CART Who needs asbestos awareness training?
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Who needs asbestos awareness training?
In this blog post, we’ll focus on workplace asbestos-containing materials (ACMs), how to recognise them, and why this is so important.
The HSE states that in the UK, there were 138 workers killed in work-related accidents in 2023/24. That’s 138 people who went to work to do their job but never made it home. If these horrific accident rates continue, it means that every seven years, approximately 1000 people will die through work-related accidents. After 36 years, 5000 people will have died.
Yet, in the UK, asbestos still kills around 5,000 workers each year.
This is the scale of the problem. Asbestos has 36 times the fatality rate of all other work-related dangers combined.
It is paramount to educate staff on the dangers of asbestos-containing materials and to report any asbestos that is accidentally disturbed.
As a general rule, any materials containing asbestos are strictly off-limits to avoid disturbance at all costs. However, the HSE does offer guidance on non-licensable asbestos works, such as drilling through a texture-coating surface.
Anyone can drill through an asbestos coating, provided they follow these guidelines.
Wear PPE comprising of:
- Disposable overalls fitted with a hood.
- Boots without laces (laced boots are hard to decontaminate).
- Respiratory protective equipment (RPE).
Prior to drilling a hole:
- Restrict access and minimise the number of people present.
- Close doors. Use tape and notices to warn others.
- Ensure adequate lighting. Remove furniture and fittings from the area where possible.
- Protect unmovable items and surfaces from contamination using a 500-gauge polythene sheet fixed with duct tape to non-asbestos surfaces.
Drilling the hole:
- The preferred method is to drill using a plastic cowl with a Class H vacuum cleaner attached.
- If a Class H vacuum is not available, then: Cover the drill entry and, if accessible, exit points with a generous amount of paste or foam.
- Drill through the paste or foam.
- Clean off the paste, foam and debris with damp rags.
- Clean the back surface with damp rags, if accessible.
- Rags and paste or foam contain dust and fibres.
- Dispose of as asbestos waste.
- Seal the drilled edge with sealant.
- Clean the area and equipment with the Class H vacuum cleaner (if available) and/or damp rags.
- Put debris, used rags, paint brush, polythene sheeting and other waste in the asbestos waste bag and tape it closed.
- Put the asbestos waste bag in a clear polythene bag and tape it closed.
Disposal:
- Waste must be packed in UN-approved packaging with a CDG hazard label and asbestos code information visible.
- Double-wrap and label asbestos waste.
- Standard practice is to use a red inner bag with asbestos warnings, and a clear outer bag with the CDG label, if required.
- Avoid breaking up large pieces of asbestos waste. Instead double wrap in suitable polythene sheeting (1000-gauge) and label accordingly.
- To transport waste, you need a waste carriers licence.
- If you carry waste, use a sealed skip, or a vehicle with the following: segregated compartment for asbestos; easily cleanable; lockable (it is not good enough to throw sheeting over a standard skip).
- Otherwise, arrange for transport by a registered waste carrier.
- Safe disposal – make sure you use a licensed disposal site.
- Complete a Waste Consignment Note.
- Keep copies of these documents for three years.
Decontamination:
- A suitable location for personal decontamination should be considered as part of the planning before the job commences.
- Can you use site washing facilities?
- If so, they must be for your use only.
- Keep other people out during personal decontamination, and until you have cleaned the facilities.
- Clean your boots with damp rags as per procedures listed in https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/em7.pdf
- Where available, clean your overalls with the brush attachment on a Class H vacuum cleaner then vacuum off the brush.
- Otherwise, use damp rags in a gentle ‘patting’ action.
- Rubbing can disturb fibres.
- When there are two workers, they can help to clean each other.
- Peel off disposable overalls. When they have been removed, they should be inside out. Put them in a suitable asbestos waste bag.
- Bag up reusable overalls for a specialist laundry.
- Finally, remove your respiratory protective equipment (RPE) in accordance with https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/em6.pdf.
- Tape the bag closed.
So, drilling a hole in a textured coating is easy. Oh, and remember to drill the hole slightly larger than needed so cables or pipes don’t damage the sealed hole edges.
As you can see from the above, the procedures for non-licensable asbestos works are incredibly rigorous, and if staff members haven’t been adequately trained in them, they shouldn't be carrying out the work.
Remember that 5000 people are dying a year.
The message we promote in our asbestos awareness training is:
- Recognise it.
- Don’t disturb it.
- Report it.
Ten or more courses at just £6.49 each
Artex
A decorative coating of Artex on walls or ceilings carried out prior to 1999 has a very high chance of containing asbestos, as it was used in a premixed ratio of up to 3% to bind and strengthen the Artex. It’s impossible to distinguish between modern Artex and Artex containing asbestos by touch or visually, so it must be presumed that all coatings installed prior to the ban, contain asbestos.
