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SAFE- EFFECTIVE- ECO-FRIENDLY -DISCREET

BULK SAMPLING FOR PLM ANALYSIS BY PROFESSIONALS

When it comes to bulk sampling of asbestos PLM, trust the professionals at A1 Eco Mould Asbestos Removal in Toronto. We test all suspect materials to see if they contain asbestos, and if so, at what levels.

Based on the type of material, the number of samples required can go up. It is recommended that a minimum of three samples be taken from any homogeneous area to prove that a material does not contain asbestos.

IDENTIFICATION OF ACBM

The initial inspection to identify all the ACBM in a building begins with locating and listing all homogeneous areas of material that are suspected to contain asbestos. A homogeneous area is an area of surfacing material, thermal system insulation, or miscellaneous material that is uniform in color and texture. According to the EPA, interior materials suspected of containing asbestos must be categorized as one of three types according

Surfacing Materials— These can be categorized as the interior ACBM that has been sprayed on, or applied to surfaces such as structural members, walls, and ceilings,  for acoustical, decorative, fireproofing, or other purposes. The list includes acoustical plaster, hard plasters , fireproofing insulation, spray-applied, or blown-in thermal material, joint or patching compound (wall or ceiling), and textured paints or plasters.


Thermal System Insulation— This can be described as the insulation used to control heat transfer or prevent condensation on pipes and pipe fittings, boilers, breeching, tanks, ducts, and other parts of hot and cold water systems. The systems can be HVAC systems or other mechanical systems. These insulation materials include pipe lagging, pipe wrap, HVAC duct insulation, block insulation, cements and muds, and a variety of other products that may include gaskets and ropes.


Miscellaneous Materials— These are composed of mostly non-friable products and materials found on structural components, structural members or fixtures, such as floor tiles, ceiling tiles, construction mastic for floor and ceiling materials, sheet flooring, fire doors, asbestos cement pipe and board, wallboard, acoustical wall tiles, and vibration damping cloth. However, miscellaneous materials do not include thermal system insulation or surfacing materials.

PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT

Post identifying all the ACBM in the building, a physical assessment of all TSI and friable material must be performed. The physical assessment of ACBM involves classifying the material into one of the following seven Physical Assessment Categories:

Damaged or significantly damaged thermal system insulation (TSI) ACBM
Damaged friable surfacing ACBM
Significantly damaged friable surfacing ACBM
Damaged or significantly damaged friable miscellaneous ACBM
ACBM with potential for damage
ACBM with potential for significant damage
Any remaining friable ACBM or friable suspected ACBM

The physical assessment may include the following considerations:

Location and amount of the material
Condition of the material, specifying:
Type of damage or significant damage
Severity of damage
Extent or spread of damage
Whether the material is accessible
Material’s potential for disturbance
Known or suspected causes of damage or significant damage
Preventive measures that might eliminate the reasonable likelihood of undamaged ACBM from becoming significantly damaged.

Since the physical assessment is used to determine which response actions will be chosen to manage the asbestos, proper identification and assessment of ACBM are vital to the effective implementation.

SHIPPING

The samples removed should be properly sealed in a sealable bag and appropriately labelled before being shipped to the asbestos testing laboratory for analysis using polarized light microscopy (PLM).

RELIABLE LAB TESTING SERVICES

We provide complete bulk sampling solutions.

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