Safety and Protective Equipment in Asbestos Abatement

If you’re renovating your home and are potentially handling asbestos embedded materials, you’re going to need more than household clothing and disposable masks to properly safeguard yourself from the hazardous material. From the pictures on our website, you’ll notice that our contractors at 24/7 Restoration are in hazmat suits and are always wearing respirators to protect themselves from any contact with asbestos. Read the blog below for more information on the protective gear our contractors wear when handling any hazardous materials.

If you’ve ever visited a friend that has a dog that sheds, you were probably annoyed with the amount of hair that attaches itself to you. At least dog hair isn’t a hazardous material that can cause numerous health risks like asbestos fibers.  Asbestos fibers are very fine and easily attach themselves to clothes. The major risk is when non-contractors, like homeowners, don’t wear protective clothing when handling asbestos. The fine asbestos fibers attach to people’s clothing and unknowingly they go out into public areas where the fibers can be breathed in by anyone. Patting down or brushing off the asbestos will not remove the fibers from your clothes. At 24/7 Restoration our contractors wear protective gear that is made of material that is resistant to the penetration of asbestos fibers. Additionally, the clothing covers the entire body by fitting snuggly at the neck, wrists and ankles. After safely handling asbestos, our contractors undergo a thorough decontamination process to ensure that the fine fibers will not be breathed in by anyone.

The primary manner in which asbestos fibers can cause negative health effects is when it’s breathed in, that’s why it’s vital that anyone handling the material uses a respirator. Homeowners or non-professionals that are using disposable respirators are not protecting themselves from the asbestos fibers. Unfortunately, disposable and single use respirators are not effective for working around asbestos. With asbestos handling, our contractors always use either air-purifying respirators or an air-supplied respirator, ensuring that they don’t breathe in the hazardous material.

Handling and disposing of hazardous materials such as asbestos is best left to trained contractors and professionals. For more information on asbestos abatement, contact 24/7 Restoration in Calgary today at (403) 247-4365.