Asbestos cement sheets
Asbestos cement sheeting is a dense, flat, and brittle board containing asbestos. It is white to grey in colour, usually flat and smooth, but may have dimples similar to golf balls on one side.
Creating a thin sheet or board using just a cement mix would be very weak, so asbestos fibres were added for strength and versatility. These fibres do not tend to move if the sheeting remains in one and is not disturbed, cut or drilled.
If asbestos cement sheeting is unpainted, it is relatively easy to spot. An experienced construction worker can suspect painted boards with a reasonable degree of accuracy by the sound they make when tapping them with a knuckle or a coin.
Transite products
Asbestos was common in chimney pots constructed prior to 1980 because of its characteristics of adding strength and being able to resist fire and heat. The most popular brand name, which became commonly adopted for all chimney and stove accessories containing asbestos, was Transite.
Transite products were made from cement mixed with asbestos at a ratio of between 10% to 50%. Asbestos in Transite was phased out by 1980 throughout Europe but is still used in America where some 230,000 deaths have been attributed to it.
Alongside chimney pots, Transite produced a wide range of products, including roof shingles, pipes, insulation, ceiling and floor tiles, flue liners, landscaping products, and more.
Bakelite
The common tradename for the black plastic-looking asbestos resin used for toilet cisterns and seats, plugs, switches, sockets, electrical fittings, radio casings, pipe mouthpieces, knife handles, and many other things was Bakelite. This resin came in many colours but was mainly produced in black.
It was a thermo-setting resin and the first plastic made from synthetic products and not derived from oil.
The asbestos content in Bakelite varied but was usually between 1 and 10%, and because the asbestos was bonded so completely within the resin, it is considered very low risk even if it breaks; however, drilling any Bakelite product will still release asbestos fibres.
Asbestos roofing
Asbestos cement sheets were commonly used for roofing, many of which are still present in older buildings.
Manufactured under various names, asbestos cement sheets were used in both commercial and residential construction and favoured as a fast, cost-effective, waterproof solution in areas where thermal insulation wasn’t a priority. Consequently, many garage roofs and factories had corrugated asbestos sheet roofing.
Typically, asbestos roof sheets contain between 15% to 40% asbestos, and their durability made them the favoured alternative to corrugated metal sheets.
Asbestos rainwater goods
Before the 1980s, asbestos was widely used in rainwater goods like gutters and downpipes. The production involved mixing asbestos fibres with cement slurry, and the products generally contained between 10 and 40% asbestos.
The goods were durable, waterproof, and low maintenance. They lasted for many years and were not considered hazardous when not disturbed. However, if these materials are damaged or disturbed, they release harmful fibres that pose health risks when inhaled.
Asbestos Fireproofing
Asbestos is an effective fire-resistant material due to its nonflammable and noncombustible nature and its high melting point of around 900 degrees Celcius. It consists of lightweight, strong fibres that can be woven with other materials, mixed with cement, or used in various products and was commonly used as an inexpensive additive in the production of fire-resistant building materials, including roofing shingles, wallboard, concrete, insulation, and coatings. It was also woven into textiles to create fire-resistant fabrics for firefighters and industrial workers and added to consumer goods such as ironing board covers and oven gloves.
Adding an asbestos cement board to an internal flush door was once considered common as a fire check method, and some fire-retardant products that contain asbestos include asbestos rope, vermiculite, firebricks, fire blankets, sales, and safety deposit facilities.
Asbestos floor tiles
From the 1950s, asbestos was used widely in floor tiles and vinyl. It wasn’t just the floor tiles but many flooring components, including adhesives, sheet flooring, underlay, and backing paper, until as recently as 1997.
Because of the period when asbestos floor tiles were used, they are imperial sizes as opposed to being metric, so they typically measure 9 inches, 12 inches, or 18 inches per side.
Asbestos loft insulation
Asbestos containing materials have been used for many types of insulation is and one of the most common was loft insulation because of both the product's thermal and fire-resistant properties.
Loft insulation containing asbestos was commonly used in residential, commercial and industrial buildings until the late 1970s. The insulation came in two main types, which were as a roll of material or as loose fill.
The main type of European loose fill insulation was vermiculite and rolls of asbestos loft insulation typically look like glass fiber insulation which is their modern counterpart.
Asbestos pipe lagging
Asbestos pipe lagging can be one of the most dangerous forms of asbestos due to its age and construction type. It is often friable and in poor condition, and in many cases, the outer covering has perished.
It’s one of the easiest types of ACM to identify, but it is also one of the most polluting and, consequently, one of the most dangerous. As it gets frayed or damaged, it releases dangerous microscopic fibres into the air.
