How asbestos samples are tested

How asbestos samples are tested is simpler than most people expect, but every step has a purpose. A small piece of material is taken safely, sealed, sent to an accredited laboratory and examined under specialised microscopic procedures. The lab then reports whether asbestos was found.

This guide walks through that path so the result makes sense when you receive it.

Why a lab and not a quick look

You cannot identify asbestos by eye. The Queensland Government says a NATA-accredited lab examining a sample using specialised microscopic procedures is what confirms it. Fibres are too small to see, and safe materials can look the same as unsafe ones.

Step 1: Taking the sample

Sampling is itself hazardous. Queensland guidance says it should be done by a competent person, and that is why we recommend you do not do it yourself. Disturbing the material to cut a piece off is exactly the moment fibres can be released.

A careful sample means:

• keeping other people away from the area
• wetting the spot so dust stays down
• taking only a small piece
• sealing it in a bag and labelling where it came from
• leaving the sampled spot tidy and sealed so it is not an open source of fibres

Each material in your building should be sampled separately. A bathroom wall and a ceiling may look identical but be different products.

Step 2: Sending it to the right lab

Samples must go to a NATA lab accredited for the relevant method, or to a lab run by WorkSafe Queensland. NATA is the national authority that accredits testing laboratories. Not every lab is accredited for asbestos, so the accreditation matters.

Handheld near infrared analysers are not an appropriate test method for asbestos in Queensland, so a quick scan on site is not a substitute for a lab result.

Step 3: What the lab does

In the lab, an analyst prepares the sample and examines it under a microscope to see whether asbestos fibres are present. The aim is to confirm whether asbestos is present in that material.

Ask us about timing and cost when you call, and we will explain what applies to your sample.

Step 4: Reading your result

A lab report generally tells you one of two things.

• Asbestos detected. The material contains asbestos and should be treated as asbestos until it is removed or managed properly.
• No asbestos detected. That sample did not contain asbestos. It says nothing about other materials in the building.

Keep your reports. If you manage a workplace built before 31 December 1989, the results feed into your asbestos register. If you renovate later, they also tell your builder what to expect. The guide on asbestos testing before you renovate shows how to use results in your planning.

What happens after a positive result

Most asbestos in homes is non-friable, meaning bonded in cement. We hold a Class B licence for that. If the material is friable, only a Class A licensed removalist can remove it, and we will tell you plainly if that is the case.

You do not have to remove asbestos just because it is found. Material in good condition that is left alone is generally not a risk. When you plan to disturb it, our asbestos testing service in Toowoomba can help you decide the next step, and our team can talk through removal.

NATA can be reached on 1800 621 666 if you want to check a lab's accreditation. Rules change, so see asbestos.qld.gov.au for current guidance.

Want a sample taken?

Call (07) 3185 2323 and tell us what you want tested. If you are still working out what might need testing, start with how to identify asbestos in your home, or go back to the home page.