Asbestos and lead: two activities, one tool chain
Asbestos removal and lead paint decontamination have more in common than meets the eye. Often the same operators, the same PPE, the same containment constraints, the same source-capture obligations. A specialised contractor moves from one type of intervention to the other depending on the project, and looks for a single equipment fleet capable of covering both markets without compromise.
Sept Tools designs its range with this versatility in mind. All our grinders, planers and vacuums comply with the strictest requirements of licensed asbestos work. When you build a machine that has to run five hours in a row in a sealed coverall inside a containment at 10 Pa negative pressure, you cannot simply adapt a consumer product. You have to start from scratch on the motor, the balance, the extraction and the maintenance.
Brushless logic in a contaminated zone
The advantages of brushless take on a special dimension on these jobsites. First, no sparks and no carbon dust emission: a brushed motor continuously releases carbon particles that mix with contaminated dust and complicate the final decontamination of the equipment. Brushless emits nothing.
Then service life. On an asbestos jobsite, every machine downtime is a logistical disaster: you have to bring the operator out, decontaminate the tool, bring a new machine through clean and contaminated zones, restart a new cycle. A brushless motor lasts 20,000 hours without intervention versus 800 to 1,400 hours for a brushed motor. Over time, that is fourteen to twenty-five times fewer downtimes.
Finally, vibration. EU directive 2002/44/EC sets the action threshold at 2.5 m/s² for hand-arm vibration. Sept Tools brushless grinders measure 0.2 to 0.4 m/s² at the handle, placing operators outside the risk zone even on the longest sessions. On a jobsite where you already work in a mask and coverall, you cannot afford to add vibration exposure.
The vacuum: the hub of the jobsite
It all starts with the vacuum. Without effective extraction, no grinder can be used in licensed work, regardless of its motor. That is why we designed the IU33 Longopac together with the IU40, IU51 and IU81 range as the backbone of the system. All four models are class H with standard HEPA H13 filtration (and HEPA H14 compatibility on the IU40, IU51 and IU81 for the strictest MPPS applications per EN 1822), automatic filter cleaning to maintain airflow, and on the IU33 the Longopac continuous bagging system: a continuously sealed plastic sleeve that forms hermetic sausages during disposal. The operator never touches the contaminated dust.
The IU33 Longopac remains the reference for restricted-access zones thanks to its continuous bagging. The IU40 covers non-licensed work and mobile interventions in a compact format. The IU51 takes over on mid-size licensed asbestos jobsites. The IU81 delivers the 70 l/s minimum airflow that allows two tools to be connected simultaneously via a Y splitter for larger licensed jobsites.
Anti-fatigue: the difference on long jobsites
Working in full PPE is a physical ordeal. The simple fact of breathing into a powered respirator adds continuous cardiac fatigue. If on top of that the operator has to hold a 4 kg grinder overhead for five hours, the session ends before lunch. That is why our Mygale and Gecko carts and our Scourpio exoskeleton have become essential on asbestos jobsites.
The Gazelle carries the ceiling grinder and presses it against the surface using a pneumatic ram. The operator only has to guide the machine. On an asbestos coating removal jobsite, productivity goes from 8 m² per session to 25 m² per session, with no increase in perceived fatigue. The Scourpio adds a 47 % relief on deltoid muscle activity for operations that still require holding the machine in hand, like corners or restricted areas.
A chain built for traceability
Asbestos jobsites are audited. Inspectors ask to see the equipment data sheets, the filtration certificates, the maintenance records. Sept Tools delivers each machine with its identification record, serial number and complete technical documentation. An internal or external audit can be prepared in minutes thanks to this systematic traceability.
This is also why our sales staff know the trade. They do not sell a grinder to an asbestos contractor the same way they sell to a painter: there are questions to ask, constraints to validate, configurations to adapt. This field expertise is what distinguishes Sept Tools on this hyper-specialised market.
Verified field results
Our captive grinding system was put to the test on a live NHS hospital site in the UK: 1000+ m² of textured asbestos coating removed in 4 productive weeks, with independent air monitoring (UKAS-accredited laboratory) confirming dust levels 5 times below the regulatory threshold.
