I don't know what that guy is thinking. BUT apparently, he is infamous among the cleaning companies here in town, which has led to several companies refusing to deal with these matters... However, I got hold of a guy at a cleaning company who came and looked and suggested that I fill up with foam sealant in the pipe that is cut. See photo. I haven't done it before and feel a bit nervous that it might go wrong.T Tompafix said:
To make a long story short, to the right of the meter there is no asbestos. On the left, you remove the wire that is on the shield (ribbon) at the end towards the meter. Cut the insulation just in front of the pipe above and put the ribbon back on. In the straight part, there is no asbestos—only in a curve underneath. Then there are some cables (for sensors) that need to be replaced, and they are not in any asbestos. For the other places you show, just take gauze and insulation and plug them up; wrap the gauze with many layers and paint over with regular paint. You probably have some bucket with old paint, anything will do. Furthermore, tell the municipality that it is now finished, no asbestos in the attic. It seems like the person who is going to change the meter is alarmed about asbestos and is backing off, all according to asbestos regulations. A quick question, did he refuse to enter your boiler room at all, as there is asbestos there, and did he run out immediately?
It doesn't say anywhere.Jonatan79 said:
What we are talking about is that if these pipes are cleaned by a person without adequate training, it cannot be ensured whether the work has been carried out correctly to avoid unnecessary spreading.
This is not a nuclear power plant to be decontaminated, and it's not rocket science to read instructions and decontaminate yourself in a sensible way. In this case, it doesn't even seem like an option to do it later but only to cover and paint, or do nothing at all….L lordi said:
"Adequate training" cannot ensure that the work is performed correctly and that unnecessary spread is avoided. Training ensures nothing, it enables at best.L lordi said:
The asbestos hysteria is taking on proportions that lack all sense and reason. Where is the common sense? Did it disappear with the internet? The general alarmism is manifesting itself in increasingly grotesque expressions in almost everything in our society. If your water meter needs to be changed, there must be others to do it than an overly paranoid person whose attitude would logically require them to wear a military gas mask around the clock to avoid inhaling an asbestos particle since they are everywhere.
Well, if you have that attitude, it applies to other areas as well.Claes Sörmland said:
Why should anyone be trained and certified in anything at all?
The electrician can be completely worthless despite education.
The bus driver can be useless despite a valid driver's license.
No, it's not rocket science, but there is a lack of quality assurance on the completed work.
The craftsman who comes to work doesn't know how the decontamination was done. There are plenty of people who can't read and understand instructions.
In this case, maybe nothing needs to be done if the pipes don't need any intervention. It's not clear.
If you cover asbestos-containing material, for example, cover the pipes with plastic sheeting, it must be marked outside that there is asbestos behind it.
If you cover an asbestos facade and leave the panels in place, there should also be marking there.
If you just paint the pipes, it should be okay, as it's still visible what type and age the insulation is.
---------------------------------------------------
To clarify myself one last time:
Plumber A comes to a customer and looks at a job. He then sees that there are pipes with asbestos insulation that he needs to intervene in.
He points this out and sends a certified decontaminator since this is required for him to work there in his professional role. Everything is fine and dandy.
However, if the customer is stingy and does the tearing work themselves, Plumber A can (should) refuse to work there.
I myself have encountered a case where a customer sent down their 15-year-old son to scrape all the pipes clean of asbestos with a knife. It was of the type where there is a layer of asbestos between the pipe and hair insulation along the entire length of the pipe and thus not just externally on the bends. The homeowner was a middle manager at a large Swedish construction company.
In this case, it is known that there has been asbestos that may have been handled incorrectly.
But Plumber A may be exposed to asbestos in other places without knowing about it. There's nothing that can be done about that, but it's always about reducing exposure where you can.
You are constantly exposed to toxins and hazardous substances, and the only thing you can do is try to limit it where you can.
To enable a certain job reasonably. For example, if you hire people at your company, it might be good to educate them for their tasks. It’s not that strange, is it?L lordi said:
But again, it assures nothing. It's just a foundation when you run a company, for instance.
Exactly, that's how it is, but by using trained personnel, you've at least done what you can, even if things can still go wrong.
There is, however, no reason to lower the requirements just because there may be people who cheat or are careless anyway.
I have heard from several sources that there is only one person who has stood out when it comes to asbestos. Unfortunately, he has such a bad reputation that several remediation companies refuse to deal with cases he has been involved in. Unfortunately, he works for the company with which the municipality has contracted for the replacement of these meters. I have now addressed what was pointed out and hope it's satisfactory. I intend to contact the municipality regarding this. It can't be reasonable for one person to cause so many problems (of course, asbestos should not be open/visible). He does not approve of the remediation companies' measures, which means they have to return and do the job again for free. Had it been one company that got negative feedback, it might have been justified, BUT now it's 3 out of 5 who have experienced this. Communication with the municipality has been difficult as they have several consulting firms involved...I feel that these consultants are very young and have no idea about reality, just reading from scripts...it's definitely been tiresome.mikethebik said:
No, you really haven't done what you can. What kind of shirking responsibility is that? Training is no guarantee regarding personal suitability or even competence on an individual level. It is an indication and a rather weak one at that. You have to supervise. As has been done for years. And get rid of those who are unsuitable. Only then have you done what you can.L lordi said: