Potential Asbestos Contamination

[Omen]

Just wanted some peoples thoughts regarding a situation...

I know somebody that had a lot of possessions in storage and they have discovered that the business had the roof removed (or replaced... I'm not exactly sure of all the details) and the items are now water damaged from rain, musty (most likely some mould present) but worst of all apparently there was asbestos in the roof and it wasn't removed properly so there could be fibres present in the room/on the boxes etc.

Most of the items are in boxes or wrapped - however I'm not sure this matters. Would it be stupid for this person to try and salvage anything from the boxes/wrapping and bring it back to their home?

I have my own opinion on the situation but I wanted to hear other opinions.

 

[AlaskaJono]

Just wanted some peoples thoughts regarding a situation...

I know somebody that had a lot of possessions in storage and they have discovered that the business had the roof removed (or replaced... I'm not exactly sure of all the details) and the items are now water damaged from rain, musty (most likely some mould present) but worst of all apparently there was asbestos in the roof and it wasn't removed properly so there could be fibres present in the room/on the boxes etc.

Most of the items are in boxes or wrapped - however I'm not sure this matters. Would it be stupid for this person to try and salvage anything from the boxes/wrapping and bring it back to their home?

I have my own opinion on the situation but I wanted to hear other opinions.

I was around a lot of asbestos in my teens doing construction in the USA. Mostly without safety precautions. Definitely wear gloves, long sleeves and long pants, mask up and head scarf, and sweep or vacuum / clean the boxes and or room. That stuff is irritating, and may be extremely bad if inhaled. So, don't inhale! Seriously, it is not mercury or cadmium level of toxicity.

 

[alephx]

No way I would risk it, asbestos is nasty. Anecdotal, but a family that had an asbestos ceiling in the living room during their teens none made it past 50.

 

[Panopticon]

silicone gas mask with P100 filters(activated charcoal and P100 is better because of dust air vibrations) and full body suit(I had 10 for 70 GBP but used them all to avoid smelling peoples perfumes)

I also have 100% CO2 SCBA for the same reasons(avoidance of people smells to avoid their low vibration) but that may be overkill for a one time thing

Check MSDS for asbestos to know how to clean it

 

[WombOfFuturity]

It's hard to answer without knowing anything about the contents. How valuable is the potential salvage? What sorts of things do you expect to find?

 

[gaze]

some people think the risk is overblown, but ray told me over email that the body can never eliminate it. i wouldnt risk it

 

[Omen]

No way I would risk it, asbestos is nasty. Anecdotal, but a family that had an asbestos ceiling in the living room during their teens none made it past 50.

This is my opinion as well, just wanted to know if I was overreacting.

 

[Omen]

It's hard to answer without knowing anything about the contents. How valuable is the potential salvage? What sorts of things do you expect to find?

Nothing that isn't replaceable. There are antiques which is unfortunate but legal proceedings will hopefully cover the cost of damages/losses and things can be replaced.

My opinion is it isn't worth going back and just see what can be recovered via courts, just wanted to hear what other people thought.

 

[WombOfFuturity]

In that case I fully agree it's not worth the risk (or hassle).

 

[Omen]

In that case I fully agree it's not worth the risk (or hassle).

Yeah just hoping I can convince them the same. They have kids and they don't need any potential exposure.

 

[Sphagnum]

If they are dead set on recovering the items, maybe look into a company that specializes in asbestos decontamination, rather than risking any personal harm doing it themselves. They could see if the money from insurance/courts would offset the cleaning service, and then still have the items.

 

[Sumbody]

Just wanted some peoples thoughts regarding a situation...

I know somebody that had a lot of possessions in storage and they have discovered that the business had the roof removed (or replaced... I'm not exactly sure of all the details) and the items are now water damaged from rain, musty (most likely some mould present) but worst of all apparently there was asbestos in the roof and it wasn't removed properly so there could be fibres present in the room/on the boxes etc.

Most of the items are in boxes or wrapped - however I'm not sure this matters. Would it be stupid for this person to try and salvage anything from the boxes/wrapping and bring it back to their home?

I have my own opinion on the situation but I wanted to hear other opinions.

There are crews that do asbestos abatement. Shouldn't be too hard to find someone to hire and clean everything.

It can be done by anyone really. Just get a tyvek suit, a dust mask, damp rags, maybe a cheap used disposable shop vac or similar and some trash bags.

Vaccuum up any dust and wipe the boxes down with a damp rag, then throw all your gear into trash bags seal em up and dispose of everything. Really quite simple.