Asbestos Air Monitoring
Asbestos Air Testing in North Wales
Protecting people from asbestos exposure starts with accurate monitoring. JB Monitor provides asbestos air testing and air monitoring across North Wales and the North West from our office in Colwyn Bay, helping clients check that buildings and work areas are safe and that exposure stays within legal limits.
We carry out reassurance testing, background air testing and personal exposure monitoring for councils, contractors, property managers and public sector organisations, with clear results you can act on with confidence.
Working With You to Manage Asbestos Safely
We make asbestos safety simple. No jargon, just straightforward advice from experienced asbestos surveyors, providing asbestos surveys, monitoring and consultancy services across North Wales and the North West.
Why Choose JB Monitor
Organisations across North Wales and the North West trust JB Monitor for professional asbestos surveying and monitoring services. We work with commercial organisations, public sector bodies and property managers who require reliable surveys, monitoring and compliance advice.
Asbestos Fibres
- Asbestos minerals incorporated in building materials break down to very fine fibres when disturbed
- These fibres can linger in the air for a considerable time. The fibres are so small that they penetrate very deep into the respiratory system; hence, they are referred to as respirable fibres.
- Whilst other materials may generate respirable size fibres to some extent, this phenomenon is a particular characteristic of the asbestos minerals.
- The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 define a control limit and an air clearance limit for asbestos (respirable) fibres in air. These are regulatory fibre concentrations that must not be exceeded in specified situations.
- Airborne respirable fibre concentrations are determined by collecting airborne dust on cellulose nitrate filters and counting the fibres under phase contrast microscopy.
Reassurance Testing
- Reassurance asbestos air testing provides information on respirable fibre concentrations in air, and helps to define whether a work area is suitable for occupation.
- Reassurance air sampling may follow some very minor work on an asbestos-containing material. Or it may be appropriate when damaged asbestos is found.
Background Air Testing
- Background air testing provides baseline information on the level of respirable fibres in a building before asbestos work takes place. Having a clear baseline makes it easier to compare later results and to show whether conditions in the building have changed as a result of the work.
Personal Exposure Monitoring
- In some instances employers are required to keep records of those who work with asbestos-containing materials. Part of this record keeping can involve periodically measuring the exposure levels of individual workers to respirable fibres.
- Personal exposure monitoring measures the fibre concentration in a worker's breathing zone while they carry out a task. The results can be compared against the control limit set by the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, and help employers check that their control measures and protective equipment are working.
Where We Carry Out Asbestos Air Testing
From our Colwyn Bay office we carry out asbestos air testing across North Wales, including Colwyn Bay, Llandudno, Conwy, Gwynedd and Anglesey, as well as in Chester and Cheshire, Wrexham and Manchester.
Air testing often goes hand in hand with our other services. If you need to know whether asbestos is present in a building before work starts, see our asbestos surveys. Suspect materials can be analysed at our UKAS accredited laboratory (2075) through our bulk sampling and analysis service, and our consultancy team can advise on managing asbestos safely.
Asbestos Air Testing FAQs
What is the difference between asbestos air testing and an asbestos survey?
An asbestos survey finds and identifies asbestos-containing materials in the fabric of a building. Asbestos air testing measures the level of asbestos fibres in the air, to check whether an area is safe or whether exposure is within legal limits.
When do I need reassurance air testing?
Reassurance air testing may be needed after very minor work on an asbestos-containing material, or when damaged asbestos has been found. The results help to show whether an area is suitable for occupation.
Why carry out background air testing before work starts?
Background air testing records the level of respirable fibres in a building before any asbestos work takes place. This gives a baseline that later results can be compared against.
How are asbestos fibres in the air measured?
Air is drawn through a filter to collect airborne dust, and the fibres on the filter are then counted under a phase contrast microscope. This is known as fibre counting.
Do you carry out asbestos air testing across North Wales?
Yes. We carry out asbestos air testing across North Wales, including Colwyn Bay, Llandudno, Conwy, Gwynedd and Anglesey, as well as in Chester, Wrexham and Manchester. Contact us to discuss your requirements.