Scaffolding with the Volken Group
For some customers we go up the walls
Our own scaffolds are absolute top products and are used throughout Switzerland - on industrial construction sites, on traffic routes or in power plants, for private customers or events. In addition to classic facade scaffolding, this also includes many special scaffolds for extensive or highly demanding projects - erected by experienced scaffolders - some of them internationally. Let the Volken Group be your scaffolding specialist and benefit from our wide-ranging expertise!
Asbestos in the house? Better leave it
Sharpen the tiles laid by grandfather in the bathroom? Dismantle the old electrical panel in the basement? Or tear out the worn vinyl flooring in the hallway? Hands off! Leave these delicate jobs to our experienced, qualified specialists in the proper disposal of hazardous materials.
If you are not sure, the best thing to do is to call the Volken Group: At 027 948 05 05, we'll be happy to answer any questions you may have about pollutant cleanup in Valais!
Danger lurks everywhere - even in hidden places
Whether in weakly bonded or solid form: Asbestos is found from the basement to the roof. In boilers and furnaces or heating systems as well as in floors, walls and ceilings, in cardboard, plaster and pipes. Many older buildings are still contaminated with asbestos - but this often only becomes apparent when renovation work is due.
Asbestos has been banned since 1989 - for good reasons
It resists heat and acids, is chemically stable, highly resistant and does not burn: Seen in this light, asbestos is a practical all-rounder that was used in many places until over 30 years ago. With devastating consequences that can only become apparent after 40 years and triggered the most serious illnesses and death in countless people. Fortunately, this silicate mineral has been banned as a building material in Switzerland since 1989. The task now is to remove these dangerous contaminated sites professionally in Valais as well.
The laboratory tests, SUVA monitors, the Volken Group remediates
As a building owner, do you suspect that asbestos could come to light during a conversion or renovation? Contact a Volken Group representative. If we discover asbestos, we commission a special laboratory to take samples and test them. Based on the results, a pollutant report is prepared. It contains a list of the hazardous materials and their locations: Where are the hot spots, how many vacuum holding devices (UHG) and airlocks are needed, what machines are needed to remove the pollutants, and how will they be disposed of? This remediation plan is sent to SUVA.
Proceeding very precisely and extremely carefully is a must
Each specification must be implemented step by step and precisely to eliminate any risk. The Volken Group's contaminant remediators set up UHG units with filters outside the contaminated rooms. Negative pressure prevents asbestos fibers from escaping to the outside. In addition, airlocks are provided for employees and for contaminated material. It goes without saying that all those involved wear the protective clothing required by the EKAS and SUVA.
Extraction helps minimize hazardous dust emissions
In its bound form, asbestos-containing material is harmless to humans. However, if it is processed or removed, its hazardous fibers are released. That is why all the machines used have an air extraction system - even if mechanical work such as grinding is carried out inside the airlocks and all employees wear protective equipment. Extraction prevents heavy dust emissions and at the same time increases safety during contaminant cleanup. The extracted air is cleaned with a special filter machine.
Elaborate teamwork and 3-hour shifts in rotation
Tiles, floor coverings and adhesives containing asbestos are removed by hand. The asbestos-containing material is double-bagged, washed with water in the airlock and stored in closable skips.
Only when the air is clean is the cleanup also over
After the work is completed, the walls and floors are cleaned with a vacuum cleaner and wiped with damp cloths. Afterwards, the laboratory carries out air measurements. If there are still asbestos fibers in the room, the final cleaning process starts all over again. Only when the air is clean and all values are correct can further removal begin. Different types of construction waste are generated during asbestos removal. Depending on the type, they are disposed of in a Volken Group inert waste landfill or in a reactor landfill.
In Steg we renovate smaller components professionally
For certain renovations, it is impossible or too costly on site to create protective zones with airlocks. Therefore, we dismantle elements containing harmful substances, such as windows with asbestos-containing joints, at the construction site and transport them to the site in Steg. This is only possible if no dust is produced during dismantling. Here, the Volken Group operates a container with a safety zone to refurbish corresponding components: The contaminated mastic is removed, glass and metals are disposed of, and the wood is incinerated.
Contact persons
Pierluigi D'Onofrio
Department Manager Pollutant Remediation
Technician HF / Construction manager SBA
Erhard Burgener
Head of Civil Engineering
Member of the Executive Board
