Asbestos Chicago: Preparing For Removal On Your Own

By Harold Peterson


Home is a place where one should feel safe. While it may give you protection from bad weather and intruders, the fact is that there are many dangers that lie hidden right inside it. One dangerous compound found in most modern homes is asbestos. Exposure to it has been found to lead to serious illnesses such as lung disease. Luckily, there is nothing too difficult in removing asbestos Chicago.

There are many removal firms and individual experts you can contact to help turn your house into the safe haven you want it to be. The main advantage of hiring professionals is that one gets assured of excellent service delivery. Nevertheless, there are many homeowners who see no harm in undertaking removal without professional assistance. If you are part of this group, you can learn a lot with regards to safe removal from the guidelines below.

The preparation process is fairly simple to grasp. First, you ought to carry out a risk assessment. This is what will help you understand the risks involved with such an exercise. This assessment will also give you an idea on the right tools to use and how to go about working in affected areas.

Removing asbestos is quite a delicate thing to do. If done incorrectly, you may end up contaminating clean sections while exposing yourself to the compound. Risk assessment also involves checking for the potential of starting unintended fires, heat exhaustion and the danger of electrical shock.

Once through with assessing the risks, draft an operational plan. To do so, you need to know how much work is at hand. If the work seems too much to handle alone, consider getting a professional to help you out. Your plan should include the type of safety gear to put on and where to get it. There are plenty of stores that stock high quality protective gear in Chicago Illinois.

Next, start cordoning off the affected area so as to prevent the hazardous material from contaminating other areas. This is often done using duct tape. If you have too much furniture and household items to move out of the area, you may seal them using plastic sheathing. It is also crucial to turn off all AC units to prevent the rapid circulation of contaminated air.

For your own safety, you will have to change into protective overalls and put on a gas mask. This should be done before entering the work area. Once ready, the cleaning process may begin. Be careful to wrap all the material you remove in plastic and seal it using duct tape. Furthermore, avoid sweeping as you may end up stirring up dust. Lastly, take out the removed material for disposal at an approved site.

You should also seek a permit from your local authorities beforehand. This will help prove the legality of the exercise. If you abide by these guidelines, the removal process should run smoothly.




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