Asbestos Abatement Technicians

An asbestos abatement technician is an individual who is responsible for the removal of asbestos materials, often in buildings that are going to be renovated or demolished. This might include homes, commercial buildings, or industrial buildings like plants or factories. Asbestos may need to be removed from any number of places within a building, including ceilings, walls, in attics, around boilers or generators, or wrapped around pipes or electrical systems.

The job of the asbestos abatement technician includes sealing off the work area in question so as not to contaminate others in the building, spraying chemicals on the asbestos which serve to soften it and eliminate the release of fibers, scraping asbestos from surfaces using a variety of hand and power tools, and loading it into the proper kind of disposal bags for dumping at a hazardous waste site. While abatement is being performed, technicians wear respirators and are required to constantly monitor the air quality in the space in which they are working to insure that only acceptable amounts of asbestos particles are released.

Asbestos workers must be licensed in order to perform their job legally. This licensure involves participation in classes that teach proper asbestos removal techniques, generally including about 32-40 hours of instruction (including hands-on experience), followed by a final examination. Anyone employing an asbestos abatement company for asbestos removal should, for their own safety, be certain that the company and its technicians are properly licensed by the state in which they operate their business.

Asbestos Abatement Technicians and Asbestos

Though licensed asbestos abatement technicians generally take all the precautions necessary to protect themselves from asbestos exposure, accidents may happen that can cause exposure. In addition, the abatement professional must practice good habits when at work. This includes proper removal and disposal (or cleaning) of asbestos-covered clothing and equipment so as to avoid inhalation. Failure to do so could result in the development of mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease.

Furthermore, anyone who is employed as an asbestos abatement technician without receiving the proper licensure is likely putting themselves at risk of exposure. Companies that take shortcuts when it comes to possessing the needed credentials for abatement often also put their employees at risk. Stories of renegade abatement companies hiring unsuspected immigrants or others willing to work for low wages have often surfaced, the result being the unwitting exposure of these individuals to hazardous asbestos materials and the later development of asbestos-related diseases.