Overview:

Remove loose fill asbestos from affected residential dwellings

Summary:

ASP Australia has had the privilege of working alongside PCW, ACT’s Government panel of selected principal contractors, since July 2015 to remove residual, loose-fill asbestos from homes in the Australian Capital Territory. The program is expected to run over three years involving the buy-back, knockdown and remediation of 1063 registered properties.

A team of eighteen asbestos removal technicians were brought in through ASP Australia to assist in having the project packages finalised as efficiently as possible, taking into consideration the media presence and public awareness surrounding the venture.

The team at work are equipped with a wide-range of specialist tools, all of which are designed to safely mitigate and hasten the safe removal of asbestos from a variety of materials and construction scenarios, including:

•          PPE: Type 5 Overalls; Full-face Battery-Powered P3 Mask; Gloves and Gumboots.
•          Negative Pressure Units
•          200μm Polythene and poly weave plastic Sheeting
•          Modular Wet Decontamination Unit and Auxiliaries
•          H-rated Vacuums
•          Airless Atomizers

At various stages throughout the process, and as a strict WH&S requirement, ASP Australia has maintained, tested and certified all site equipment, PPE and encapsulation materials to ensure the utmost safety of site staff and neighbouring properties. Furthermore smoke tests were carried out in each property to guarantee effective sealing as a means to eliminate the risk of airborne fibres migrating into the uncontrolled environment. Added to this, ongoing background monitoring ensured that all airborne fibres were well within detectable limits.

While successfully working to meet third-party assessors’, WorkSafe and ACT Government requirements, ASP faced a number of challenges while carrying out the asbestos removal that, in turn, assisted us to produce results faster and more effectively with each respective property, including:

• Tight project timeframes and regional deadlines
• Setting up long-term roof encapsulation, capable of withstanding some of ACT’s harshest weather conditions.
• Ongoing equipment and machinery testing
•  Carrying out procedures pursuant to work health and safety standards for the ASP team and neighbouring residents
•  Complex logistics regarding the numerous crews working simultaneously.

ASP Australia, panel of principal contractors and their respective appointed subcontractor’s aim to have all 1063 homes free of asbestos by mid-2018.