asbestos removal contractors

8/8/2019 Asbestos Removal Contractors

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HEALTH AND SAFETYMANAGEING ASBESTOS REMOVAL

CONTRACTORS

HEALTH & SAFETY UNIT AUTUMN 2006


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CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................2

2 YOU ARE LIKELY TO FIND ASBESTOS.....................................................3

3 IDENTIFYING ASBESTOS....................................................................3

4 ASSESSING AND MANAGING WORK .......................................................4

APPENDIX 1 .......................................................................................6

Requirements for Licences (Asbestos Licensing Regulations 1983 as amended 1998)6

APPENDIX 2 .......................................................................................7

Work with Asbestos Insulating Board - Major or Minor? ...................................7

APPENDIX 3 .......................................................................................8

Control Limits ....................................................................................8

APPENDIX 4 .......................................................................................9

Typical Exposures during Certain Works .....................................................9

APPENDIX 5 ..................................................................................... 11

Techniques for Working with Cement...................................................... 11

APPENDIX 6 ..................................................................................... 15

Techniques for work with asbestos insulating board .................................... 15

APPENDIX 7 ..................................................................................... 20

Risk Assessment for the Control of Asbestos .............................................. 20


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1 Introduction

This guidance is intended to assist in the management of short and longduration work by licensed contractors with asbestos containing materials.University employees are prohibited from working on any materials thatcontain asbestos. It will be of use for managers needing to assure

themselves of the efficacy of a contractor's method statements. In addition itsupports the three university documents 'Contractors Code of Safe Practice','The Asbestos Management System' and 'Asbestos - General Guidance'.

Breathing in asbestos dust can kill by causing irreversible lung damage andcancer. There is no known cure for asbestos related diseases. The moreasbestos inhaled the greater the risk. Persons most at risk are buildingservices tradespersons.

All work with asbestos is required to be carried out safely and in particularexposure to asbestos must be prevented.

The duty to manage asbestos is contained in Regulation 4 of the Control ofAsbestos Regulations 2006 and covers most general work with asbestos thatdoes not include disturbance of insulation materials or major work withasbestos insulating board. The university has undertaken asbestos surveys ofall buildings and collated information on location, type and condition. Pleaseconsult with Estate Planning Services.

Work with asbestos insulation and asbestos coatings, and major work withasbestos insulating board, are covered by a separate ACOP `Work withAsbestos insulation, asbestos coating and asbestos insulating board'.


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2 You Are Likely to Find Asbestos

2.1 As asbestos insulation or coating used for:

a) thermal insulation of boilers, ancillary plant and pipe work (it may behidden in under floor pipe ducts);

b) fire protection of structure steelwork (often hidden behind falseceilings);

c) thermal and acoustic insulation of buildings (often hidden behind falseceilings);

d) some textured coatings and paints.

2.2 As asbestos insulating board is used in a wide variety of places such as:

a) fire protection on doors, protected exists, structural steelwork etc;

b) cladding on walls, ceilings etc;

c) internal walls and partitions;

d) ceiling tiles in a suspended ceiling.

2.3 As asbestos cement which is found as:

a) corrugated sheets (roofing and cladding of buildings);

b) flat sheeting for partitioning, cladding and door facings;

c) rain water goods (i.e. gutters, down pipes).

3 Identifying Asbestos

The presence of asbestos may be indicated on original building plans or

specifications. Please check the records kept by Estate Planning Serviceson asbestos, its location, type and condition. If it is not clear whetherinsulating material, boarding etc. contains asbestos; bulk sampling andlaboratory analysis is necessary. This must be done by someone with suitabletraining and experience. Alternatively you may assume that the materialcontains crocidolite (blue) or amosite (brown) asbestos and take appropriateprecautions.

