Asbestos was once a go-to material for construction and insulation, but its serious health risks have made careful handling essential. If you suspect asbestos in your home or workplace, testing is the only way to be sure. But before you grab a sample, there’s one big thing to remember: asbestos fibres are dangerous when disturbed.

Whether you’re dealing with a suspicious ceiling panel, an old sheet of corrugated roofing, or even contaminated soil, collecting a sample must be done with extreme caution.

In this guide, we’ll break down asbestos sampling with step-by-step recommendations. Follow along to learn how to take samples from building materials and soil, all without putting yourself or others at risk.

The Risks of Untreated Asbestos

Asbestos is most dangerous when it’s disturbed. Most people think that asbestos is one solid material, but it’s actually a mineral with a lot of small fibres. The raw form of asbestos was incorporated into construction materials between the 1930s and the 1980s, creating what we call ‘asbestos-containing materials’ or ACMs.

These ACMs were used in the construction of many buildings around New Zealand that were built prior to the 2000s. This means many people are living with asbestos in their homes or businesses, entirely unaware of the hazard!

The good news is while undisturbed, asbestos-containing materials are fairly safe. The issue comes when people begin to do renovations, demolitions or if the materials start to degrade. This releases asbestos fibres into the air, making it easy for you or the other occupants in the building to inhale these fibres.

Once inhaled, the fibres wreak havoc on the human body, often triggering serious health issues like lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma. This is why it’s so vital to have asbestos treated if you suspect you have an ACM on your property, but it’s also why sampling carefully is absolutely vital.

How to Take an Asbestos Sample Safely

If you’re arranging to send a sample in to have it tested for the presence of asbestos, there are two places you might be sampling asbestos from: a building material on your property, or in your soil. Both have slightly different procedures, as shown below.

Remember: Always wear appropriate PPE when asbestos sampling to protect your respiratory system and skin. Even short-term exposure to asbestos fibres can be dangerous, so if you’re feeling uncertain or do not have the appropriate protective equipment, it’s best to call a professional team. We usually recommend involving a professional team as a first port of call if that is a viable option for you.

If you choose to sample the material yourself, then you will need disposable coveralls, rubber or nitrile gloves, an N95 respirator to protect your lungs, and safety goggles. Ideally, you will also have a spray bottle to wet the material down and discourage the release of fibres, as well as airtight bags or containers to double bag your suspected asbestos sample.

Step-by-Step Asbestos Sampling from Building Materials

If you need to collect a sample from solid building materials in your home, such as insulation, ceiling tiles, flooring, or cement, follow the steps below.

1.     Prepare the area by closing all doors and windows to prevent any fibres from being pulled along by the air. Make sure to also don your PPE before getting started.
2.     Lightly wet down the asbestos sampling area to reduce the chances of fibres going airborne.
3.     Very, very carefully, extract a small piece of the material you suspect might contain asbestos. You want something about the size of a bottle cap, although slightly larger is fine.
4.     Double bag your sample using two very well-sealed bags. Label according to the instructions on the sample submission form provided by our lab.
5.     Seal the area with duct tape to prevent any further fibres from escaping later on.
6.     Wash everything down, including your hands and any tools you’re reusing, then dispose of the PPE in an asbestos or hazardous waste bag.

Step-by-Step Asbestos Sampling from Soil

Sometimes, old construction materials can end up in the soil, eventually dispersing and dissolving into the soil over the years. This can be dangerous, as the soil is easily disturbed by gardening, renovations, or even general wear and tear from its exposure to the elements.

For soil sampling, you’ll need a slightly different approach than collecting from solid materials. While you will still need the same PPE, we recommend renting or purchasing a hand-sampling auger for best results. These are designed to take a sample of the soil without disrupting the surrounding section too much.

1.     Pick your sampling location. Wherever you suspect asbestos is best, usually near old buildings, pipes, or demolition sites.
2.     Gently mist the surface of the soil with water, but don’t oversaturate it, as too much water can cause the soil to turn into mud.
3.     Use your hand sampling auger to take a sample from the first 10cm of soil. Usually, multiple sample spots are recommended to get a representative sample of your soil.
4.     Double bag the soil sample, making sure to note everything from the submission form on the bag.
5.     Lightly mist the disturbed soil again and dispose of your contaminated materials, making sure to wash your hands very well.

Once you’ve taken the sample, the only thing left to do is send it to our lab to have our technicians test the samples. Depending on the requested test, we’ll return it with a presence/absence indication as well as a potential fibre count to let you know how much asbestos we’ve found. This will help us recommend your next best course of action.

Enjoy your safety with professional asbestos sampling.

Stay safe and save on money, time, and energy with a professional asbestos sampling team from Consultex. Our teams are equipped with all the appropriate PPE and sampling tools to seamlessly test your property for the presence of hazardous asbestos.

Book our team today.