Non-friable asbestos can be very difficult to identify. The only way to be sure that the material you are dealing with is asbestos is to take a sample of the material and send it to a lab for analysis. This is also a good way to prove that a material does not contain asbestos. If the material is suspected of being asbestos then treat it as though it contains asbestos. To remove non-friable asbestos is essential as asbestos mixed with another material could be hazardous for your health. Non-friable means that the material is unable to be crumbled into dust by hand pressure. Examples of asbestos products that would be classified as non-friable are asbestos roofs and asbestos walls. Examples of asbestos products that are classified as friable would be asbestos ropes and asbestos insulation.
You need to follow some important procedures to safely remove non-friable asbestos:
Never break up or smash an asbestos product this will release asbestos. When removing always wet the material down either with water or even better spray a solution of PVA glue onto the material. If nails or screws are holding the material in place carefully remove the nails by nail puller, cold chisel or flooring spike. A nail puller will pull the nail out a cold chisel will take the head of the nail and a flooring spike can be used to push the nail back. It is found that the larger nails are better removed with the nail puller and smaller nails with a flooring spike.
Screws or bolts are to be removed by hand-powered tools, electric-powered tools are not recommended because of the potential to damage the asbestos. Personal protective equipment to be used to remove non-friable asbestos includes disposable overalls, gloves and respirator. Overalls and gloves are thrown out after every use. Respirators can be used again, only if they are a reusable type. The respirator should be the first piece of equipment you put on and the last piece of equipment to take off.
Take necessary safety precautions while working inside the room:
When working indoors with asbestos the room in which you are working needs to be sealed off. This is to stop the spread of asbestos dust into other parts of the building. You can do this with some builders plastic and duct tape. Once you have finished removing non-friable asbestos its time to clean up. For this, you will need a vacuum that has a micron filter. Vacuum all floors and walls thoroughly. Once vacuumed you can take down all the plastic. Dispose of the plastic as asbestos waste. Your room should now be safe for human habitation again.