What are the challenges of marine asbestos abatement?

Asbestos abatement has become a serious issue and challenge all over the world. As regulators impose guidelines and regulations on how to manage or preferably remove this dangerous substance from use in a multitude of applications, companies are discovering that the challenges faced when in a marine environment are far more daunting than expected. One of the biggest users of asbestos was in the ship building industry well into the late 1990s and on with many thousands of ships containing large amounts of asbestos in a myriad of locations and materials.

The challenges of abating asbestos in marine facilities and ships often requires a multifaceted and multi-stakeholder approach to truly solve the various problems and ships such as military, ferries or cargo ships also present a different kind of challenge when compared with land-based structures. Asbestos removal on a ship requires many different skills than would normally be used on land. There is also the added challenge of ensuring that the ship is safe for the returning crew and passengers if the ship is not being decommissioned.

Other challenges present themselves in the way asbestos remediation may be performed. Since every second a ship is out of the water is a second where it is not generating revenue, many companies would prefer for the work to be done at the same time the ship is undergoing a refit or repairs. This means that the asbestos abatement team must often work alongside other workers. This increases the challenges and safety requirements immensely and only an experienced and well-trained team has the skills to complete the work safely, on time and on budget.

Marine companies all over the world looking at either upgrading their current fleet to meet new regulations or looking for safe ways to decommission or recycle their ships need to contact EnviroVac. With over 40 years of experience working on all kinds of asbestos abatement in a marine environment, we can deliver a safe and cost-effective service that is second to none.