitchen tiles from the 1960s (who knew they can contain asbestos!). As it happens because they are low risk I decided to remove the tiles myself using the full haz mat suit, mask, gloves (duct taped up)....plastic bags over my shoes (also duct taped up). It was the middle of the summer too so I got bloomin hot...but it was worth taking every precaution....except...

...what I should have done is sent off a sample to get it tested before I started....because then I would have known for sure that it wasn't bloomin asbestos and I could have done the lot in my shorts and a t-shirt

With the vinyl floor tiles how big was the area and how many samples did you submit ?

A very legitimate question

 

[Parm]

Parm's right, corrugated AC sheeting is easily identifiable, it generally has a dimpled or swirled finish.
I recently had a single garage roof removed and disposed of. They quoted from size and photographs, £730, all in.
Disposal team, three in all, full Hazmat suits took about an hour, it was loaded into the back of an adapted van, sealed from the occupants.
Payment in cash or bank transfer. They were a firm in Northampton I think, so perhaps unlikely to operate as far as Essex.

View attachment 371668

Thank you

To be fair this sending samples by post to prove analysis and reassurance is complete fecking tosh

But every time i say anything despite this being my trade i get told i dont know

One sample of anything doesn't tell you anything, nothing at all.

Some very clever people have written reams of guidance on how many samples you should take of any substrate to ensure reliability

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

With the vinyl floor tiles how big was the area and how many samples did you submit ?

Was a kitchen floor about 3mx4m...black and white tiles. I did (I think) a sample of each colour at random including the glue on the backs (just in case!)....should I have done more samples do you think?

I sent them a total of 8 samples of various bits from around the house....the one positive that came back was the cement flu pipe which I knew was asbestos but I sent it in anyway as I wanted to see if they'd pick it up....plus I wanted the lagging tested too.

 

[Parm]

Was a kitchen floor about 3mx4m...black and white tiles. I did (I think) a sample of each colour at random including the glue on the backs (just in case!)....should I have done more do you think?

I sent them a total of 8 samples of various things....the one positive that came back was the cement flu pipe which I knew was asbestos but I sent it in anyway as I wanted to see if they'd pick it up....plus I wanted the lagging tested too.

It doesnt matter now as the job is done and it was probably years ago

 

[bricol]

My local council's advice:

https://www.bradford.gov.uk/recycling-and-waste/hazardous-waste/asbestos/

I bolted several sheets together through the existing holes, wrapped them in the recommended thick polythene, did a few bundles - took two of us to lift each bundle - turned up about lunch time, tip operatives wanted lunch so helped us unload in double quick time.

Not too sure what my wearing of PPE did for me while de-roofing the garage - my dad used to be self employed designing and building packaging machinery - used to hacksaw and file asbestos sheet . . . the dust made excellent material for Dinky toy excavators and dump trucks to move for a small boy back in the 70's . . .

 

[mtt.tr]

I was lead to believe that vinyl tiles are deemed nonfriable

 

[addjunkie]

Thank you

To be fair this sending samples by post to prove analysis and reassurance is complete fecking tosh

But every time i say anything despite this being my trade i get told i dont know

One sample of anything doesn't tell you anything, nothing at all.

Some very clever people have written reams of guidance on how many samples you should take of any substrate to ensure reliability

Sample collection and preparation is a “trade in itself” to do it properly. When I first left school, between been fired by my Father and Starting my cadet ship togoto sea, I spent 3 months working for a Public Analyst place, as gofa lab tech. There was one guy there who did nothing but collect samples and prepare them for what ever testing was required.

 

[Parm]

Sample collection and preparation is a “trade in itself” to do it properly. When I first left school, between been fired by my Father and Starting my cadet ship togoto sea, I spent 3 months working for a Public Analyst place, as gofa lab tech. There was one guy there who did nothing but collect samples and prepare them for what ever testing was required.

Not only that, it’s knowing when and where to take a sample and then how many

There are procedures for not only taking a sample safely but knowing where and how many samples

Good labs are UKAS accredited to ISO 17025

This sending PPE in the post to allow you to take your own sample is **Language**ing BS.

Firstly you won’t be fave fit tested, then you wo t be trained in its use

Bloody boils my **** with these internet sharksters conning the innocent

 

[Pete.]

Vinyl tiles are generally very low risk, probably the only thing lower is mastic.

Corrugated sheets are a bit of a lottery. If they contain asbestos it'll usually be very low percentage of crysotile but it could equally contain nothing at all or crysotile and amosite mix though not very likely. Only sampling will tell you. You might even have some sheets on a particular roof with ACM and some without coz they get broken easily and might be replaced or the roof might be sheeted from different batches. The surveyor would (should) spot if there are non-matching sheets and sample each type.

I don't really agree that it's EASY to tell with roof sheeting. We had a toilet block to remove that had cement sheeting. I thought it was definitely asbestos. The machine operator (an old demo boy with miles more experience than me) said it was definitely asbestos. The surveyor who came to take samples said "oh yeah, that's definitely asbestos". Sent the sample in and it was No ACM. He had to come back shortly afterwards and I made him sample it again. Again it was clear. In the end we had the asbestos guys strip it off anyway because it would have caused aggro at the crushing yard if they spotted it in the load.