Numerous scientific studies have shown that, once its useful life has expired – between 20 and 30 years – asbestos-containing fibres release fibres whose inhalation is directly linked to serious consequences for human health. These include asbestosis (pulmonary fibrosis), lung cancer and mesothelioma, among others. It is estimated that 78% of asbestos-related cancer cases are a consequence of asbestos. In 2019, this resulted in the deaths of more than 70,000 workers across the European Union (EU).
Today, eradicating asbestos from the building stock is one of the priorities of all EU member countries. Homogenising the criteria for management and removal is crucial to guarantee the safety of citizens and workers. This represents a major challenge: achieving traceability of a material that constitutes a public health problem. Would you like to discover how we have done it at Agforest?
Regulatory framework: end of asbestos in Europe
In 2018, Directive (EU) 2018/851 of the European Parliament and the Council on waste was approved, modifying the previous Community regulation. Its transposition into Spanish legislation gave rise to Law 07/2022, of April 8, on waste and contaminated soil for a circular economy. In its fourteenth additional provision, it refers to the obligation for all municipalities in the country to carry out an inventory of facilities and sites with asbestos; as well as the scheduling of its removal.
What is Ag4Asbestos?
Ag4Asbestos is the only software in the world that allows traceability of asbestos in all links of the value chain, from inventory to landfill management. The solution, developed by Agforest, uses geospatial artificial intelligence (GeoAI) to monitor, analyse and manage all operations related to asbestos management , ensuring regulatory compliance and minimising risks to public health.
This platform enables all the actors involved in the inventory, inspection, analysis, removal, movement and management of asbestos, among others, to be connected. It facilitates the documentation work to consolidate the regulatory and operational information necessary to ensure the correct treatment of this material.
Ag4Asbestos Features
In its public part, Ag4Asbestos allows the integration of a public notification mailbox so that citizens can proactively report the presence of asbestos in certain locations that are difficult to access. In addition, the software has a web viewer that can be easily integrated with the website of any city council or other public administration to facilitate the consultation of the sites with asbestos, their cadastral reference or removal schedule.
Asbestos management involves not only its identification and removal, but also the monitoring of traceability throughout its life cycle. Ag4Asbestos integrates data such as the cadastral reference, the type of use of the building or the date of construction together with other variables based on geospatial data. Through its modules, Ag4Asbestos users can:
- Managing files: connecting the public administration with private companies involved in the asbestos process. Creating a file that will contain all the information relating to the management of the site throughout the process.
- Conducting inspections: connecting inspection companies and laboratories to identify the type of asbestos. Improving the efficiency of carrying out inspections by automating official reports and performing document work intuitively via smartphone.
- Process removal: follow up on the documents required for removal and subsequent management of depositing the asbestos in the landfill. Know where the material is at all times and know if it has been managed correctly.
- Surveillance work: Ag4Asbestos applies geospatial data and artificial intelligence for remote detection of asbestos. Applied periodically, this technology makes it possible to know whether the asbestos in a location has been removed in compliance with the necessary processes.
- Reports and training: Platform users can obtain real-time reports on the asbestos situation in a given municipality. They can also access training on asbestos management to ensure their safety.
Benefits of Ag4Asbestos
The software developed by Agforest offers numerous benefits for its users, both public and private. On the one hand, regulatory compliance , complying with increasingly strict regulations on asbestos management. By providing comprehensive management and traceability of asbestos, Ag4Asbestos reduces the risks associated with exposure to this material, protecting the health of workers and citizens.
In all this, Ag4Asbestos helps to improve operational efficiency, allowing efficient removal planning, optimizing resources. Finally, this software facilitates complete transparency of the process, impacting the reputation of the public administration and companies involved in the process.
Proven effectiveness in more than 30 municipalities
Agforest is the leading company in asbestos remote sensing in Spain. The remote sensing solutions developed by the company comply with the guidelines published by the General Directorate of Public Health and Health Equity for the census of facilities and sites with asbestos ; the scheduling of their removal and the removal of the installed asbestos.
With an accuracy rate of over 90%, the company is able to carry out an asbestos census project in just two months. The company has already prepared the census and schedule for the removal of asbestos in more than 30 municipalities throughout Spain. Notable projects have been prepared for Terrassa, Ibiza, Valladolid, Pinto and Yecla, among others.
0 Comments