Asbestos building boards are medium density and have a calcium silicate orcement base. The boards which were used in the considerable majority ofbuilding installations had the brand names Asbesotoluc, LDR, Marinite and

Turnabestos. The asbestos content varied according to the brand but amosite(brown) was a common constituent, usually between 16% and 25%. Someboards included chrysotile (white).


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The principal types of asbestos are:

Chrysotile - white in colour

Amosite - grey or fawn in colour

Crocidolite - blue in colour

Asbestos building boards in situ should not be a cause for concern unless theyare being damaged by abrasion or impact. If asbestos building boards areremoved, they should be replaced with non-asbestos equivalent, i.e.Masterboard, Supalux, Tacfire, Monolux, Flax Board etc.

4 Assessing and Managing Work

The university requires all work likely to generate asbestos dust to beundertaken by a licensed contractor. On appointment of a licensedcontractor obtain a method statement before work begins. Where worksare part of a larger project it should be managed using CDM procedures.

Assess the contractor's method statement and decide whether it preventsexposure to asbestos. To assist in your decision use appendices 5, 6 and7 as examples of good working practices.

Use the Appendices 1, 2, 3 and 4 to guide you in assessing work as

major/minor or work, which requires a licence. Major works or workrequiring a licence should be reported to HSE before work begins.

Consult the key person on site to discuss the work and in particular thecontrol measures to be used to prevent exposure to asbestos. Remindthe key person on site of their duty to consult trades union safetyrepresentatives before work begins.


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Assessing and Managing Work

Is the work

necessary?

Does the work require a license(see Appendix 1) or will itgenerate asbestos dust?

Is the work major or does itrequire a licence? (See

Appendices 1,2,3 and 4).

Appoint a licensedcontractor

Contact key person on site to discuss arrangements to start work andprecautions to be taken. Inform the key person of their duty to consult

local trade union safety representatives.

Avoid it

YES

NO

YES

Ensurecontractor notifies HSE ofintention to begin work.

Obtainmethod statementfrom contractor

Assess the control measures in themethod statement. Will they preventexposure to asbestos? (Compare thestatement with the techniques of workin Appendices 5, 6 and 7).

YES


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Appendix 1

Requirements for Licences (Asbestos Licensing Regulations 1983 as amended1998)

a A licence is not required for work with asbestos cement, asbestos rope type

insulation on electrical cables, asbestos gaskets.

b Subject to the conditions of c and d, a licence is not required for work with:

Asbestos Insulating Board (this includes ceiling tiles)

Asbestos Coating

Asbestos Insulation

c If the work is less than one person hour in seven days. Or if more than oneperson is working then two person hours in seven days.

Or

d If the work is to be of longer duration than this and carried out on our ownpremises by our own staff (not contractors) and we have notified HSE of ourintention to begin work at least 14 days before the start date.

e It is not acceptable to split large work into small parcels in order to avoid theneed for it to be licensed.

f A licence issued by HSE is required for all other work. This will usually mean

that the services of a licensed contractor are required.


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Appendix 2

Work with Asbestos Insulating Board - Major or Minor?

Where work is major the contractor is required to notify HSE of their intentionto begin work.

Work with asbestos insulating board is defined as major if:

a An action level or control limit is liable to be exceeded during anyindividual job; or

b The duration of the job is greater than 1 hour or the area of materialinvolved is greater than 2m and in either of these cases the workincludes:

i Breaking, cutting, machining, surface abrasion or

ii Any work on a suspended ceiling.

Minor works are works, which do not fall into the definition of major works andmay include short duration work on chrysotile (not amosite or crocidolite)ceiling tiles in good condition depending on the technique used to handle thetiles.


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Appendix 3

Control Limits

Worker exposure must be below the airborne exposure limit (Control Limit).The Asbestos Regulations have a single Control Limit for all types of asbestosof .01 fibres per cm3. A control limit is a maximum concentration of asbestosfibres in air (averaged over any continues 4 hour period) that must not beexceeded.

