Dealing With Asbestos A starter kit for managing this holdover from the bad old days. By Sheri Suckling. Asbestos was once a popular choice for insulating against heat or noise, and older buildings (built before the 1980s) are highly likely to have asbestos-containing materials on site. As time went on and more information became available about the adverse health effects of long-term exposure to asbestos, industry began to question its use, and soon designated it a workplace hazard. Like any hazard, risks need to be assessed and managed, and eventually legislation was enacted to deal with the specific hazards and risks of asbestos.
What is asbestos? Asbestos is a fibrous form of mineral silicate, incorporated into a number of materials used for construction, cladding and thermal or acoustic insulation of offices, factories and houses, and as a component of a wide range of products such as heat-resistant textiles, decorative coatings, asbestos cement pipes, thermal insulation for pipes and boilers, brake and clutch friction linings, gaskets, floor tiles and packing materials, exploiting its heat resistance and mechanical strength properties. Asbestos is invariably mixed with other materials and rarely encountered in its raw form, which means identification based on visual examination is unreliable. If in doubt, isolate the material, take a sample and have it tested. Treat these materials as containing asbestos until test results are available. There are three main types of asbestos: White asbestos – chrysotile asbestos, which is white to grey in colour with curly fibres that are difficult to separate. Brown asbestos – amosite asbestos, which is most often found in sprayed insulation materials. Blue asbestos – crocidolite asbestos, which is dark blue coloured, with straight fibres. Use of this material has been either banned or restricted, although it may still be encountered in maintenance and removal work.
What are the health risks associated with asbestos? Inhalation of asbestos fibres has been shown to pose a potentially fatal health risk, due to the sharp, glass-like nature of the fibres. Asbestos only presents a significant health risk when it is machined or scraped in such a way that asbestos fibre-containing dust is released. “Friable” is a term used for asbestos that can be easily crumbled under ordinary conditions. Asbestos in this state is highly unstable and must be handled carefully. There are three main disease states associated with asbestos inhalation: • Asbestosis – progressive fibrosis or scarring of the lungs
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Mesothelioma – cancer of the chest or abdominal cavities Lung cancer
The risk of cancer increases with exposure dose. Also, the smaller the diameter of the asbestos fibre, the greater the cancer risk. Lung cancer and mesothelioma have a long latency period, meaning that it could take 15-50 years to show up.
What are the legal requirements for managing asbestos? NZ legislation (HSE Act 1992 / HSE Amendment Act 2002) requires that all employees receive training in hazard management practices, including hazard identification, risk assessment, hierarchy of controls, and recording requirements. Companies have a legal obligation to take all practicable steps to identify, assess, and manage all workplace hazards. Hazards may include aspects of the work site, machinery, equipment, tools, procedures, workplace practices, and any other area or reason a person could potentially be harmed. Specific requirements for managing asbestos in the workplace are set out in Health and Safety in Employment (Asbestos) Regulations 1998 – Regulation 35. Additional guidance for handling asbestos can be found in Guidelines for the Management and Removal of Asbestos.
What do I need to do if asbestos is present (or suspected to be present) on site? Where asbestos-containing materials are present or thought to be present, follow established consultative processes (e.g., HSE Committee) to determine the most appropriate approach to managing the risk. Where the presence of asbestos is suspected, have materials tested by an accredited laboratory to positively identify composition. If tests show that materials contain asbestos, appropriately competent persons should carry out a risk assessment to determine potential workplace exposure risks. Assessment should consider the composition and condition of asbestos-containing materials with regard to these factors: • Potential to release asbestos fibres into the air • Likelihood of further release • Workplace exposure conditions – e.g., frequency and duration of exposure Follow up risk assessment with implementation of an appropriate hazard management plan, following the hierarchy of controls and including arrangements for on-going monitoring where required. Suitable substitutes for asbestos have been found for many applications, and whilst at present it is not considered practicable to remove asbestos from all products, this is the long-term goal. Handling and removal of asbestos-containing materials require specialist skills and must only be undertaken by appropriately qualified personnel holding a certificate of competence issued according to the provisions of the Asbestos Regulations. Whilst asbestos removal is consistent with the requirements of the HSE Act, removal of asbestos-containing materials is not necessarily the only option. If asbestoscontaining materials are in stable condition, encapsulation or enclosure may be
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suitable alternatives to removal. The best option should be determined from the outcome of a full risk assessment. For further details, refer to the OSH publication Guidelines for the Management and Removal of Asbestos – available from the OSH Department of Labour website www.osh.govt.nz under publications.
