Asbestos Sampling Guide

Asbestos Services

How to Collect Asbestos Samples for Analysis

To ensure that proper caution is taken regarding asbestos sampling, K2 provide the following instructions in good faith to be used as guidance. Asbestos sampling should only be conducted by an experienced person using appropriate PPE and fit-tested RPE. Asbestos is a hazardous material and can cause serious health problems if handled incorrectly.

Required Equipment

Disposable Type 5 Coveralls
P2/3 dust mask
Polythene drop sheet
Wet wipes
Sealable sandwich bags
Asbestos waste bag
Pliers
Screwdriver
PVA glue, electrical tape, shaving foam

Before We Sample

Identify the building material that is to be safely sampled
Look for any evidence of repairs or replacement materials
Apply all personal protective equipment (PPE). This must be worn at all times. They include:
- P2/3 dust mask. This is the first item you put on and the last item you take off
- Type 5 disposable coveralls
Lay down a polythene sheet directly below your area of sampling to collect any debris
Ensure the vicinity is vacated prior to sampling
All HRV, heating and air conditioning units should be turned off

Taking the Sample

Lightly mist the area with water and detergent from a spray bottle. Be aware of electrical points.
Use your pliers, screwdriver or tool to take a representative sample of the material. Power tools, brushes and brooms are not to be used as they may cause release of airborne fibres.
See the table at the bottom of this page for recommended sample sizes.
Gather this material into a sealable sandwich bag, ensuring there are no holes allowing the material to escape.
- Write the date, type of material and sample location on the front of the bag in permanent marker
- Place this bag into a second sealable sandwich bag (make sure sample descriptions are clearly visible).
Use wet-wipes to decontaminate your sampling tools between materials.

Cleaning Up

Seal your sample point with PVA glue or tape, ensuring there are no exposed edges
Use a wet-wipe to clean all tools used in the sampling process.
HEPA-grade filter vacuums may be used in the clean-up. No general purpose vacuum should ever be used to clean-up dust or debris.
Wipe yourself and all relevant areas with wet-wipes making sure to cover the external mask areas.
Use a rolling motion when removing your coveralls to contain as much dust and debris as possible.
Place your polythene drop cloth, contaminated items and used disposable PPE into the asbestos waste bag.
Bags containing asbestos waste can be disposed of at your local landfill. These must be declared as containing asbestos waste.

Use a HEPA vacuum and wet wipes for clean-up after asbestos sampling

Sampling Guide for Common Materials

Where is it found?	Common sampling issues	Sample instructions
Cement sheet
Corrugated roofing and fencing Cladding (e.g. weatherboards or at entryways) Soffits Gables Behind tiles or wet walls	Watch out for areas that may have been replaced by non-asbestos cement sheet Non-asbestos cement sheet may be installed over asbestos cement (e.g. in showers) Both non-asbestos and asbestos cement sheet may have been installed during initial construction Non-asbestos cement sheet often degrades faster and is easier to break—be careful if only looking for damaged areas to sample	Take approx. 1cm x 1cm pieces from multiple sampling points If cement sheet looks, sounds or breaks differently, consider sampling separately If only taking one sample, make sure to sample all varieties of sheets from all sides of building
Textured plaster (e.g. stipple and popcorn ceilings)
Textured ceilings in residential buildings Decorative textured walls Sound insulation on walls and ceilings of auditoriums or lecture theatres	Material can be highly variable in asbestos content (especially if asbestos was hand-mixed by plasterer) Plastering done during refurbishments may be indistinguishable from original asbestos plaster. Make sure to take samples from every room! Be aware that asbestos ceilings were often covered over by a false ceiling rather than removed. Keep an eye out for ceilings that are lower than the rest of the house. We often find that a house may contain only one or two asbestos plaster ceilings. Sample rooms separately where possible. Material is difficult to cleanly sample. Use dropcloths and coveralls and wipe down ladders and tools after sampling.	Take at least a tablespoon from multiple points in all rooms Preferably sample each room separately or group only a few rooms together Avoid collecting GIB or other backing material that can clutter the sample
Vinyl, linoleum and vinyl tile flooring
Kitchens, laundries, entryways, toilets, bathrooms, hot water cupboards and wardrobes Under carpets, especially in lounges, hallway entries and where kitchens or bathrooms have previously been In kitchen cabinet shelves Industrial flooring	Vinyl flooring is often covered over instead of removed. Original vinyl may be under multiple layers of newer vinyl, hardboard, plywood or chipboard Vinyl flooring is often carpeted over rather than removed Vinyl flooring may have been partially removed but still present in difficult-to-remove places Top layer of vinyl may have been removed but the fibrous asbestos backing is still stuck to the substrate	Take approx. 2cm x 2cm pieces from multiple sampling points Make sure to get all layers of flooring including any backing material, glue and substrate Sample all variations of material (e.g. when sampling a red and white tiled floor, take samples of both colours)
Decramastic (bitumen) roofing
Roofing — scallop-shaped metal tiles, usually reddish brown in colour	Asbestos content in Decramastic roofing can be lower, make sure to sample enough Buildings often have a mix of asbestos and non-asbestos Decramastic roofing, sample from all sides Beware of height hazards and sharp edges Make sure sampling does not affect the integrity of the roofing	Take approx. 2cm x 2cm pieces from multiple sampling points Get metal, bitumen and aggregate components
Millboard, pipe lagging, insulation, sprayed insulation, dust
These materials are highly friable and should only be sampled by an experienced asbestos technician. Disturbing these materials without proper controls can lead to respirable asbestos fibres being released and/or asbestos contamination. If you attempt to sample them without properly fitted RPE and PPE you will expose yourself to asbestos.

