Introduction
Many of those suffering today from asbestos-related diseases
were in the building industry. They were carpenters,
joiners, shopfitters, plumbers, electricians, gas-service engineers
etc. They were exposed to asbestos fibres in their
day-to-day work with asbestos materials, or because work with
asbestos was carried out near to them.
Asbestos-related diseases are currently responsible for about
3000 deaths a year in Britain. This figure is expected
to continue increasing over the next ten years and there is
currently no cure for asbestos-related diseases. There
is also usually a significant delay between initial exposure to
asbestos and the first symptoms arising – this can vary between 15
and 60 years. The vast majority of those now suffering
from asbestos-related diseases were exposed during the 1950’s and
1960’s before any legislation to control the use of asbestos was
introduced.
Anyone who disturbs asbestos that has deteriorated, or been
damaged and is releasing fibres can be at risk. In fact
anyone whose work involves drilling, sawing or cutting into the
fabric of premises could potentially be at risk. The
scientific evidence on exactly what exposure is likely to cause
disease is unclear – but we do know that the more asbestos fibres
breathed in, the greater the risk to health.
Although its use is now illegal, many thousands of tonnes of
asbestos-containing materials have been used in the past, and much
is still in place. This Guide offers background
information on asbestos containing materials (ACMs) and details the
procedures to be adopted where asbestos material has been
identified or is suspected in the area where work is being
undertaken.
Chapter – 1
Types of asbestos
Asbestos is a term used for the fibrous forms of several
naturally occurring materials. Asbestos has had a
variety of uses over many centuries because it is light, durable
and fireproof, its fibres have high tensile strength, it is an
ideal composite material so it can be easily mixed with cement,
plastics etc, and it is a good insulator – it has even been used in
the filtering process and as a filler in toothpaste!
The three main types of asbestos are:
- Crocidolite (blue asbestos)
- Amosite (brown asbestos)
- Chrysotile (white asbestos)
Effects on
Health
All types of asbestos are dangerous and breathing in fibres can
lead to the development of a number of fatal diseases,
including:
- Asbestosis – scarring of the lung
- Lung cancer
- Mesothelioma – a cancer of the lining around the lung and
stomach
The likelihood of developing these diseases will increase with
the type of asbestos (i.e. blue and brown are more dangerous than
white), age when the exposure starts (younger people are more
vulnerable), the number of fibres breathed in, the number of times
exposed, and if the individual is a smoker.
Be aware that asbestos fibres in food or water are not a health
risk, as asbestos fibres cannot be absorbed through the skin;
however smoking when exposed to asbestos does increase the
risks.
Chapter – 2
Type/Location
Asbestos has been used extensively throughout the United
Kingdom with over 4 million buildings still believed to
contain asbestos. A diagram indicating typical locations of
the most common asbestos containing materials in domestic
properties is included at Annex-A to this Chapter.
The following asbestos containing materials (ACM’s) have been
used extensively in locations displayed in Annex-B:
Asbestos Cement Products (Fig-1-1a)These common items contain 10-15%
Crysotile and include profiled sheets, compressed flat sheets,
partition board, tiles, slates etc and pre-formed moulded
products (cisterns/tanks/drains/flues/rainwater,
goods).
Sprayed coatings (Fig-2)Manually applied dry and
wet. Used in thermal, acoustic and fire
insulation.
Lagging (Fig-3-3a)Generally hand applied for the
thermal insulation of pipes, has asbestos content of between
6-85% and often includes crocidolite and amosite.
Insulating Board (Fig-4)Generally used as fire protection in
ducts, firebreaks, panels, partitions, soffit board and ceiling
panels.
Textiles (Fig-5-5a)Used in gaskets for boilers and
flues, and a textile in fire blankets. Asbestos
ropes, yarn cloth washers and strings have also been
manufactured.
Decorative coatings (Fig-6) Such as
Artex/Wondertex.
Bitumen/PVC products (Fig-7-7a) roofing felts, shingles,
gutter linings, dpc’s, mastics and adhesive for floor
tiles. Also PVC and thermoplastic floor tiles (and
backing paper!) and other reinforced PVC goods such as toilet
cisterns, rainwater goods, window seals etc.
