Asbestos Encapsulation

This past week, the Victorian Government in partnership with WorkSafe Victoria, Department of Health, and the EPA, launched a detailed web portal relating to Asbestos. The key message of the website relates to the identification and monitoring of asbestos materials at home and at the workplace.

At Cocoon Coatings, we encourage the safe use of asbestos products, and recommend that all property owners act in the interest of personal and public health and safety. Cocoon's Asbestos Encapsulation services are designed primarily for roofing applications where the material contains bonded/non-friable asbestos, as described below:

"Bonded (non-friable) asbestos
Bonded asbestos products are made from a bonding compound (such as cement) mixed with a small proportion (usually less than 15%) of asbestos. Bonded asbestos products are solid, rigid and non-friable, and cannot be crumbled, pulverised or reduced to powder by hand pressure. The asbestos fibres are tightly bound in the product and are not normally released into the air.

Examples of non-friable asbestos containing material may include:

• asbestos cement sheet

• asbestos cement moulded products

• bitumen-based water proofing

• vinyl floor tiles.

Over time, some non-friable material may become friable.
Examples of non-friable asbestos-containing material that can become friable as a result of a work process include:

• asbestos cement sheeting that has been crushed

• asbestos cement sheeting that has deteriorated from long-term exposure to a chemical mist. " (Source: http://www.asbestos.vic.gov.au/about-asbestos/types-of-asbestos)

 Identification of Asbestos materials before they are damaged is key to the implementation of the Cocoon Asbestos Encapsulation service. Cocoon installers follow all OH&S protocols for working with asbestos materials, and it is best to work in conditions where the asbestos has not yet been loosened by damage or wear. The Asbestos Portal offers an interactive tool to assist you in identifying asbestos materials on your property: http://www.asbestos.vic.gov.au/about-asbestos/finding-and-identifying

Take a few minutes to complete the tool for your property. If you find identify bonded asbestos products, give some thought to how you can best monitor and manage the situtation. http://www.asbestos.vic.gov.au/about-asbestos/managing-asbestos

If you think Cocoon's Asbestos Encapsulation service is the right method for your building, contact our office:

03 9720 5964 // http://www.cocoon.net.au/asbestosroofs.htm