A Guide to Safely Undertake Asbestos Removal

Introduction

In recent years the effects of failing to manage the handling of asbestos in a secure and safe manner has increased dramatically on the health and safety agenda.

Employees who over many years worked in confined spaces where asbestos materials were present, or in the manufacture of materials or items which included asbestos as a key component have faced serious health issues. It is now widely recognised that the greatest single work related cause of death is asbestos. It is for this reason, that health and safety information highlighting the dangers of incorrect control and the need for safe management and disposal of asbestos contaminated products is high profile.

What is asbestos?

There are generally three forms of asbestos known as brown, blue and more common white asbestos. Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibre and is mined in various Countries but particularly in Russia, the largest producer, Canada and South Africa. Because of its unique resistance qualities, such as being resistant to heat, electricity and noise, it can be employed in several ways for industrial use or in building construction and also a key component for items such as brake linings and insulation.

Asbestos became widely used in the construction industry in the late 19th Century. Hospitals, factories, schools and farm houses were all built with asbestos containing materials. Its qualities of being resistant to heat, flame retardant and a good insulator meant that it was widely recognised as very good construction material. Although asbestos today is rarely used in building development, many old buildings including long established hospitals, schools, farm barns and houses still contain asbestos in ceilings and walls. It was also widely used as a lagging material to wrap around steam pipes and boilers. Some household products such as early electric ovens also contained asbestos material, due to its excellent heat resistant qualities. Indeed I seem to recall the use of it in a very early electric oven at my grand parent’s house in the mid-late 1960′s. Just think of all those Shepherd Pies she used to make.

Nowadays to find that asbestos is still present within a building, is likely to cause alarm amongst those people residing in it. People living close by are also likely to be concerned and very quickly an entire local community will becomealarmed over the dangers of having asbestos close by.

However, as long as the asbestos is well maintained and is not releasing any fibres, there is no hazard to health. Asbestos becomes a health hazard and is most dangerous when it is moved and if you breathe in asbestos fibres, it is this which creates the health hazard.

Asbestos is toxic and it is the dust being inhaled which can lead to serious illness such as breathing difficulties and in some cases forms of cancer, particularly lung cancer. From the mid-1980′s, countries within the European Union and some of the world’s other most developed countries have banned asbestos due to its high health risk concerns.A simple task such as laying roof insulation, should always be undertaken whilst wearing a protective face mask to avoid inhalation of asbestos dust and particles.Some interior projects require partial demolition enabling new design styles to be developed internally.

Why is Asbestos Dangerous?

The breathing in of asbestos fibres is the cause of life threatening disease. So, if you work in an environment where many hundreds of asbestos-related particles exist in the atmosphere, unless you wear the appropriate face mask protection, you are putting your health in danger.

Of course, many years ago the dangers were unknown and whilst asbestos related disease does not affect you immediately, in later life the effects will become more apparent. Currently asbestos is responsible for approximately 4000 deaths per year and every week, it contributes to the deaths of almost 40 tradesmen, including plumbers, electricians, carpenters and joiners. These trades are particularly at risk because the tradesmen will have been employed in environments where asbestos will have been present. The refurbishment of plumbing work in factories, hospitals, schools, houses and factories will have been a common requirement in recent years. Equally, electricians, carpenters and joiners will have been exposed to similar work in their professional fields.

I used to work for a compressed air equipment manufacturer. The company’s main manufacturing site also included the offices, the manufacturing and assembly plant, the foundry and workshops. The whole site was constructed in the early 1900s and inevitably had used asbestos products within its construction. In the 1990s with much of the manufacturing moved overseas, it was decided to sell the site for redevelopment and the site has now been entirely demolished, ready for reconstruction. But just think how much of the construction material would have contained asbestos.

Before major demolition works could commence, a full site survey including an asbestos survey would have been required to identify and assess how to manage the removal of the asbestos material across the site. Each specific area would have required the advice of an approved asbestos management contractor and assurances of how the asbestos materials would be safely removed and disposed of. Due to the size of the site, this would have been a major task and also a costly one, but an essential requirement to ensure that all regulations relating to the management of asbestos material were adhered to.

Where is Asbestos Found?

If you visit an old building built prior to the 1950s, it is worth taking a look around to see where asbestos has been used and the types of materials which might contain asbestos.