What if I find asbestos on site? Where asbestos-containing materials have been identified and are to be left intact, ensure the area is clearly and appropriately labelled to indicate the presence of asbestos. Where materials have been tested and found asbestos-free, it’s a good idea to label them as such to avoid confusion and unnecessary testing in the future. It may also help to record this and keep records on file. Refer to Health and Safety in Employment (Asbestos) Regulations 1998 – Regulation 35. If employees are concerned about the possibility of asbestos-containing materials in their workplace, they should contact their site health and safety coordinator. Where there is a reasonable likelihood of asbestos being present, a suitably qualified professional should be contracted to review and advise whether action is required.
What if we decide to remove the asbestos? Asbestos removal and handling must only be undertaken by certified personnel specially trained to understand asbestos risks and carry out asbestos-related procedures. This is a type of restricted work. Any person carrying out restricted work must notify Department of Labour (OSH) in writing of planned work within 3 working days using a standard notification form available from OSH (www.osh.govt.nz). Restricted work means asbestos-related work that requires appropriate precautions as set out in the Asbestos Regulations, including: • Work involving friable asbestos insulation or lagging • Demolition or maintenance of a building containing friable asbestos • Encapsulation of materials containing friable asbestos • Cutting, grinding or other dust-generating activities carried out on asbestos cement or other bonded product containing asbestos • Dry sanding of floors containing asbestos Notification requirements include specifications or drawings showing details of planned work, such as: • Type and extent of isolation required at asbestos removal site and location of restricted access borders • Specific methods for removing materials, including details of contamination control programme • Waste disposal programme, including arrangements for on-site storage and removal from building • Waste disposal site
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For further details, refer to the OSH publication Guidelines for the Management and Removal of Asbestos – available from the OSH Department of Labour website www.osh.govt.nz under publications.
How do I keep track of asbestos on site? Each site should maintain an asbestos inventory register, detailing known locations and removal plans for all buildings. If asbestos is discovered or disturbed, site health and safety representatives and managers should participate in the process of dealing with it and support implementation of agreed actions. It’s also important for health and safety representatives to keep other workers informed of progress or any developments. Safety reps should also satisfy themselves that any contractors undertaking asbestos removal are legally approved to do the work, comply with the law and follow the site’s management plan. If asbestos has been removed from the site, consult health and safety representatives. Before the site is declared fit for re-occupation, air monitoring should be undertaken and supervised jointly by health and safety representatives and management. Inform and reassure workers, and complete Asbestos Exposure letters for anyone who may have been exposed to asbestos. Health monitoring and counselling should be provided where appropriate. Any person accidentally exposed to asbestos fibre / dust on site must complete an incident report. Investigation should determine what follow-up is required, and the site health and safety coordinator should liaise with their site H&S coordinator to action requirements. All employees should be informed of any site asbestos hazards and related controls and procedures as a part of site induction training and on-going refresher training. Contractors and visitors should also be informed of any site asbestos hazards and must conform to site rules for dealing with asbestos. Hazard management activities - including asbestos hazard reviews – should take place at regular intervals or as the need is indicated by workplace health monitoring results, workplace inspections, incident investigations, etc. Records of risk assessments, hazard registers, lung function testing results, incident investigations are also kept as indicated by specific procedures. It’s important to keep records of all of these activities, too.
Where can I find out more? Health and Safety in Employment (Asbestos) Regulations 1998 – Regulation 35 – Refer to www.legislation.govt.nz Guidelines for the Management and Removal of Asbestos Refer to www.osh.govt.nz under Publications Sheri Suckling is a freelance writer and health and safety consultant. This article was commissioned from her and paid for by NZ Safety in the interests of improving workplace safety. Further safety articles can be found on the NZ Safety website www.nzsafety.co.nz
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