News
Hill News- Update from our Auckland Asbestos Lab
Date: 7 Nov 2022
Author: Hill Laboratories
Since 2015, Hill Laboratories’ Auckland lab has been protecting New Zealanders from the effects of asbestos. With state-of-the-art testing facilities, Hills can detect the presence of asbestos in all manner of environments: bulk materials, soil and air.
Due to its carcinogenic properties, all forms of asbestos were banned in New Zealand by 1999. Unfortunately, the product may still be found in structures built prior to 2000, a fact which has led to an influx of asbestos testing.
By 2019, with demand continuing at a steady pace, Hill’s Auckland lab relocated to a larger facility in Parnell to increase its testing capacity, speed of turnaround and accommodate the new soil analysis services we provide.
State-of-the-art equipment
To identify asbestos in materials, Hill Labs use a Polarised Light Microscopy (PLM), using associated dispersion staining techniques to identify the asbestos in various matrices, including soil. To detect airborne fibre concentrations, the membrane filter method is employed with analysis by Phase Contrast Microscopy.
Given the weight of implications, clients turn to Hills because our Auckland Laboratory is IANZ accredited to analyse and report suspected asbestos. Asbestos testing soil analyses are performed in accordance with the Western Australian and Australian National Environmental Protection Measure (NEPM).
Other work
As well as asbestos analysis, our lab is utilised as a drop off point for all samples, including micro, water, agriculture, and food samples. From 7am to 7pm, samples arrive to be couriered to the most appropriate Hill Laboratories sites across New Zealand. Most jobs are time-sensitive, so our eight-strong team is hyper-vigilant when it comes to dispatching samples.
Team of eight
With eight personnel, the Auckland lab has become a tight knit team. Our eight includes our staff in sample reception, a client services manager for Environmental and Asbestos, and our asbestos analysts.
Although our speciality is asbestos, we have expanded our functionality to enable us to collectively assist anyone who works through the door.
People matter
Even though laboratory work is necessarily technical, our team hasn’t lost sight of the people we’re serving. We love getting to know our clients and always make time to chat when they’re dropping off samples or picking up supplies.
We’ve known many of them since we opened our doors seven years ago. It’s not surprising we understand their specific needs better than most.