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Case study: Small repair job turned into £112,000 asbestos removal contract
A small repair job to some ceiling beams turned into an extensive asbestos removal operation, after air tests revealed the area was not fit for occupation.
Kershaw Contracting Services was initially asked to repair the sprayed coating applied to ceiling beams in a building used extensively by staff and members of the public.
Eight air tests were carried out before work started. Two of the air tests showed one particular area of the building had asbestos fibre levels above the level acceptable for occupation.
It was immediately closed and Kershaw Contracting Services staff used full protective gear to inspect the ceiling void.
They discovered the full extent of the damage to the sprayed coating, including an area where the beam coating had been cut away to allow an air-conditioning duct to be passed through a plasterboard wall.
Four areas of debris were found on top of the ceiling tiles, and there were numerous areas of damage, which were probably caused by work carried out in the ceiling void. There was a large crack to the ceiling beam above one of the busiest areas of the building.
Kershaw Contracting Services was asked to decontaminate the unit and remove the sprayed coating to the ceiling, leaving the area fit for reoccupation. This process is being completed now, with completion due just before Christmas.
From the beginning, the project was consultancy led, bringing together the expertise of a number of external consultants. This helped to emphasise the gravity of the situation to the organisation using the building.
What started as a repair job quoted at £1,200 became a full asbestos removal contract worth £112,000.
Get more details of Kershaw Contracting Services’ asbestos removal and disposal.