Asbestos cement products, such as large sheets of a corrugated material are likely to be asbestos cement sheets. It is distinguishable as a hard grey coloured material in which asbestos has been mixed with cement. It is likely that if the sheets have been used on the roof, that similar flat sheets will have been used for wall cladding.

If a wall has been given a textured coating, then many old wall coating materials contained an asbestos mix to create the texture. On the floor, floor tiles made from asbestos may also be in place. Recognised for its fire retardant qualities, an asbestos spray may also have been used to coat wooden roof beams. Asbestos sprayed on walls and ceilings will have a high content of asbestos and is known to be easily disturbed just by movement and will give off fibres. Then there will be asbestos used as a lagging material on pipes and plumbing equipment. So be vigilant when in old buildings, it is likely that asbestos will be present in some formEven at home, it is essential to employ a licensed and experienced asbestos removal contractor, to safely handle the task.

Managing and Disposing of Asbestos

Since the banning of using asbestos took effect, the most common method by which asbestos is now disposed is through the use of landfill sites. There are however very strict guidelines on how asbestos should be managed and disposed of.

First you must decide how big a challenge the job is. If you have asbestos removal to undertake in the home then the best advice to remove asbestos safely is to employ a fully licensed asbestos removal specialist. The basic requirements for protection, including the wearing of a dust mask and a disposable overall, are not suggested as the limit of safety precautions and you will be will be much safer trusting this work to a specialist contractor. If you are removing sheets of asbestos for example from an old garage or shed, simply breaking one sheet up will release potentially harmful asbestos dust and fibres. As long as there are no electrical cables and connections nearby, the asbestos removal specialist may treat the asbestos to be handled with water spray before commencing the removal of the material, but this kind of thing is not for the novice DIY enthusiast and should be left to an experienced specialist contractor at all times. Removed asbestos cannot simply be placed within your domestic waste for collection, it must be treated separately and either bagged or placed in a dedicated skip for safe disposal by specialists. Personally, I would always seek the advice of an approved asbestos removal contractor, for any work involving asbestos or even the potential for asbestos.

When the requirement for asbestos removal is much larger, the work should always be undertaken by a licensed commercial asbestos removal specialist. These companies have received relevant training and certification and will have the correct equipment to manage the task effectively, safely and in accordance with the correct regulations. Older buildings may require a dismantling process to carefully remove any asbestos and this work is likely to involve the use of scaffolding or cranes to be able to undertake this work safely. The most important point to remember is that as the customer, asbestos is on your premises. You are responsible for the removal, handling and safe disposal of the asbestos so ensure that you appoint an approved contractor.

To ensure that dedicated skips are used in the disposal of asbestos some waste management contractors operate skips of a dedicated colour and ensure that these are used only for asbestos disposal. I know of one leading UK waste management company who have a two tone yellow and red painted skip used solely for the safe transportation and disposal of asbestos. As asbestos is classed as a hazardous waste material, only landfill sites licensed to take hazardous waste material are permitted to accept asbestos into the site.

I recall a large automotive company going into administration and thousands of brake lining pads had to be removed as part of a major site clearance project. Although they were all boxed, the fact that asbestos had been used in their manufacture meant that a specialist contractor was brought in to manage the removal and disposal of the stock.In today’s environment where recycling is a buzz word, it is very difficult and costly to recycle asbestos. A high temperature process can transform asbestos fibers into a harmless silicate glass or an industrial microwave thermal treatment process can transform asbestos waste into ceramic bricks or tiles. Complete an asbestos survey report and inform senior management of the findings before commencing any work.

Health and Safety Issues when Working with Asbestos

Before commencing any work, if it is considered that asbestos may be present, the contract manager must undertake a complete project plan. No employee should be placed at risk, in an environment where asbestos is potentially located.

Through a complete site survey, it must be established if materials containing asbestos are present and the work must be planned to either avoid disturbance or the need to dismantle and remove these materials.

If the asbestos materials are to be removed, it is essential that the work should be undertaken by an [approved|licensed} asbestos contractor, who has completed the appropriate asbestos awareness and training courses and is certificated.

It is also important to note, whether the premises will need to be vacated whilst the work is to be undertaken. If people remain in or near the area where asbestos is to be removed, disturbance of the material will place anyone in the close vicinity of the project in danger. Other considerations and decisions will need to be taken as well, particularly if there is a need to work at height and identify precisely what equipment is to be required to complete the task safely.

