Here’s How to Find the Best Asbestos Inspection Company
Believe it or not, the most dangerous material in your home is not something pointy, sharp, or explosive. It could be a speck of dust hidden in the columns and walls of your home since the 70s or 80s. It’s a potentially harmful fireproofing substance called asbestos.
There’s nothing really wrong with it as a construction material. In fact, it was a staple fireproofing and insulation agent in most houses back then. The problem starts when you start hammering your walls down or drilling holes in your columns.
Once destroyed, these asbestos-filled walls can release tiny microfibres or asbestos dust. And once you’ve inhaled these fibres, it can compromise your respiratory system and overall health. Inhaling asbestos often leads to lung cancer, asbestosis, or mesothelioma.
So if you live in a vintage home that’s built four decades ago, it’s probably filled with asbestos. The best thing that you should do is to hire experts to do residential asbestos inspection in your house.
But finding the best asbestos inspection company can be difficult. Especially if you don’t know where to start. That’s why in this piece, we’re giving you some tips on how to find the best company for the job.
1. Stay away from asbestos removal companies
Keep in mind that the job is to inspect whether your house is filled with asbestos or not. So it’s better if you stick to finding inspection companies.
Beware of asbestos removal agencies that offer inspection services because that’s a big conflict of interest right there. There’s a possibility that these removal companies will whip up a report that can greatly favour their business.
To prevent this from happening, you should make time for research before hiring a company. You can visit WorkSafe’s Website to see what’s the real business of your prospect. Just type in the company name and the site will give you the company’s details including the licenses. If the licenses say “asbestos removal” on it, strike that company off your list.
2. See if the inspectors are certified
Aside from investigating whether a company is legit or not, you must also make sure that the inspectors are also certified. Keep in mind that your family’s health is on the line here, it’s only reasonable to keep asking for the legitimacy of everything.
One red flag that you need to watch out for is if the company you’re prospecting is employing retired builders as their inspectors. While we have nothing against former builders, we still suggest hiring professionals who had undergone training to be certified asbestos inspectors.
This way, you are more reassured that you can get more accurate reports regarding the asbestos presence in your house. Certified inspectors will also give you their best recommendations so you would know the next step after inspection.
3. Look for accreditations
If you’re still not satisfied, you can confirm a company’s legitimacy by looking at its accreditations and awards.
Most companies love to show off their achievements in their offices or on their websites. So you can simply go to their page and look for the certifications.
While you’re at it, you can also check whether the company also offers other services like pest exterminations and plumbing. It’s also a red flag if you see these services on their website.
While there’s nothing really wrong with the expansion of their company’s services, this is not your ideal asbestos inspection company. It would be best if you hire a company that offers asbestos inspection service alone.
This simply means that the company is dedicated to improving its expertise in the asbestos inspection field so they can give you a better service.
