The asbestos analysis itself is quick: we analyse the sample and email you the result on the same day it arrives at the laboratory. The total time from sampling to result therefore depends mainly on how long the sample spends in the post - in Finland a letter typically takes 1-3 working days.
What makes up the total time?
The total time has three parts: taking and posting the sample, the laboratory analysis, and reporting the results. Taking a sample typically takes 15-30 minutes. Post in Finland usually takes 1-3 working days. Once the sample reaches the laboratory it is analysed that same day, and the result goes out by email as soon as the analysis is finished.
All in all, then, the process is quick: the result is in your inbox on the day the sample arrives, usually just a few days after you post it. That is comfortably enough at the planning stage of a renovation, before any removal work has started.
What affects the total time?
Because the analysis is done on the day the sample arrives, the biggest factors are the post and how quickly the sample is sent off. The quality of the sample matters too: if it is particularly small or ambiguous, the laboratory may have to ask for a new one, which adds to the total time.
If your schedule is tight - removal work is already booked in and the result is needed straight away, for instance - contact the laboratory before you send the sample. Tell us your situation and your deadline and we will work out the fastest way to get the sample to us.
How can you speed it up?
There are several ways. First, take the sample carefully and make it big enough, so the laboratory does not have to ask for another. Second, post it as soon as you have taken it - every day a sample sits waiting to go is added to the total.
Third, if it is urgent you can bring the sample to the laboratory in person, which removes the postal delay altogether. Please contact us first so we know to expect it. Fourth, label the sample clearly and enclose everything needed, such as your contact details and a note of the material it came from. That saves the back-and-forth that slows things down.
What if you need the result urgently?
There is no need for a separate urgent service, because every sample is already analysed on the day it arrives and the result is emailed that same day. In an urgent case the only thing that can be sped up is the sample's journey to the laboratory.
If the removal team is due on site, say, and you need to be sure about the material before work starts, contact the laboratory directly. The fastest option is to bring the sample in person, which avoids the postal delay entirely.
How much the post adds
Almost all of the waiting time goes on the post. In Finland an ordinary letter takes 1-3 working days. To shorten that step you can use express post, or bring the sample to the laboratory yourself if you are nearby. A parcel sent through a parcel locker can arrive as soon as the next day.
How are the results reported?
The results go out by email as soon as the analysis is finished, on the day the sample arrives. The report states whether the sample contains asbestos and, if so, which type. A clear report helps you and your contractor decide how the removal work has to be carried out.
If you would like more detail or help reading the result, you can always contact our customer service. We are glad to explain what the result means in practice and how best to proceed.