In addition, short term exposure should not exceed 0.6 fibres per cm3 of airaveraged over any continuous 10 minute period using respiratory protectiveequipment if exposure cannot be sufficiently reduced using other means.


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Appendix 4

Typical Exposures during Certain Works

Asbestos Insulation Boards

Careful removal of whole asbestos insulation boards (unscrewing with shadowvacuuming with spray application of a wetting agent on unsealed surfaces: Upto 3 fibres/ml

Careful removal of whole boards (no LEV, no wetting): 1 - 5 fibres/ml

Breaking and ripping out boards (dry with no unscrewing): 5 - 20 fibres/ml

Drilling boards overhead (No LEV): 5 -10 fibres/ml

Drilling vertical columns (No LEV): 2 - 5 fibres/ml

Jig sawing asbestos insulation board (No LEV): 5 - 20 fibres/ml (LEV) 1 - 5fibres/ml

Hand sawing asbestos insulation board (No LEV): 5 - 10 fibres/ml

Rough handling: > 15 fibres/ml

Scribing and breaking asbestos insulation board: 1- 5 fibres/ml

N.B. Please note that where poor techniques are used very high exposurescan occur e.g. breaking and ripping out dry with no unscrewing. Also note thatexposures are likely to be higher where insulation board contains crocidolite oramosite asbestos or where the board is in poor condition.

Cement Pipes and Sheets

a Machine cutting without LEV

i Abrasive disc cutting 15-25 fibres/ml

ii Circular saw 10-20 fibres/ml

iii Jig saw 2-10 fibres/ml

b Machine sawing with LEV < 2 fibres/ml

c Reciprocating saw < 1 fibres/ml

d Hand sawing < 1 fibres/ml

e Machine drilling < 1 fibres/ml

f Removal of asbestos cement sheeting < 0.5 fibres/mlg Stacking of asbestos cement < 0.5 fibres/ml


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h Remote demolition of asbestos structures < 0.1 fibres/ml

(CAUTION: subsequent clearance may give rise to concentrationsgreater than 1)

i Cleaning of asbestos cement:

Roofing Vertical cladding

Dry brushing (wire) 3 5-8Wet brushing (wire) 1-3 1-2Water-jetting 0-0.5 1-2

(Note: water jetting may produce debris and slurry, which is difficult tocontrol.)

N.B. These figures are the concentrations found when the processes are

carefully carried out. Bad handling practices may result in higherconcentrations.


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Appendix 5

Techniques for Working with Cement

Risk of exposure

Asbestos cement is a hard composite material and generates less dust thanmost other products containing asbestos. But the risk of fibre release is stillthere, either through accidental abrasion or in the normal course of work withthe material. The risk of fibre release is greater when the material is damagedor decaying.

The extent of dust release depends on the nature of the work. Simple taskswith hand tools on new asbestos cement products will usually createexposures well below the control limits. More extensive work and work onworn, crumbling or damaged products can cause higher exposures which mayexceed them.

Work with power tools is often particularly dusty, for example machine sawing,grinding, or cutting with abrasive discs. Cleaning of old and weatheredasbestos cement can also produce high airborne fibre levels especially if thesurface is dry. Some machine sawing and cutting operations without exhaustventilation can produce respirable airborne fibre concentrations of 10 fibres/mlor more. Handling new asbestos cement products will not normally give riseto exposures above the control limit or the action level, but if contamination ofclothing is likely suitable protective clothing should be provided and worn.

Work methods

Choose work methods, which do not create unnecessary dust. The following`do's' and 'don'ts give an idea of how to keep dust levels to a minimum.

a DO use exhaust ventilation equipment wherever reasonablypracticable;

b DO keep the material wet wherever possible;

c DO NOT use cutting and grinding discs or circular saws to cut or mitre

asbestos cement. Use a hand or reciprocating saw or scribe and breakflat sheets or slates;

d DO NOT use any dry abrasive processes such as sand blasting,sanding, or dry brushing;

e DO NOT use cleaning methods for asbestos cement sheeting whichgenerate excessive dust or water mists.