All major projects, should be supervised throughout and inspected at various stages to ensure that the work complies with regulation and at the end of the task, and that it is safe for employees to return to the premises.

Of course, throughout the project, the project manager must ensure that arrangements have been made for the safe disposal of all asbestos waste. For those undertaking the job, vigilance will be required throughout the project to protect their own health. Face masks will be worn, as will appropriate clothing such as a disposable all in one overall. Clean as you go is a strategy employed by asbestos removal specialists as they work through the project to limit the amount of asbestos dust spreading to other parts of the building.

Conclusion

The strict regulations which now surround the handling and management of asbestos will in nearly all cases require that any project involving the dismantling of asbestos materials is managed by a specialist asbestos removal contractor.

Without specialist knowledge, awareness and the correct equipment, any project involving asbestos removal brings potential health risks. Not just health concerns, but for the company and contractor, the need to ensure that the rules and regulations which govern the management of projects where asbestos is present are complied with. Also any company engaging a contractor who does not comply with the correct legislation will be responsible themselves, not the contractor.

Often referred to as the hidden killer, improved knowledge and awareness of the devastating effects that asbestos can have upon one’s health is now well documented. It is hoped that in the coming years we will begin to see a decline in asbestos related disease or illness. Unfortunately until the mid-1980s, for those who had worked in or around environments where asbestos was present, the worry of asbestos related death or illnesses remains.

Whichever way you look at it, asbestos is a pretty unpleasant substance if inhaled and brings cause for concern if it is present in your premises, so seek the advice of a specialist asbestos removal contractor to ensure the effective and compliant management of the removal of your asbestos.

Professional Cleaning Companies are they an unnecessary business expense?

In this time of economic gloom many businesses are looking in depth at their budgets for potential savings.

One option being considered is to end the contract with the professional office cleaning in Aberdeen and do it all in-house using existing office staff. But does that actually save money in- practice?

Apart from the negative effect it would have on staff moral are there any other implications of going down this route?

For example if you wanted to clean your office you would need to buy a number of different cleaning products and equipment. Someone will need to go out and buy these from the store. This is a time and cost expense in itself. All professional cleaning service in Aberdeen will have their own preferred cleaning chemicals which their staff will have trained in using. This means they will have access to all associated safety data sheets etc from their usual chemical supplier.

You may decide to employ an extra person to do the cleaning thus doing away with some of the savings but if you are considering using your existing staff you need to calculate into the process the lost opportunities for staff doing their “normal job”. Will that suffer if they are asked to do these extras and at what cost to your business?

If that person is not proficient on cleaning duties it will need to be done again an added expense and once again your office staff would not be using their skills and training in your business.

Consider the cost of mistakes when untrained people are cleaning your premises. Will someone try to remove a mark from a painted wall and remove the paint as well. Additional cost of repainting the wall! I heard about a receptionist /admin person who poured concentrated bleach on a floor to clean it and burnt off the top surface. That was a very expensive mistake to make. Will you be budgeting for additional repairs caused by trying to save money? There is also the danger of mixing cleaning chemicals e.g. some toilet cleaners when mixed together generate considerable amounts of heat and poisonous gases.

• Have you all the skills in house to develop all the health and safety guidance in-house? Or will you to pay to outsource it?
• Who would do the required risk assessment for each and every cleaning task being performed? Not Necessary… just wait and see what the Health and Safety Inspector has to say after an accident on your premises!
• Do you have copies of the COSHH data sheets for every single cleaning product your staff purchase in the event of an incident? Your local superstore will not supply them for the general household products they sell!| Can you be certain that you have the required COSSH safety data sheets for every single cleaning product your staff purchase? Your local supermarket or corner store will not be able to supply these legal documents and you will need them on site in case of an safety incident.}

At the end of the day the main questions you need to ask yourself is

• “Are the extra costs of employing professional office cleaning cheaper than the risk of staff not focussing on my business and losing more money?”

• “What is the cost of not doing the job properly and having to repeat the work, do expensive repairs or facing legal issues over health and safety? ”

Given the option of mistakes it certainly can work out cheaper to employ good professional cleaning company in Coatbridge in the long run.