Chapter – 3
What the law requires
With the exception of regulation 20(4) (Standards for air
testing and site clearance certification) which comes into force on
the 6th April 2007, the ‘The Control of Asbestos Regulations
2006’ came into force on the 13th November 2006 and cover:
- The duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises
and identification of the presence of asbestos
- Plans of work and Assessment of work which exposes
employees to asbestos
- Licensing and Notification of work with
asbestos
- Information, instruction and training
- Prevention or reduction of exposure to asbestos and the
use of maintenance and control measures
- Duty to prevent or reduce the spread of asbestos and
arrangements to deal with accidents, incidents and
emergencies
- Designated areas, air monitoring and cleanliness of
premises, plant and protective clothing
- Standards for analysis, air testing and site
clearance
- Health records and medical surveillance
- Washing and changing facilities
- Storage, distribution and labelling of raw asbestos and
asbestos waste
Additional information on compliance with the the duty to manage
asbestos in non-domestic premises is available in the Approved Code
of Practice (L127). This document explains the duties of
building owners, tenants and anyone else with legal
responsibilities for such premises.
Chapter – 4
The Asbestos Database
The information contained within the Asbestos Database is
to be referred to before undertaking any work which could
potentially disturb any material likely to contain
asbestos. Under the Control of Asbestos at Work
Regulations, employers must inform anyone who is likely to disturb
asbestos-containing material of the location and condition of that
material. To this end the specific site information
contained within the Asbestos Register is an essential tool to
ensure the safe repair, replacement or removal of equipment or
materials.
The Asbestos Database can be accessed either directly through
the CIS Intranet or via the World Wide Web (Internet).
External links permit remote updating of the database by the
Asbestos Management Team.
Access via Intranet
To access the Asbestos Register using the CIS Intranet simply
select the Asbestos Register from the A-Z directory which will
offer you a selection of generic sites. Selecting the
relevant heading (i.e. Primary School, Secondary etc) will offer a
list of specific premises – hopefully yours amongst them!
Access via Internet (World Wide Web)
The Asbestos Register may also be accessed directly via the
World Wide Web using http://asbestos.bathnes.gov.uk.
This address will take the user straight to the page listing
premises types; highlighting the relevant type will offer a full
list of specific properties within that type.
Chapter – 5
Asbestos Survey
Asbestos surveys are conducted in accordance with HSE
requirements as detailed in MDHS 100 (Methods for the Determination
of Hazardous Substances). There are three types of
survey which may be undertaken, these are:
Type-1 – Location and Assessment Survey This is a
presumptive survey, the purpose being to locate as far as is
reasonably practicable the presence and extent of any suspected
Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM’s) in the building with an
assessment of its condition. This type of survey
essentially defers the need to sample and analyse for asbestos
until a later time (i.e. prior to demolition or major
refurbishment). A ‘Material Not Sampled’ statement in
the Asbestos Database would indicate potential asbestos material
identified during a Type-1 survey.
Type-2 – Standard sampling, identification and assessment
survey. In this type of survey representative samples
from each type of suspected ACM found are collected and analysed
for the presence of asbestos. Where other materials are
identified as being visually similar to those containing asbestos,
a Type-2 survey will strongly presume these also contain
asbestos.
Type-3 – Full access sampling and identification survey. A
Type-3 survey is designed to be used as a basis for tendering the
removal of ACM’s prior to demolition or major
refurbishment. This is a fully intrusive survey for the
collection and analysis of ACM’s, and may involve destructive
inspection in order to gain access to all areas; including those
that may be difficult to reach
Chapter – 6
Asbestos Database - Management
The management and reduction of risks from asbestos is a
duty placed upon the employer or person in control of a premises by
the Management of Asbestos at Work Regulations.
This organisation has developed both Priority Action Plans and
Management Action Plans to assist users of our Asbestos
Database. The Priority Action Plan uses a risk factor
rating to assess the urgency for carrying out remedial action,
while the Management Action Plan determines the methodology for
continued control of asbestos containing materials.
Risk ratings are assessed from the type of asbestos (blue, brown
or white), the product type (sprayed coatings and packings, low
density insulation boards, asbestos cement products and
asbestos-reinforced composites such as plastics, resins and
mastics), condition, surface treatment (if any), location and
accessibility.
Removal of an asbestos containing material would only normally
be considered appropriate where there is evidence of damage or
deterioration or the material is vulnerable to damage by users or
maintenance personnel. Major refurbishment or
demolition of the structure would also of course require removal
prior to works commencing.
Chapter – 7
Asbestos Database – Priority Action Plan
The over-riding principle of managing asbestos is to
ensure that no-one is exposed to asbestos by properly managing the
risk and maintaining or removing the asbestos material.
The Priority Action Plan uses the Risk Factor Rating to assess the
urgency of carrying out remedial work as follows:
PAP-1 – Low priority (Risk Factor Rating below 19) -
removal to be carried out as and when resources permit but
immediate periodic inspection/monitoring to be implemented.
