Greenlight Environmental Services

Your trusted resource for understanding and managing asbestos in Australia

Get in Touch with Us Today

Greenlight Environmental Services

Your trusted resource for understanding and managing asbestos in Australia

Get in Touch with Us Today

Asbestos Services We Offer

At Greenlight, our range of asbestos services has been designed to identify asbestos exposure risks and help create safer workplaces and homes.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring group of minerals that is found in rock formations. Comprised of millions of small flexible fibres that are bonded together, asbestos is exceptionally durable, has insulative properties, and is naturally resistant to heat, electricity and corrosion.

There are 6 different types of asbestos including:

  • Crocidolite (Blue Asbestos)
  • Amosite (Brown Asbestos)
  • Chrysotile (White Asbestos)
  • Anthophyllite
  • Tremolite
  • Actinolite

While asbestos is a natural mineral, if asbestos fibres are inhaled or ingested, they can be permanently trapped in the body and pose a serious health risk. Asbestos fibres that become trapped in the body can cause inflammation, scarring, mesothelioma, asbestosis and other forms of cancer and lung disease.

There is no safe level of asbestos exposure. It is important to understand where asbestos may be present in your home, workplace, and property.

How Was Asbestos Used in Australia?

Asbestos was commonly used in the Australian Building and Construction industry from the late 1940s up until it’s total ban in 2003. Asbestos use was popular due to it’s versatile and durable nature. Its strength made it almost indestructible, while its natural abundance made it a highly affordable material.

Once mined, asbestos fibres could be broken down into loose fibres, which could be used on their own, or mixed with other common building materials like cement and adhesives. Building materials that contain asbestos are known as Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs).

Asbestos use was at its peak between the 1940s to the early 1980s, so if your home was built during that time, there is a high chance that it will ACMs. Though the use of ACMs in construction decreased from the late 1980s up until its ban in 2003, there is still a chance that ACMs may have been used in your home or property’s construction.

As asbestos was used in the creation of many different building materials, there are many areas of a home or building that asbestos can be present. The only way to confidently understand the presence and risk of asbestos in your home is by having your home inspected and tested for asbestos materials.

Where is Asbestos Commonly Found?

Due to the insulative, heat resistant, water resistant, and anti-corrosive properties of asbestos, its usage was common throughout many areas of the home, both internally and externally.

Common areas asbestos can be found:

Asbestos Products and Materials

Building materials containing asbestos are classified as either friable or bonded (non-friable) products.

  • Friable asbestos building materials contain high levels of asbestos and are easily disturbed with the fibres becoming airborne. When dry, friable asbestos is easily crumbled by hand.
  • Bonded asbestos materials are made when asbestos is combined with a bonding materials like cement. Bonded are solid, rigid, and usually contains less asbestos than friable asbestos containing materials. Bonded ACMs can become friable over time, wear, and tear or when power tools are used on them.
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Asbestos Related Diseases and Health Risks

When asbestos fibres are inhaled, ingested, or swallowed, they can become lodged in the body tissue and are unable to be broken down by the body. Exposure to asbestos is known to be linked to several incurable illnesses:

Asbestosis
Asbestosis is a non-cancerous chronic respiratory disease that is caused by scarring in the lungs. Asbestos fibres that are trapped in the lung tissue can cause inflammation, and this inflammation can lead to scarring.

Lung Cancer
When asbestos fibres are lodged in the lung tissue, they can cause genetic and cellular damage to the lung cells and turn cancerous.

Mesothelioma
This is a rare and aggressive form of cancer that can occur in the thin layer of tissue that surrounds the body’s organs. Asbestos fibres can become trapped in the body tissue and damage the mesothelial cells, which can lead to inflammation and tumours.

Learn more about health risks of asbestos exposure

Why Customers Trust Greenlight Services

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Do you do asbestos removal?

