Being exposed to asbestos dust can put your health at serious risk and, if exposure occurs over a long period, can even be life threatening. Asbestos fibres can lodge in the lungs leading to lifelong health complications running anywhere from respiratory disease to cancer.

When people know they have been exposed to asbestos exposure, there can be an assumption that part of the symptoms of this would occur in an obvious and immediate way (such as skin irritation, difficulty breathing or some other discomfort or pain). However, part of what makes asbestos so hazardous is that symptoms of exposure occur only when asbestos-caused disease occurs and the damage has been done. This isn’t to say early detection is not a factor to recovery, and knowing these symptoms can be life saving information.

Asbestos has an interesting reputation: most people know that it is bad to have it in a building, and needs removing. However, there tends to be less understanding about how and when it is dangerous, what to do if you are exposed to it, and why it is bad in the first place. At Ryno’s, knowing these answers is part of the core value we provide, ensuring only the most safe and secure removal of asbestos through understanding the fibrous material and how it works. If, however, exposure has occurred before we’ve been able to do that, it’s important to keep a close eye on the symptoms of asbestos contact and seek medical attention immediately.

Given the corrosion and heat proof nature of asbestos (the very reason it was utilised in the first place), it was most commonly used in the walls, ceilings, pipes and tiles for insulation purposes. While asbestos is dangerous in any part of a building, it is considered less so when in floor tiles. This doesn’t mean you can be careless with its removal, however. There are procedures and processes for the safe removal of asbestos floor tiles.

Asbestos in building materials is tricky to identify. Initially, it’s largely a guess (for the homeowner or building owner) based on the era it was renovated or built, and then to a degree the types of materials (such as vinyl – though that also helps to speak to the era of the building). With that, there are some materials that carry a higher likelihood of having asbestos than others. One of these is ‘fibro’, where there’s a common misconception that asbestos and fibro are one in the same. Here are how they’re connected, and how they are different.

In the last few years, DIY renovating has increased significantly. It’s hard to pinpoint one single reason, but rather a lot of factors: access to tutorials from other DIY’ers are more easily accessible online, the few years of lockdown had us getting bolder with what we could do ourselves around the house, and also a cost saving practice to do what you can before having a professional come in. However, while some DIY is absolutely fine, there are some things that should be done by a professional, and demolition tops that list. So, what does a demolition contractor actually do? Here’s how they will help you safely achieve your construction jobs.

If you’re unsure of if you have asbestos in the building you own or are working on, sometimes you can find the give-aways in the material that has been used. Some materials themselves are rife with asbestos and the use of them stopped (unlike things like insulation, which changed its materials, so insulation existing in a building isn’t a telltale sign on its own of asbestos). One such asbestos prone material is cement sheeting.

When talking about asbestos, it is typically considered one single material (with a pretty bad reputation). However, it is a little misunderstood. While, yes, it is a dangerous substance when it is disturbed and fibres are released into the air (where they can be inhaled), it is also not just one single material. Asbestos has six different types, used for different materials and sometimes for different reasons. Here are the types of asbestos, and where you can expect to find them.

There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to asbestos, and one of them is that its presence will be immediately evident in some way when you walk into a home or building. Unlike a gas leak or mold, there’s no obvious sensory indicator that there’s asbestos throughout the floors or walls. The best guess that could be made is a likely assumption of asbestos use based on the age of the building (or, more, the year it was built). The best course of action is to have a qualified asbestos expert test the concerning space and have a solid answer. However, it doesn’t dilute the curiosity around asbestos and what it actually looks like…

Asbestos is a dangerous material if it’s let out into the atmosphere. However, the aim is to dispose of materials that likely have, or are confirmed to have, asbestos in it to ensure particles aren’t at risk of being ingested or inhaled. With that, the removal of asbestos is a delicate job that needs expert handling (both for safety and to adhere to legal requirements) and safety at the forefront of the process, and the disposal component is not different. Here is how to safely and legally dispose of up to 10m2 of asbestos if you have it at a property you live at, work in or work on.