Cement sheet

Where is it found?

Corrugated roofing and fencing
Cladding (e.g. weatherboards or at entryways)
Soffits
Gables
Behind tiles or wet walls

Common sampling issues

Watch out for areas that may have been replaced by non-asbestos cement sheet
Non-asbestos cement sheet may be installed over asbestos cement (e.g. in showers)
Both non-asbestos and asbestos cement sheet may have been installed during initial construction
Non-asbestos cement sheet often degrades faster and is easier to break—be careful if only looking for damaged areas to sample

Sample instructions

Take approx. 1cm x 1cm pieces from multiple sampling points
If cement sheet looks, sounds or breaks differently, consider sampling separately
If only taking one sample, make sure to sample all varieties of sheets from all sides of building

Textured plaster (e.g. stipple and popcorn ceilings)

Where is it found?

Textured ceilings in residential buildings
Decorative textured walls
Sound insulation on walls and ceilings of auditoriums or lecture theatres

Common sampling issues

Material can be highly variable in asbestos content (especially if asbestos was hand-mixed by plasterer)
Plastering done during refurbishments may be indistinguishable from original asbestos plaster. Make sure to take samples from every room!
Be aware that asbestos ceilings were often covered over by a false ceiling rather than removed. Keep an eye out for ceilings that are lower than the rest of the house.
We often find that a house may contain only one or two asbestos plaster ceilings. Sample rooms separately where possible.
Material is difficult to cleanly sample. Use dropcloths and coveralls and wipe down ladders and tools after sampling.

Sample instructions

Take at least a tablespoon from multiple points in all rooms
Preferably sample each room separately or group only a few rooms together
Avoid collecting GIB or other backing material that can clutter the sample

Vinyl, linoleum and vinyl tile flooring

Where is it found?

Kitchens, laundries, entryways, toilets, bathrooms, hot water cupboards and wardrobes
Under carpets, especially in lounges, hallway entries and where kitchens or bathrooms have previously been
In kitchen cabinet shelves
Industrial flooring

Common sampling issues

Vinyl flooring is often covered over instead of removed. Original vinyl may be under multiple layers of newer vinyl, hardboard, plywood or chipboard
Vinyl flooring is often carpeted over rather than removed
Vinyl flooring may have been partially removed but still present in difficult-to-remove places
Top layer of vinyl may have been removed but the fibrous asbestos backing is still stuck to the substrate

Sample instructions

Take approx. 2cm x 2cm pieces from multiple sampling points
Make sure to get all layers of flooring including any backing material, glue and substrate
Sample all variations of material (e.g. when sampling a red and white tiled floor, take samples of both colours)

Decramastic (bitumen) roofing

Where is it found?

Roofing — scallop-shaped metal tiles, usually reddish brown in colour

Common sampling issues

Asbestos content in Decramastic roofing can be lower, make sure to sample enough
Buildings often have a mix of asbestos and non-asbestos Decramastic roofing, sample from all sides
Beware of height hazards and sharp edges
Make sure sampling does not affect the integrity of the roofing

Sample instructions

Take approx. 2cm x 2cm pieces from multiple sampling points
Get metal, bitumen and aggregate components

Millboard, pipe lagging, insulation, sprayed insulation, dust

These materials are highly friable and should only be sampled by an experienced asbestos technician. Disturbing these materials without proper controls can lead to respirable asbestos fibres being released and/or asbestos contamination. If you attempt to sample them without properly fitted RPE and PPE you will expose yourself to asbestos.