Airborne asbestos monitor receives BSiF award

However, Shawcity is delighted to announce the biggest advancement in asbestos technology for decades from Alert Technology with the Alert PRO range.

Alert Technology launched its second-generation model in January 2023 – Alert PRO Connected - which recently won the 2023 BSIF Product Innovation Award at the Safety & Health Excellence Ceremony. 

The Alert PRO range distinguishes airborne asbestos from non-asbestos fibres, providing the world’s first and only real-time alarm. Equally important is the intelligent information Alert PRO captures and catalogues. Users have real-time access to time-stamped particle and fibre counts, asbestos warnings and alarms, GPS tracking, and personalized sampling/project information. Key safety information and alarms are available directly from the unit with more detail available to view on the online portal ‘ALERT Connect’.

Dan Rushton, global sales manager for Alert Technology said of Alert PRO, “Our technology provides not only real-time alarms it also supplies timestamped data enabling a granular review of asbestos risk not possible until now. Accessible in real-time anywhere in the world via our data platform, Alert Connect, we clearly illustrate increasing and decreasing fibre and particulate levels as well as asbestos exposure events. This data is then available to review in easy-to-understand graphs and reports.”

All types of asbestos contain fibres that, when they become airborne, can be inhaled and cause serious and fatal diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis and pleural thickening. These diseases do not affect individuals immediately and can take years to develop. However, by the time they are diagnosed, it is too late to take any preventative measures.

There are still six million tonnes of asbestos spread across 1.5 million buildings in the UK, including up to 80% of schools and 94% of public buildings, including hospitals. Any building constructed or renovated before 1999 has the potential to contain asbestos.

Undamaged, sealed materials are unlikely to release fibres and pose a minor risk. However, if asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) are disturbed or start to deteriorate, asbestos fibres can be released into the air and breathed in by workers and any other occupants. Buildings with a high level of activity and daily footfall have an increased risk of inadvertent damage and therefore accelerated deterioration.

Traditionally, asbestos surveying and detection has meant samples of suspected asbestos-containing materials being sent to laboratories for analysis by competent technicians. Collecting the sample itself involves a risk in terms of disturbing fibres and the exercise only reflects conditions at a single point in time. Until now, detecting airborne asbestos fibres in real time has not been possible.

However, a recent innovation in technology has enabled the development of the Alert PRO as the world's first early warning device for airborne asbestos fibres. In development for over ten years, Alert PRO is portable and simple to use. It works alongside the traditional method and continuously assesses the airborne environment providing a real-time alarm if asbestos-containing materials have released toxic fibres into the air. This allows workers to evacuate the area and instigate safety procedures without delay. Alert PRO’s time-stamped data also offers vital information to help teams identify what events or activities are leading to asbestos fibre releases.

This vital early warning enables an immediate and proactive safety response helping to prevent the risk of prolonged exposure. Alert PRO is the only known device capable of distinguishing asbestos fibres from other non-asbestos fibres in the air in real-time and uses patented light scattering technology, the paramagnetic properties of asbestos fibres and a complex algorithmic statistical analysis to achieve a 99% confidence level.

Alert PRO is most suitable for use in ambient indoor environments where the fabric of a structure will be disturbed through works such as maintenance, construction, restoration, improvements and demolition. Designed to improve safety and reduce operational costs and liability, The technology is suitable for over 30 global industry sectors worldwide and offers one of the biggest advancements in the field of asbestos monitoring for decades. Working on all types of asbestos, the unit is easy to use with no specialist training required.

Alert PRO is available to hire or buy from Shawcity features user configurable settings, LED and audible alarms, LCD screen, 8GB onboard memory, 8-hour rechargeable battery, historical data, easy to download data via USB, ALERT Data Viewer platform for creating reports and a rugged, easy to decontaminate case.

For further information, click here. To request a free demonstration of this ground-breaking technology, contact Shawcity on 01367 899553 or email: solutions@shawcity.co.uk.