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Personal protective equipment

Respirators should be worn if the control limits are liable to be exceeded. Theequipment provided should either be type-approved by HSE or conform to astandard approved by HSE. Information on the protection offered, suitabilityand the approval of RPE should be obtained from the manufacturer. Type

approved equipment will be shown on the list of HSE type-approved RPE. Itshould give adequate protection against likely dust levels and should besuitable for the job. Respirators, which rely on a good face seal to be effective(e.g. ori-nasal and some high efficiency types), are not suitable for people withbeards and spectacles.

Workers should be trained how to use respirators. The equipment should bemaintained in good working order, cleaned and disinfected after use andstored in a suitable locker or container.

Workers should be provided with protective clothing if a significant quantity of

asbestos is liable to be deposited on their clothes. Protective clothing will notbe required where dust levels are very low and exposures are brief and thereis little risk of asbestos materials sticking to clothing. Protective clothingshould be matched to the job. Airborne fibre levels are one factor amongseveral to be taken into account, but where expected levels are high, as inmuch asbestos removal for example, it is likely that a full suit of protectiveclothing including headwear, clothing and footwear will be necessary. Whereexposure is low but still liable to lead to deposit of significant quantities ofasbestos, perhaps through rubbing contact with wet or friable material,industrial working clothing, such as dust jackets and overalls will be adequate.Contaminated clothing should be stored in a secure place away from changingfacilities.

After work, asbestos workers should wash thoroughly. Where significantbodily contamination is possible, it may be necessary to provide separatedecontamination units including showers.

Contaminated overalls should NEVER be taken home for cleaning. Theyshould be sealed in suitably labelled impervious bags and sent to a laundryequipped and able to deal with asbestos contaminated clothing or, whereappropriate, disposed of as asbestos waste.

Cleaning

At the end of the shift, the work area should be cleaned of any asbestos dustor debris. In particular:

a Waste and debris must be cleaned up and taken for disposal as soonas possible. Fine debris or waste liable to generate dust should beplaced in suitable closed containers, which prevent the escape ofasbestos dust. Heavy-duty polythene bags may be suitable. When thecontainer is full it should be sealed, the outside cleaned and it should

be placed in a separate storage area for disposal. Containers shouldbe labelled to show that asbestos is present in accordance with CAWRand asbestos ACOP's. Larger pieces of asbestos cement, including


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whole sheets, should not be broken or cut for disposal in plastic sacks.Whole sheets and large pieces of asbestos cement are best disposedof by careful transfer to covered lorries or skips, or by wrapping intact insheet plastic or other suitable material;

b The external surfaces of waste containers should be cleaned before the

containers are removed from the work area;

c Work surfaces should be cleaned by a dustless method such as avacuum cleaner. Vacuum cleaners should comply with BS 5415 (Type`H'). If a vacuum cleaner is not used debris should be thoroughlywetted before shovelling into strong plastic bags. Workers involvedshould wear suitable personal protective equipment and other non-essential personnel kept well away.

Waste disposal

Guidance on the disposal of asbestos waste is given in the CODE OFPRACTICE FOR THE DISPOSAL OF ASBESTOS WASTE PUBLISHED BYTHE INSTITUTE OF WASTE MANAGEMENT. Asbestos cement waste willalways be `controlled waste' under the Control of Pollution Act 1974, andshould therefore be taken to a site licensed by the waste disposal authority.Unless it contains crocidolite or has been finely crushed it is unlikely to be`special waste' for the purpose of the Control of Pollution (Special Waste)Regulations. If waste is to be removed from a site it should be sealed in aclearly marked container labelled as required by CAWR. There should beeffective arrangements for dealing with any spillage and, if necessary, fordecontamination of any vehicle used for transport.