PAP-2 – Medium Priority (Risk Factor Rating between 19
and 23) - remedial/removal action to be carried out within
one year and immediate periodic inspection/monitoring
implemented.
PAP-3 – High Priority (Risk Factor Rating in excess of
23) - remedial removal works to be carried out as soon as possible
and not longer than three months
PAP-4 – Immediate emergency action required to
repair/remove asbestos containing materials. Affected
areas require immediate complete or partial closure.
NOTE – Where there is any visible evidence of asbestos debris or
dust within occupied or occasionally occuplied rooms or spaces, the
implementation plan will ALWAYS be PAP-4, regardless of the Risk
Factor Rating score.
Chapter – 8
Asbestos Database – Management Action Plan
Senior Managers (or delegated Buildings Officers) must ensure
retained ACM’S are not disturbed, but are monitored locally in
accordance with the requirements of the Management Action Plan.
The MAP indicates the control measures proposed for the future
management of asbestos containing material within the
premises. There are six possible MAP options as follows:
MAP-1 - retains
asbestos containing materials in permanently sealed enclosures such
as floors, ducts and plant/equipment. No monitoring is
required.
MAP-2 - retains
concealed but accessible asbestos containing materials within plant
and equipment, ducts, attics and ceiling voids - with access
restricted to occasional maintenance only. The material
is to be labelled where reasonably practicable and monitored as
part of routine surveys.
MAP-3 - retains exposed
or partially exposed asbestos containing materials in boiler and
plant rooms, and within plan/equipment, ducts, attics and ceiling
voids – with regular access for maintenance activities
required. The material is to be labelled and monitored
once a year by Property Services and where accessible every six
months by local management.
MAP-4 - retains
asbestos-containing materials in occupied and occasionally occupied
rooms and spaces which are not considered vulnerable to damage from
the activities of occupiers or maintenance workers.
MAP-5 - retains
asbestos containing materials in rooms and spaces where the
activities of users or maintenance workers result in the material
being vulnerable to damage. The material is not labelled but is
monitored annually by Property Services and at least every three
months by local management.
MAP-6 - requires removal of the
asbestos containing material in the time scales indicated in the
Priority Action Plan.
Chapter – 9
Responsible Person
The premises manager is to nominate a ‘responsible person’
to undertake routine inspections of readily accessible
asbestos containing materials and initiate any remedial
action. The responsible person is to provide the
asbestos register information to any person intending to undertake
works which may damage or disturb asbestos containing
materials identified in the register.
Training: - ‘Responsible persons’ are to undertake any
necessary asbestos awareness training to enable them to carry out
their duties in a competent manner. They are to ensure
that all staff are aware of their role and the necessity to inform
them of any damage to materials which have been labelled as
confirmed or potentially containing asbestos material.
Review: - the responsible person is to regularly review the
asbestos register to ensure the Overall Priority Assessment Hazard
Rating remains a true reflection of the material to which it
refers. Where any deterioration or damage is apparent,
the rating is to be reviewed and the Management Action to be
reassessed accordingly.
Document: - upon completion of routine inspection/review the
responsible person is to annotate the relevant page of the Asbestos
Register with the necessary detail.
Chapter – 10
Dealing with Emergencies
In the event of an uncontrolled or accidental release of
asbestos or suspected asbestos fibres, the following emergency
action plan is to be implemented:
Step 1 - Immediately clear all personnel in the vicinity and
isolate the area by closing and taping (preferably) all doors
accessing the room – all tools, equipment and belongings are to be
left in the room as potentially contaminated . Seal or
turn off air conditioning or electric fans (additional air movement
may help spread airborne fibres).
Step 2 - Secure the area and prohibit access
Step 3 - Immediately inform the Premises Manager or nominated
‘Responsible Person’ who is to arrange for the designated
specialist asbestos consultant to access the area using appropriate
control measures and determine any further course of action
IMPORTANT -
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD PERSONNEL KNOWINGLY REMAIN
IN, OR ENTER A SUSPECTED ASBESTOS CONTAMINATED AREA
IN THE EVENT OF ACCIDENTAL PERSONAL CONTAMINATION, OUTER
CLOTHING SHOULD BE CAREFULLY REMOVED, PLACED IN POLYTHENE BAGS AND
SEALED. THE INDIVIDUAL SHOULD SHOWER AT THE EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY
AND ADVISE THEIR EMPLOYER OF THE ACTIONS TAKEN
NOTE – REMEDIAL WORKS MAY BE REQUIRED UNDER THE PRIORITY
ACTION PLAN
