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Dealing with asbestos is no joke. It is used for building materials and is very dangerous. It can cause asbestosis or mesothelioma, which is fatal when the asbestos is disturbed either by snapping or breaking.
This is why it’s very important to make sure you hire an asbestos inspection company that is legitimate, qualified, licensed, and truly professional. There are many companies out there that pretend to be legitimate but produce poor reporting.
Companies like these are generally just in it for the money and don’t really care or even have the know-how for anything dealing with asbestos.
Keep reading to learn some of the things to look out for when hiring an asbestos inspection company.
Retired or former builders
Be careful when a company boasts of having former builders in their employee roster. While builders have some knowledge about the building industry, this doesn’t mean that they would necessarily know anything about asbestos risk.
If anything, retired or former builders, especially the older ones, have probably been hardened or desensitized when it comes to safety concerns, which would make them casual about any issues regarding asbestos.
Being in the industry does not make them qualified, as they usually would never have done any occupational hygiene work.
They would also probably have no tertiary qualification or formal safety training, which would then make their reporting ordinary. It would be a waste of your time or money.
Make sure you check their website
Websites often give a good idea of what a company is like. Beware of companies that also offer other inspections like dilapidation reports or termite inspections.
Also, steer clear if they also offer asbestos removal services.
An asbestos removalist pretending to be an inspector
Another thing to watch out for is getting an asbestos removalist disguised as an inspector. Not only are they unqualified, but hiring them creates a huge conflict of interest.
Working as an inspector, of course, they would want to increase their business and would, therefore, produce substandard reports.
There have been reports from “inspectors” like these that say sealed, undamaged, and bonded asbestos materials are in ‘poor condition’ and that it requires removal. It’s practically impossible for them not to think of their removal business while inspecting.
One way to check is to ask whether they have an asbestos removal license. Companies that have an asbestos removal license would also be usually found on WorkSafe’s website.
WorkSafe is an authoritative body that promotes and enforces workplace health and safety. Just make sure not to use this as the only reference point because companies may have set up smaller companies and funnel them towards asbestos removal work.
Another way to verify whether they are an asbestos removalist is to ask whether their reports are an ‘asbestos register’ and how long their reports are. They usually do not want to do these kinds of reports so that they don’t get noticed by WorkSafe.
If you see that their reports are a mere two or three pages, be wary. They should be at least 30 pages.
Graduate consultants from large consultancies
There are large consulting companies that look impressive out the outside but have high employee turnover rates. What usually happens in these companies is that they hire people for one to two years, and then they don’t train them enough or properly but overwork them.
This is usually called ‘burn and churn,’ and what they do is create reports that are thoughtless and disorganized because they don’t have the proper training and experience.
Companies like these are a bit tougher to spot and catch because they can seem good on the outside. They could be a big and good consulting company.
They will have people on the frontlines who may appear very professional.
One way to check whether they are legitimate is to check what the qualifications of the consultant are and how many years they’ve been practicing in the industry. Anything less than five years of experience is unacceptable.
Another thing to ask is whether they have a tertiary qualification in occupational hygiene, science, or engineering. If they don’t have any of those and without the necessary years of experience, they may be just one of those so-so consultants.
It may be tough to tell whether an asbestos inspector or consultant is legitimate, especially when the asbestos concern becomes pressing. But it is crucial to know at least what to watch out for and say no to. It would save you a lot of time, effort, and money in the long run. Stay safe!
Krystle Cook – the creator of Home Jobs by MOM – put her psychology degree on a shelf and dived into a pile of diapers and dishes instead. She is a wife and mother to two rambunctious boys, sweating it out in her Texas hometown. She loves cooking, DIY home projects, and family fun activities.
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