Although the use, sale, or import of asbestos is completely banned under Australian law, asbestos can still be found in many older homes. 

If you want to repair, renovate, or rebuild your old home and suspect that a part of it may contain asbestos, it's important to get an asbestos removal company involved before embarking on the project. Enlisting the help of a fully trained professional will ensure the safe and efficient removal of any asbestos that may be present in your home.

So, what's involved in the asbestos removal process? Here are the key steps involved in a typical asbestos removal task. 

Checking for asbestos

From roof shingles and roof flashing to ceiling tiles, floor tiles, siding and insulation, asbestos may be lurking in your home without you even realising it. The first step in the asbestos removal process is to visually inspect your house to identify parts of it that may contain asbestos.

For a comprehensive list of all goods that may contain asbestos, consult this resource. 

Testing for asbestos 

After asbestos removal specialists have identified all the parts of your house that potentially contain asbestos, they'll take a small sample of the suspicious material for testing at an off-site laboratory. 

Once they have the results, they'll know if the suspicious material contains asbestos. If so, they will identify which type is present.

Removing asbestos

The actual removal of asbestos is a job that requires proper planning and meticulous execution to guarantee the safety of workers, the residents, and the general public. All the applicable health and safety protocols and government guidelines must be fully complied with.

These include but are not limited to the following:

• Ensuring all workers are wearing the appropriate PPE for the job, such as safety respirators and disposable clothing.
• Ensuring any friable asbestos isn't disturbed, as it may contaminate the air. 
• Using adhesive-coated plastic sheeting to form an asbestos containment barrier system on-site.

Your asbestos abatement contractor will follow these and other safety guidelines that apply to your specific or region.

Transportation of asbestos waste 

Once all the asbestos material has been removed, it should be transported to a disposal facility in approved plastic containers. If plastic bags are used for packaging asbestos material, any sharp objects present in the waste can damage the plastic packaging and pose health hazards for both people and the environment.

Asbestos removal is a highly dangerous and technical job that requires a certified asbestos removal company to do it safely and properly. If you think you might need to get asbestos removed from your house, feel free to ask a local asbestos removal contractor for help.