    To avoid conflict of interest (and because it is really not our thing), Greenlight does not perform asbestos removal. We are strictly an investigative occupational hygiene company and are not positioned to in any way profit from the advice that we give. Some people unknowingly source their asbestos inspection reports from asbestos removal companies who have a conflict of interest and occasionally questionable advice. These reports are also typically not compliant with the requirements of Work Safe, i.e. the OHS Act 2004 for workplaces, the associated Work Safe Regulations 2017, and the Work Safe Code of practice: how to manage asbestos in the workplace.

  • Does collecting asbestos samples create any danger to other people in the area?

    People often mischaracterise the nature of asbestos risk – while some precautions should be taken (and this mostly to protect the investigator), breaking off a small piece of asbestos for testing purposes is not dangerous. What is dangerous, and must be avoided at all costs, are activities that mechanically disturb the asbestos materials – such as drilling, grinding, sanding or water blasting. These activities create an immediate risk to anyone in the vicinity. Of course you can only avoid these activities if you know where the asbestos materials are -  So how risky is testing for asbestos materials? No measurable risk and much, much less risk than not testing. As a precaution, we ask that people are not in the room while we collect samples or maintain a minimum distance of 5 or more metres wherever practicable during testing activities (this is required only at the moment of sampling). Our investigators wear a P2 mask to protect themselves from possible exposure during sampling activities.

  • How are samples analysed for asbestos?

    Samples are analysed in our NATA accredited laboratory under a Stereomicroscope. Selected fibres are analysed by Polarised Light Microscopy in conjunction with dispersion staining techniques including Synthetic Mineral Fibre and Organic Fibre as per the Australian Standard AS 4964-2004 Method for the qualitative identification of asbestos in bulk samples.

  • How big a sample do we need?

    A piece about the size of a 50cent coin is ideal for most materials. If the material is either vinyl tile or seamless vinyl – please collect a piece the size of a credit card. If the material is loose, such as loose fill insulation, about half a cup is adequate. Please note for loose fill insulation, we strongly recommend having one of our consultants collect the sample.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Do you do asbestos removal?

    To avoid conflict of interest (and because it is really not our thing), Greenlight does not perform asbestos removal. We are strictly an investigative occupational hygiene company and are not positioned to in any way profit from the advice that we give. Some people unknowingly source their asbestos inspection reports from asbestos removal companies who have a conflict of interest and occasionally questionable advice. These reports are also typically not compliant with the requirements of Work Safe, i.e. the OHS Act 2004 for workplaces, the associated Work Safe Regulations 2017, and the Work Safe Code of practice: how to manage asbestos in the workplace.

  • Does collecting asbestos samples create any danger to other people in the area?

    People often mischaracterise the nature of asbestos risk – while some precautions should be taken (and this mostly to protect the investigator), breaking off a small piece of asbestos for testing purposes is not dangerous. What is dangerous, and must be avoided at all costs, are activities that mechanically disturb the asbestos materials – such as drilling, grinding, sanding or water blasting. These activities create an immediate risk to anyone in the vicinity. Of course you can only avoid these activities if you know where the asbestos materials are -  So how risky is testing for asbestos materials? No measurable risk and much, much less risk than not testing. As a precaution, we ask that people are not in the room while we collect samples or maintain a minimum distance of 5 or more metres wherever practicable during testing activities (this is required only at the moment of sampling). Our investigators wear a P2 mask to protect themselves from possible exposure during sampling activities.

  • How are samples analysed for asbestos?

    Samples are analysed in our NATA accredited laboratory under a Stereomicroscope. Selected fibres are analysed by Polarised Light Microscopy in conjunction with dispersion staining techniques including Synthetic Mineral Fibre and Organic Fibre as per the Australian Standard AS 4964-2004 Method for the qualitative identification of asbestos in bulk samples.

  • How big a sample do we need?

    A piece about the size of a 50cent coin is ideal for most materials. If the material is either vinyl tile or seamless vinyl – please collect a piece the size of a credit card. If the material is loose, such as loose fill insulation, about half a cup is adequate. Please note for loose fill insulation, we strongly recommend having one of our consultants collect the sample.

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