Queensland Laboratory News Details

New Asbestos Sampling Procedures for Hessian Carpet Underlay

Added: 25 August, 2009Download the PDF

HESSIAN CARPET UNDERLAY “SAMPLING PROCEDURE”

In order to ensure the safety of all personal, the following procedure should be followed when sampling hessian carpet underlay from flooring laid prior to 1980:

1. Appropriate person protective equipment (PPE) must be worn at all times for the duration of the sampling. This includes the wearing of a properly fitted P2 dust mask which meets the designated Australian Standards (These can be purchased from any hardware store);
2. In order to determine the composition of this hessian with a degree of certainty, it is recommended that one sample be taken for approximately every 10m2 of potentially contaminated carpet;
3. Samples are to be taken by 1st wetting the carpet with a small amount of water. Once the carpet is damp, carefully lift the carpet and cutting a small section of the hessian underlay, taking care to minimise the liberation of potentially hazardous dust into the air. A sample size of approximately 10cm2 is ideal;
4. Samples are to be individually placed and sealed in ‘zip-lock’ plastic bags and labelled, identifying the material sampled (i.e. Carpet Underlay), location of sample (i.e. Bedroom 1), address of property, sampling date and any other relevant information;
5. Samples are to be analysed by a NATA accredited laboratory in accordance with the methodology outlined in the Australian Standards (AS 4964 – 2004) for the presence of asbestos.
6. Samples can be posted directly to us at PO Box 8110, GCMC, Qld, 9726 for testing.