Cleaning weathered asbestos cement sheets

After several years asbestos cement used externally may become coveredwith lichens, algae or mosses. Such growths will have no noticeable effect onthe strength, durability or lifetime of the structure although it may becomevisually unattractive. Unless the vegetative growth is removed or disturbedthere will be no measurable release of asbestos fibre. You should ask yourselfwhether it is necessary to clean asbestos cement sheets at all on grounds ofaesthetic appearance, as cleaning operations will result in some fibre release.

If it is decided to remove these growths one or more of the following methodsmight be appropriate.

a Wet wire brushing.

b Dry scrubbing.

c Toxic washes.

d Water jetting.

When deciding how to clean, remember that dry methods are much dustierthan wet ones. On the other hand, water jetting, though it can clean quicklyand thoroughly, has serious drawbacks. It is likely to strip off the surface of


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the sheets themselves, producing significant levels of airborne fibre, and insome circumstances enclosure may even be needed. A lot of slurry, which isdifficult to control, is also formed. Unless these effects can be properly dealtwith, water jetting should not be chosen as a cleaning method.


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Appendix 6

Techniques for work with asbestos insulating board

Risk of exposure and fibre release

Work with AIB must be assessed carefully because the amount of fibrereleased by it is very variable. Please note that major work with AIB or workon AIB requiring a licence will be highly likely to require sheeting up andcreation of three stage air locks, decontamination units and designated areasunder CAWR.

Board, which is undisturbed and in good condition will release very little fibre.The amount given off will be much greater if the board is disturbed ordamaged, or if it is deteriorating significantly, and may reach high levels whenit is worked on. How much fibre is released will depend on the nature of thework and on the proportion and type of asbestos present in the board. Many

activities involving insulating board are likely to produce dust levels in excessof the control limits if they continue for more than a brief period (see Appendix3 above 'Typical Exposures').

Prevention of damage or deterioration

When AIB is found in a position where it is liable to be damaged by impact orabrasion, precautions should be taken to protect it by means of barriers orenclosure. If protection is not possible the board should be surface treated tominimise release of fibres.

Surface treatment, by application of a coating or covering is the simplest andusually least expensive way to prevent the release of dust from deterioratingor damaged board. Various materials may be used including paints orpolymeric coatings, cements, or plasters or the surface can be encased in asuitable cladding material. The treatment chosen will depend on thecircumstances, the degree of protection required, the function of the board(e.g. whether it is used for fire protection) and its condition. If the board is in avery poor condition or liable to heavy wear or damage the most practicalsolution may be to remove it completely. Whatever treatment is chosen,suitable precautions should be taken during such work.

Precautions

Work with AIB should be planned so that exposure to asbestos dust is kept tothe lowest level reasonably practicable. How that is to be done will be set outin the assessment. The precautions chosen must not only protect the workerswho do the job but also control the release of dust to the surroundingatmosphere and the spread of contamination from the workplace. They musttake account of people who are not involved in the work but may be exposedto asbestos because of it.

What precautions are needed will depend upon the nature and extent of thework and the composition and condition of the board. The person in charge ofthe work should make sure that the ones actually used are in accordance with


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the assessment and that the assessment continues to be valid. Peopleworking with AIB should be aware of the hazards and be trained in safeworking methods. The correct use of respiratory protective equipment is animportant element of this training.

The following paragraphs describe in more detail precautions suitable for

some different kinds of work.