Asbestos soil and vent pipes
Asbestos soil stacks and ventilation pipes were commonly used from the 1930s to the late 1990s, especially in constructions predating the 1980s.
They are prone to corrosion and cracking over time. They are usually white or light grey in colour but can be painted or coated with other materials. Over time, the presence of black mold around the pipes and joints is common.
Asbestos flat roofs
From the 1920s to the 1990s, asbestos felt was widely used in bitumen roofs as a top-layer roofing material and as an underlay for roof slates.
It was incredibly popular and was most commonly used for outbuildings such as garages and sheds as well as for flat roof extensions and porches.
It was manufactured as both rolls of felt, rectangular or decorative shingles, and as a DPC (damp proof course).
Asbestos spray coatings
Asbestos sprayed coating is a visible form of asbestos, often appearing as a lumpy white/grey concrete-like substance. It was extensively used in the 20th century and can still be found in buildings constructed or renovated before the 1980s.
If you spot any, it may be intact or may have frayed over time, leaving evidence of dust and clumps of the coating on the floor.
This is when it’s most dangerous, as the microscopic fibres are already airborne. Walking around near it could disturb the material further, as some of it will also be on the ground. If you suspect its presence, avoid disturbing it and report your discovery.
Asbestos soffits and verges
Soffits containing asbestos are a cement-based product. They have often been painted in situ, which hides the ACM board's recognisable white-grey colour. A simple test to determine the board's probable construction is to tap it with a knuckle or a coin. Where plastic and timber soffits absorb sound and create a dull thud, a cement-based board will have a sharper sound.
From a distance, the construction of verge tiles for under cloaking is almost impossible to tell apart from the modern equivalent, which is also a cement-based board. However, experienced tradesmen can distinguish between the two based on texture, colour, and size once they are up close.
Asbestos Insulation Board
Asbestos insulating board (AIB) is softer, more porous and less dense than asbestos cement, and contains a higher proportion of asbestos, making it more friable and at greater risk of releasing asbestos fibers if damaged or disturbed.
AIB was used for fire-retardant purposes, heat insulation, noise insulation, and fireproofing and can be difficult to visually identify, as it looks similar to other construction panels and boards.
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Asbestos is a mineral which has become an ingredient in many building materials because it possesses some remarkable characteristics.
It was once known as ‘the world's most wonderful mineral’, but after extensive use, it was found to have caused mass public harm and, despite its incredibly useful properties, it’s demise was inevitable. In the UK, asbestos began to be regulated in 1985 after it was proven to cause severe respiratory illnesses. Initially, it was unclear which type of asbestos caused which illness, and some believed that certain uses of asbestos were safe. However, further research revealed that the health risks of asbestos outweighed its benefits, leading to amendments in the regulations and a total ban on asbestos in the UK in 1999.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring magnesium-based silicate mineral found in the earth's crust. It is light and crystalline in structure and possesses fire-retardant properties, making it a valuable insulation material. Additionally, it can be woven into strands or incorporated into cement to strengthen it. For industrial purposes, asbestos was categorized into two main groups which varied at the molecular level, and these were:
Serpentine asbestos, which includes chrysotile asbestos, has long, curly fibres that can be woven into fabrics. This variety is used for white asbestos.
Amphibole asbestos, which included actinolite, anthophyllite, tremolite, amosite and crocidolite. These minerals form asbestos fibres that are long, straight and incredibly brittle. This variety of asbestos is used to create blue and brown asbestos.
Also known as crocidolite asbestos, blue asbestos is the earliest-used variety of the mineral and was commonly found insulating the tanks of steam engines. It is a form of the more dangerous amphibole variety of asbestos.
Blue asbestos is incredibly brittle, is easily aerated and poses a significant risk to those who work with it.
Brown asbestos, a type of amphibole asbestos similar to blue asbestos, was utilized for industrial purposes and presented a significant risk to those who were exposed to it. Just as brittle as blue asbestos, this primitive form of asbestos was discovered to pose a significant threat to people's respiratory health.
Brown asbestos is commonly found in such products as:
- Fireproof floor tiles.
- Reinforced concrete.
- Pipe insulation.
- Thermal insulation.
It is believed that brown asbestos poses the most threat to humans due to its brittle needles and popularity of use. These brittle needles easily break apart when agitated, causing them to become airborne much easier than other types of asbestos.
White asbestos, known as chrysotile asbestos, was used for similar products as brown asbestos and is made of the serpentine variety of the mineral. Its softer fibres mean that its needles don’t become aerated as easily and it poses less of a risk when left alone. White asbestos is less likely to be breathed in when agitated, but its fibres still pose a similar risk to people's lungs as brown asbestos.
Asbestos poses a risk to workers when they disturb asbestos, loosening and aerating the fibres and breathing them in. This causes the following illnesses:
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