Safety first: How asbestos removal is done

At Strandvejsskolen on Østerbro in Copenhagen, employees from Tscherning are carrying out the final phase of asbestos removal at an old school on Sionsgade.

Asbestos has long been seen as one of the most serious threats in the construction and demolition industry since it was made illegal to use in 1986.

Previously hailed for its insulating and fireproof properties, the building material has since been found to be carcinogenic.

Jacob Sørensen, project manager for a dedicated group of sanitarians, has invited us on a tour of Strandvejsskolen's roof to learn more about how asbestos removal works.

Jacob and his team are equipped with the statutory asbestos certificate to handle the hazardous material. Their work is a complex task to ensure that the harmful building materials are procured safely.

"Safety is our number one priority. We strictly follow the guidelines set by the Danish Asbestos Association and the Danish Working Environment Authority to ensure that the abatement is carried out in the safest and most efficient way before the material can leave the work area via a sluice in plastic bags that are double sealed," says Jacob Sørensen.

The decontamination takes place in a specially erected tent under the scaffolding cover, which is designed to keep the asbestos fibers inside the confined work area. There are also environmental boxes that change the air ten times an hour during the work.

"It is crucial that we prevent the spread of asbestos fibers. Our environmental boxes with HEPA filters ensure that dangerous particles remain within the work area and pose no danger to employees, the environment or society," says Jacob Sørensen.

With around eight employees on the job, the process is expected to take 25 days from start to finish. In addition to the technical complexity of removing asbestos from the school's roof, it also requires a special effort from the employees.

It therefore requires careful planning so that everyone is aware of what is going to happen during the period when the work takes place, typically a few hours at a time," says Jacob Sørensen.

For sanitation workers, safety is part of everyday life. They work wearing special suits, gloves and masks that are hermetically sealed to prevent asbestos fibers from entering. A 3-chamber airlock has also been built to ensure that employees can leave the work area without causing asbestos to spread to the surroundings. The sanitation workers also have a statutory environmental trolley available where they can change before going for a break.

"The process helps to ensure that we don't get any of the dangerous asbestos fibers out of the area, and employees can go to work safely without it being a risk to themselves, their families or the surrounding area where the work takes place," says Jacob Sørensen.