Balancing the Costs of Removing Asbestos Without Compromising Safety or Professional Expertise
The headlines often focus on the immediate impact of asbestos discoveries – buildings shut down, projects delayed, and the specter of health risks hanging over everyone involved. But behind these stories lies another, equally important narrative: the process of asbestos abatement itself.
Ohio town saves money on asbestos abatement of its courthouse
Recent news out of Medina, Ohio, where demolition costs for a courthouse came in lower than expected, offers an important lesson: While cost is a factor in dealing with asbestos, cutting corners or sacrificing expertise can be a dangerous and expensive mistake. It’s a situation that highlights the importance of planning, getting multiple bids, and understanding how to make asbestos removal as efficient as possible. However, the situation also provides an important opportunity to emphasize the importance of proper abatement through a qualified professional.
The Medina courthouse story, while seemingly about saving money, should be seen as a lede into the wider discussion on best practices for asbestos remediation. It’s crucial to understand that when dealing with a known carcinogen like asbestos, the first and most important step is ensuring public safety. This isn’t an area where cutting corners or seeking the cheapest bid should be the primary concern. It’s about professional expertise, proper procedures, and compliance with safety regulations. While it is important to be efficient and to reduce downtime, this should be accomplished with an eye towards following best practices, and not with a strategy of shortcutting needed steps for safety.
Why Professional Abatement is Non-Negotiable
The reasons for using a professional asbestos abatement company aren’t just for safety – they are also rooted in medical and legal necessity. Asbestos exposure is linked to devastating diseases like mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. These diseases have a long latency period, which means it can be years, even decades, before symptoms appear. It is impossible to know if you have exposed yourself to asbestos, without the proper testing and the use of protective equipment.
Asbestos causes significant health problems and disease, including cancer.
When it comes to the handling and removal of these materials, the risks are substantial and very real. Professional asbestos abatement specialists are rigorously trained in handling asbestos safely and in accordance with strict regulations. They use specialized equipment to contain the fibers, prevent them from becoming airborne, and ensure proper disposal. They have the training and experience to know where asbestos might be hidden, what specific procedures are called for in different situations, and will know how to test for asbestos levels throughout the abatement process. This expertise significantly reduces the risk of exposure to both workers and the public. Attempting to remove asbestos yourself or hiring a non-certified contractor is a serious gamble with the health of yourself and everyone around you.
Failing to inspect and address asbestos exposure can create legal liability for landowners.
From a legal perspective, failure to comply with asbestos regulations can lead to hefty fines and costly lawsuits. Using a professional, certified asbestos abatement company not only ensures compliance but also provides a paper trail that can be critical in the event of legal claims. Improper removal can easily lead to liability issues that can prove significantly more expensive than the money saved on the removal itself. The cheapest route will not always be the least expensive.
Worth the Money, But Get Multiple Bids
While professional asbestos abatement is an investment, it’s an investment in safety and in long-term health. The long-term costs of asbestos exposure – health problems, medical bills, lost work time – far outweigh the cost of professional removal. It’s therefore important to view asbestos remediation as a necessary expense, much like essential plumbing or electrical upgrades.
That being said, it’s also reasonable to be cost-conscious and to seek efficiency. It’s worthwhile to obtain multiple bids from certified abatement companies and to compare these bids to determine how they can best align with your needs. It is essential to ask detailed questions about procedures and timelines to be sure that the bids are comparable in scope of work and in expected outcomes. Getting several quotes will allow you to see where your needs can be efficiently met. However, remember that the absolute cheapest bid should be treated with some caution. Make sure that the company can provide evidence of training, licensing and insurance, and that they can fully explain their procedures. Choosing a company solely based on the lowest price could result in significant problems later on.
The Dangers of Locality and Legacy Asbestos
It’s crucial to also remember the dangers of legacy asbestos. This refers to the asbestos that’s present in older buildings constructed before the mid-1980s. Asbestos was widely used due to its durability, fire resistance, and insulating properties. It is commonly found in insulation, floor tiles, ceiling tiles, pipe coverings, and roofing materials. Over time, the asbestos-containing materials can deteriorate and become friable, meaning they can easily crumble and release fibers into the air. The microscopic asbestos fibers have no taste or smell, and once airborne, they can be easily inhaled. This means that anyone using or accessing the building may be exposed.
Nearly every building constructed before the mid-1980s included asbestos building products.
Many public buildings, including schools, libraries, and government offices, constructed during this period, may still contain significant amounts of asbestos. The problem is not just in large commercial structures, it’s also a problem in residential and smaller buildings.
Even seemingly minor activities such as routine maintenance, repair, or renovation work can disturb these materials and put people at risk. That means that even in the process of upgrading an older home, you could be inadvertently exposing yourself. This is the reason for emphasizing professional asbestos abatement and why it should not be taken lightly.
A Cautionary Tale
The importance of using a professional cannot be stressed enough. This isn’t an area where you can afford to cut corners. As a cautionary tale, consider this report on asbestos in the New York City subway system: “The MTA failed to fully notify employees about the presence of asbestos, and did not adequately ensure workers were following protective protocols.”
Asbestos was disturbed and handled improperly which exposed workers in an uncontrolled way. This highlights how even in a large-scale and publicly funded project, a failure to adhere to basic protocols can put everyone at risk. Such a case should make all of us stop and think about the potential risks if this kind of negligent behavior occurs during our abatement project.