How to remove a linoleum floor containing asbestos ?
What makes asbestos dangerous is that it can cause a variety of diseases in humans, and there are no known "safe" levels of asbestos. And asbestos fibers can remain in the atmosphere for several years which makes them very dangerous.
If you want to know whether your linoleum flooring does indeed contain asbestos, you might consider taking a sample of the flooring to your flooring company. The flooring company should be able to tell you whether your flooring has asbestos.
Now, if your linoleum floor does contain asbestos and it is in good condition, you might want to consider leaving it alone - if it is undamaged and undisturbed, there are fewer chances of the asbestos fibers getting airborne. But if however you have to remove it, then several precautions may have to be taken :
If your flooring uses linoleum tiles instead of sheets, then taking care to remove whole tiles without breakage may reduce the numbers of fibers released into the atmosphere.
You might reduce the numbers of fibers released into the atmosphere by making the surface to be removed wet.
Using a vacuum cleaner can make the fibers airborne, which may prove to be dangerous.
Also, a linoleum surface with asbestos content should not be sanded, as this can release large numbers of fibers into the atmosphere.
Finally, it might be best if you hire a person experienced in removing linoleum flooring with asbestos content, as the task may be difficult and dangerous for all but the most experienced do-it-yourselfers.