Once your asbestos sample has been analysed in the laboratory, you receive a result telling you whether the material tested contains asbestos. But what does that mean in practice, and how should you read it? This article unpacks what the analysis report says and helps you work out what to do next.
A positive result - asbestos was found
If the result is positive, the material sampled contains asbestos. The report usually states which type was detected. The types most often found in Finland are chrysotile (white asbestos), amosite (brown asbestos) and crocidolite (blue asbestos).
In practice, a positive result means the material must not be taken out as an ordinary strip-out. The work has to be done by an authorised asbestos removal company following the asbestos work safety regulations. This applies to every type of asbestos - all of them are hazardous to health.
A negative result - no asbestos was found
A negative result means no asbestos was detected in the sample tested. That usually comes as a relief, because it means the material can be taken out normally, with no special asbestos removal measures.
It is important to remember, though, that a negative result covers only the material tested. If the structure contains other materials that might hold asbestos, they need testing separately. A clean result for tile adhesive does not mean the filler behind it is automatically asbestos-free.
What does the report contain?
A good analysis report contains at least the following: the sample reference, the analysis method used, the result (asbestos detected / not detected) and, where relevant, the type of asbestos identified. It also gives the details of the analyst and the date of the analysis.
A good report is clearly written and easy to follow without specialist knowledge. If anything in it is unclear, contact the laboratory's customer service - they can explain the results and advise on what to do next.
What to do after a positive result
After a positive result, the next step is to contact an authorised asbestos removal company. They will assess the scale of the work, draw up a removal plan and carry the job out safely. Asbestos removal work is notified in advance to the occupational safety authority, the Occupational Safety and Health Department of the Finnish Supervisory Agency, before it begins.
A positive result does not mean the renovation is off - it means one stage of it becomes specialist work. Asbestos removal is routine for professionals and can be scheduled into the renovation.
What to do after a negative result
After a negative result you can carry on planning and carrying out the work as normal for that material. Do remember to check the other materials coming out, though, if they might contain asbestos. A clean result for one material does not remove the duty to test the others.
How reliable are the results?
The reliability of a laboratory analysis depends both on the quality of the sample and on the competence of the laboratory. A properly taken, sufficiently large, clearly labelled sample yields a reliable result. If the sample is too small, contaminated or taken from the wrong layer, reliability suffers.
That is why it pays to follow the sampling and packing instructions carefully. A good sample combined with a competent laboratory produces a result you can base decisions on.
The result applies to one material
Remember that an analysis result always applies to the material the sample came from. If you sampled the tile adhesive, the result tells you about the tile adhesive. It says nothing about the wall filler next to it or the floor adhesive below. Each material is a test in its own right, and every result is material-specific.