Posted on

Quick Guide to Identifying Asbestos and Staying Safe

Newcastle Asbestos removal

The hidden killer, another name for asbestos, defines how the fibres enter and damage the human body from inside. Once it enters your body, it stays within for years. And when it manifests, it poses severe health risks such as cancer. However, the material isn’t dangerous as long as it is left undisturbed.

Identifying Asbestos by Appearance

Based on appearance, asbestos is divided into three types. These are amosite, crocidolite, and chrysotile carrying brown, blue, and white colours respectively. However, it’s not that easy to merely see and identify these fibres as it appears with the knowledge of their colours. Asbestos is microscopic, which makes it impossible for a human to see it with naked eyes.

Identifying Asbestos by Smell

While you can identify several harmful substances with your nose, you can’t do that with asbestos. The fibres don’t carry any smell and can go unnoticed in the air around you for a long time. Even if you get it released along with dust of the material containing asbestos, there will be no change in the smell.

So, How to Identify Asbestos?

With the microscopic size and no smell, you might be wondering if there’s any way to identify that harmful fibrous material. A test or survey is an option you can opt for the same. But again, you will need an expert to carry out the required survey.

Buildings constructed before the ‘80s are likely to contain asbestos in the materials used for building. Alternatively, you can call professionals for Asbestos removal in Newcastle after testing if you start feeling any relevant symptoms or health problems.