The application of surface coatings

These precautions should be taken when applying coating to damaged orfriable surfaces:

a The working area should be clearly demarcated with warning signs andif appropriate barriers, with only those engaged in the work allowed toenter;

b Any moveable equipment liable to be contaminated should be clearedfrom the area and other equipment covered with disposable or readilycleaned impervious sheeting;

c Suitable protective clothing should be provided and worn unless theamount of asbestos liable to be deposited on the worker's clothes, fromthe atmosphere or bodily contact with the board, is insignificant. (It willrarely be the case that protective clothing can be dispensed with duringwork with AIB). Protective clothing, including headgear, should alwaysbe worn when working overhead;

d Where control limits are likely to be exceeded workers should beprovided with suitable approved respiratory protective equipment;

e All surfaces to be sealed should first be cleaned to remove any loosedust. It is best to use a suitable vacuum cleaner which complies withBS 5415 (Type `H') but if this not reasonably practicable a damp clothmay be used. After use, the cloth should be placed in a suitablylabelled dust tight impermeable bag before it has dried out and shouldbe disposed of as asbestos waste;

f The method of application should be chosen to minimise disturbance ofthe surface;

g When the job is finished, the working area should be thoroughlycleaned by a dustless method before it is returned to normal use. If thework has been extensive and the surface condition poor, so that itappears likely that there has been a significant release of dust to thegeneral atmosphere, it may be appropriate to carry out atmosphericmonitoring to ensure that fibre concentrations are acceptable for normaloccupation;


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h Protective clothing should be thoroughly cleaned before leaving theworking area. Disposable clothing can be used for the work and shouldbe disposed of as asbestos waste;

i Adequate washing and changing facilities should be provided.

If for any reason the preparation for application of surface coating causesbreakage of the insulating board, or friable surfaces is exposed, additionalprecautions relating to major work will usually be necessary.

Small-scale maintenance activities

Some maintenance activities involving small-scale disturbance of AIB maynevertheless give rise to exposures above the control limits, and the workshould be regarded as `major'. Where this is not so, and the work is genuinely`minor', the following precautions should be used:

a Only people involved in the work should be allowed in the area. Ifnecessary signs and barriers should be erected indicating the workarea;

b Where practical any moveable equipment should be removed from thearea and other equipment and surfaces covered with impervioussheeting;

c Suitable protective clothing and respiratory protective equipment shouldbe provided and worn, unless the amount of asbestos liable to bedeposited on the worker's clothes, from the atmosphere or by bodilycontact with the board, is insignificant. (It will rarely be the case thatprotective clothing can be dispensed with during work with AIB).Protective clothing, including headgear, should always be worn whenworking overhead;

d Working methods should be chosen to minimise release of dust.Generally hand tools are less likely to generate fibre release thanpower tools and wetting of the board may be possible. Boards shouldbe removed whole wherever possible;

e On completion of the work all surfaces should be cleaned of dust anddebris by a dustless method;

f Protective clothing should be cleaned and laundered;

g Washing and changing facilities should be provided and used;

h Where contamination of the area has occurred it will usually beappropriate to carry out a sampling exercise to ensure the cleaned areais acceptable for re-occupation and normal use.

Protective clothing


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The kind of protective clothing required will depend upon the nature anddegree of exposure. Generally, with high level exposures, a full suit ofprotective clothing including headwear, clothing and footwear is necessary.

To be adequate the clothing should be made of a material that is readily

decontaminated, resistant to penetration and the design should ensure closefitting at the neck and wrists. It should not have external pockets or otherattachments that will trap asbestos dust. There will normally be an integralhood. The clothing should fit the wearer, be comfortable and allow for heatand physical stress. Gloves are not normally needed for protection againstasbestos. Usually two sets of clothing per person will be needed, dependingon the length of the job, one to wear and one for cleaning and repair.Disposable clothing may also be useful, particularly when storage or washingpresent difficulties.

Protective clothing should be worn only in the enclosure or marked work area,

in hygiene facilities or between these areas when suitable transitarrangements have been made. It should not be taken home. Non-disposable protective clothing should be washed at suitable intervals. If notcleaned by the employer the clothing should be sent to a laundry, which dealswith asbestos-contaminated clothing. Clothing for despatch to a laundryshould be placed into dust-tight bags and labelled in accordance with CAWR.The bags should be strong enough to remain dust-tight during transport andhandling.

