CASE STUDY Asbestos Floor Tile Removal in Operational Store
Summary
Cleanfield Pty Ltd was engaged to remove approximately 250m2 of asbestos floor tiles from an operational store in the country Victorian town of Sale (approximately 215km’s east of Melbourne). The works were completed (with a couple of added challenges) within the time frame allowed minimising disruptions to the store.
About the Job
Cleanfield employees mobilised to site on Day 1 of the project in their high sided tip truck with all necessary tools and equipment on board. Upon arrival contact was made with the store’s Project Manager where we ran through how we were to remove the asbestos tiles minimising any potential contamination of stock within the store. Works quickly commenced after allaying any concerns the store’s Project Manager may have had.
Day 1 works: Set up polythene plastic segregating the operational areas of the store from the asbestos removal area. Cover carpeted areas adjacent the works area to avoid contamination of these areas. Remove and dispose 2 x layers of carpet covering approximately 250m2 of floor space. Remove and bag up approximately 65m2 of asbestos tiles before they day was out.
Day 2: Remove and bag up the remaining 185m2 of asbestos tiles. During the course of the day, asbestos floor tiles were found to extend beneath the carpeted area adjacent the main works area. This carpet was subsequently removed and disposed of also. A further 40m2 of asbestos tiles were discovered, removed and bagged up by the end of the day.
Day 3: Bagged up asbestos waste was transferred to a lined asbestos waste skip at the rear of the store for off site disposal. The works area was detailed removing all remaining pieces of asbestos tile. The area was then cleared by a competent independent third party and clearance certificate issued to the Project Manager
Challenges
The main challenges identified on this project were:
- Segregating operational areas of the store from the asbestos removal works area eliminating the possibility of asbestos contaminating these areas.
- Removing the 250m2 of carpet and previously unidentified 40m2 of asbestos tiles within the same amount of time to minimise disruption to the store
Solutions
By hanging black polythene plastic at the boundary to our works area, we were able to eliminate the possibility of airborne asbestos escaping our works area and potentially contaminating stock in operational areas of the store.
By employing specialised equipment to help us remove the asbestos floor tiles, we were able to ensure the extra carpet and asbestos tiles were removed within the allowed time frames. Having a diligent, hard working crew greatly increased the chances of completing the extra works on time.
Results
At the end of the day, we ended up with one happy client and one happy tenant. All works were completed on time, on budget and with minimal disruptions to the store.
