There is currently no comprehensive ban on asbestos worldwide. Individual countries, mainly in Northern Europe, first introduced asbestos bans in the 1980s. The mining, processing and use of products containing asbestos continues to be a serious problem for human health and the environment.
Asbestos measurement
Types of asbestos – properties and use
Many older buildings often still contain harmful asbestos fibers in the building materials. Soil and air can also be contaminated with these harmful fibers. The term asbestos covers various types of asbestos, which can differ in terms of their properties and previous use.
Release of asbestos fibers from fiber cement boards
Fiber cement boards that are traded and installed today are generally considered to be harmless to health, as they are made of modern substitute materials and are free of carcinogenic asbestos fibers. However, for houses built from the mid-1960s to the 1990s, it is often suspected that the fiber cement panels installed still contain the asbestos fibers that were previously mixed in and are harmful to health. These can be released with increasing weathering during renovation or refurbishment.
Indoor guide values – indoor air test with GSA measuring devices
Indoor guide values are an important measuring factor for assessing indoor air. The indoor climate is of crucial importance for people’s well-being and health. Indoor air tests with specially designed GSA measuring devices are therefore a suitable solution if pollutants are suspected in indoor spaces.
Old night storage heaters – often contaminated with asbestos – PCB – chromate
Depending on the year of construction and model type, night storage heaters can still be heavily contaminated with asbestos and other harmful pollutants such as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and chromate (chromium VI). In order to measure possible asbestos contamination indoors, GSA measuring devices offers suitable measuring devices such as the SG12 for asbestos measurement.
Asbestos measurement – with SG12
The GSA measuring devices SG12 is specially designed for measuring asbestos and for sampling inorganic fibrous particles such as KMF in accordance with VDI 3492 and ISO 14966. According to VDI 3492, eight hours are sufficient for sampling. According to DGUV 213-546, measurement at the workplace is possible in two hours. The SG12 can be used stationary for fiber measurements of asbestos fibers as well as for particle measurements of the dust fractions A-dust and E-dust.
Asbestos – Building in existing buildings
In October 2021, the brochure “Branchenlösung Asbestos beim Bauen im Bestand – Handlungshilfe für Tätigkeiten an asbesthaltigen Putz, Spachtelmassen und Fliesenklebern” was published by BG BAU (Berufsgenossenschaft der Bauwirtschaft). It is intended to provide companies and employees involved in building work with asbestos with important practical guidance on protective measures.
Asbestos situation 2020 – facts from “National Asbestos Profile Germany”
Current study on the asbestos situation in Germany
In June 2020, the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Baua) published the “National Asbestos Profile Germany” for the second time. The national asbestos situation in Germany is explained in over 70 informative pages.
Measuring of harmful substances during renovations
Measuring of harmful substances during remediation measures
In many houses, extensive refurbishment measures are only required after many years, for example, when old plaster is knocked off or old tiles or electrical cables are removed. In order to find out whether pollutants are hidden in the old building components, measurements of harmful substances such as asbestos measurements are useful.
Asbestos measurement often necessary
Asbestos measurement for suspected asbestos fibers
If there is a suspected risk from asbestos fibers, fibre measurements must be carried out. Such fibre measurements for asbestos fibres can be carried out using our SG12 measuring devices for asbestos measurement.