Hygiene

A high standard of washing and storage facilities should be provided which aremaintained in a clean and orderly manner.

The work area should be cleaned regularly to remove accumulations ofasbestos dust and debris. Surfaces should be cleaned at intervals as the workprogresses. When work is complete all surfaces should be thoroughly cleanedand decontaminated, including all equipment used. Cleaning should becarried out by a dustless method such as a vacuum cleaner designed for usewith asbestos, which conforms to BS 5415 type `H'. For small-localised work itmay be sufficient to wipe down contaminated surfaces with a damp cloth.

Waste disposal

Any container used for disposal of asbestos waste should be made from animpermeable material, which is strong enough to remain dust tight even underwet conditions. For loose fibrous waste or small fragments double plasticbags are suitable. The inner bag should not be overfilled and each bag shouldbe capable of being securely tied or sealed. Air should be excluded from thebag as far as possible before sealing. Stronger containers are necessary ifthe waste contains sharp metal fragments or other materials liable to puncturea plastic bag.

If insulating board is removed with little damage it should preferably bewrapped as individual sections and placed into a sealed container such as a


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totally enclosed skip. Containers should be sealed and cleaned beforeremoval from the enclosure or work area and they should be taken to asuitable and clearly identified storage area if not to be disposed of at once.

Labelling

Waste should be labelled in accordance with Schedule 2 of CAWR. Detailedguidance on asbestos waste disposal is contained in the Institute of WasteManagement CODE OF PRACTICE FOR THE DISPOSAL OF ASBESTOSWASTE. Asbestos waste should be disposed of only at a waste disposal sitelicensed for the purpose by the Environment Agency and in accordance withthe requirements of the Environment Agency.


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Appendix 7

Risk Assessment for the Control of Asbestos

Activity

Removal of a ceiling tile

Persons at Risk

Person undertaking workPersons in vicinity of workStaff cleaning after work is undertaken

Persons Undertaking Work

Licensed Contractors

Likely Exposures

For one screwed chrysotile in good condition using the control measuresstated below and where work is of no more than 5 minutes in duration:

Less than 0.9 fibres/ml (control limit)

Work is minor

Control Measures and Method Statement

Only people involved in the work should be allowed in the area. Ifnecessary signs and barriers should be erected indicating the work area.

Where practical remove moveable equipment from the area and coverother equipment and surfaces with impervious sheeting (e.g. Visqueen).

Dress in suitable protective clothing (disposable with elasticated hood andcuffs e.g. DuPont Tyvek coverall) and respiratory protective equipment(e.g. 3M disposable mask 8710E or any mask approved to EN149 FFP1or higher).

Wet the board using a hand sprayer. Paying particular attention to weak

point such as edges and areas around screws. Use hand tools only to unscrew screws or draw nails.

Remove boards whole wherever possible.

Clean board and the area it was removed from with an H type vacuumcleaner suitable for asbestos use.

Place boards in approved bags and seal (e.g. red asbestos bags).

Clean the work area using the H type vacuum cleaner.

Vacuum off ones clothing.

Remove clothing and place in an approved waste bag.

Remove respiratory protective equipment and place in waste bag. Seal

waste bag. Replace tile with non-asbestos tile.

Remove warning signs and allow area to be reoccupied.


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Dispose of bag to licensed waste site.

In the event of an accident (for example waste bag splits when carrying itdown the corridor).

Do not panic you will not be persecuted for having an accident. It is

important to report accidents to reduce risks to people and to avoid beingcriticised in any later investigation.

Take action to minimise dust release by wetting the spilt material thenbrush up into an approved waste bag or if a small amount of dry materialvacuum up using an H type vacuum. Reseal split bag.

Contact your project manager or area surveyor from Estate PlanningServices and tell them to contact the University Health and Safety Adviserand the Key Person on site.

Manager, Health and Safety Adviser or Key Person to evacuate the areaand contact an approved laboratory in order to take air samples.

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