Asbestos PDF

Construction Health and Safety
ASBESTOS
Section 24
June 1999
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Special acknowledgement is made to Mr. R.B. Calder of Callsafe Services Ltd. for his work in the preparation of this section. Acknowledgement is also made to the following for their assistance: AMEC plc Balfour Beatty Ltd. Sydney E. Bell Esq. Chartered Architect Brooklands School of Management Callsafe Services Ltd. Construction Industry Training Board Construction Health and Safety Group Richard Costain Ltd. Health & Safety Executive Historic Royal Palaces Agency John Laing Construction Ltd. Alfred McAlpine Construction Ltd. Tarmac Construction Ltd. National Westminster Bank PC. Norwest Holst Construction Ltd. Taylor Woodrow plc. Wimpey Group Services Ltd.
NOTE
Whilst every care has been taken to ensure accuracy within this work, no liability whatsoever is accepted by Construction Health and Safety, its sponsoring organisations or their advisers in respect of the information given. No material from this book may be reproduced in any shape or form without written permission from the publishers.
Printed in Great Britain by Arkle Print, 17 Gatelodge Close, Round Spinney Industrial Estate, Northampton NN3 8RJ Published October 1980 by the Construction Confederation, Construction House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4JX
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CONTENTS
Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987 (as amended 1992 and 1998) (including Summary of Approved Code of Practice) Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 (as amended 1998) Introduction General Uses of Asbestos What types of buildings are likely to contain asbestos? Where is asbestos found in buildings? Health hazards associated with asbestos How does asbestos get into the body? How dangerous is asbestos? Legislative requirements The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987 (as amended 1992&1998) Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 (as amended1998) The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 Asbestos Exposure Limits What are control limits and action levels? Identification, assessment and control of existing asbestos installations Assessment Control Work carried out on asbestos requiring a licence Assessing the work Planning the work Designated areas Enclosures provided for work with asbestos Air extraction equipment Working methods Asbestos stripping techniques and situations to avoid where possible Emergency procedures Collecting residues and waste Dismantling and disposal Information, instruction and training Availability of information Procedures for providing information, instruction and training Medical records Protective equipment and clothing Respiratory protective equipment Protective clothing Cleaning and hygiene facilities Work carried out on asbestos not requiring a licence Minor maintenance and repair Work with asbestos cement Supervision of asbestos removal contractors Method statement checklist - asbestos removal References
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December 1999
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The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987

S.I. 1987 No.2155 as amended by The Control of Asbestos at Work (Amendment) Regulations 1992 S.I. 1992 No.3068 and The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 S.I. 1992 No.2966 The Control of Asbestos at Work (Amendment) Regulations 1998 S.I. 1998 No.3235 1. Citation and commencement
These Regulations may be Cited as the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987 and shall Come into force on 1st March 1988.
2. Interpretation
Official Text (1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires action level means one of the following cumulative exposures to asbestos over a continuous 12-week period when measured or calculated by a method approved by the Health and Safety Commission, namely(a) where the exposure is solely to chrysotile, 72 fibre-hours per millilitre of air; or (b) where exposure is to any other form of asbestos either alone or in mixtures including mixtures of chrysotile with any other form of asbestos, 48 fibre-hours per millilitre of air; or (c) where both types of exposures occur separately during the 12-week period concerned, a proportionate number of fibre-hours per millilitre of air; adequate means adequate having regard only to the nature and degree of exposure to asbestos and adequately shall be construed accordingly; approved means approved for the time being in writing by the Health and Safety Commission or the Health and Safety Executive as the case may be; asbestos means any of the following minerals, that is to say, crocidolite, amosite, chrysotile, fibrous actinolite, fibrous anthophyllite, fibrous tremolite and any mixture containing any of those minerals; Asbestos area and respirator zone shall be construed in accordance with Regulation 14; control limit means one of the following concentrations of asbestos in the atmosphere when measured or calculated by a method approved by the Health and Safety Commission, namely(a) for chrysotile (i) 0.3 fibres per millilitre of air averaged over any continuous period of 4 hours, (ii) 0.9 fibres per millilitre of air averaged over any continuous period of 10 minutes; (b) for any other form of asbestos either alone or in mixtures including mixtures of chrysotile with any other form of asbestos(i) 0.2 fibres per millilitre of air averaged over any continuous period of 4 hours, (ii) 0.6 fibres per millilitre of air averaged over any continuous period of 10 minutes; EN 45001 means European Standard EN 45001, General criteria for the operation of testing laboratories accepted by the Comit Europen de Normalisation and the Comit Europen de Normalisation Electrotechnique (CEN/CENELEC) on 23rd June 1989, as revised or reissued from time to time; the Executive means the Health and Safety Executive. Summary of Approved Code of Practice Action levels are exposures to different forms of asbestos, accumulated over a continuous 12-week period and expressed in fibre-hours per millilitre of air (f/mI). If the assessment (see Reg.5) indicates that the exposure of any employee is liable to exceed the relevant action level, then the regulations on notification, designated areas and medical surveillance (Regs. 6, 14 & 16) will apply. To decide whether or not the action level will be exceeded it is first necessary to know what airborne fibre levels are likely to be generated. They can be estimated using available data or past experience of the process in question, but in cases of doubt it will be necessary to confirm the estimated levels by measurement, using a method approved by the Health and Safety Commission (see HSE Guidance Note EH10 Asbestos: Exposure limits and measurement of airborne dust concentrations). Individual exposures are calculated by multiplying the airborne fibre level (in f/ml) by the time for which they last. Cumulative exposure is calculated by adding together all the individual exposures over the 12-week period in question. If within any continuous 12-week period this total exceeds 72 fibrehours/mI for chrysotile or 48 fibrehours/ml for other types or mixtures of any type of asbestos, then the action level has been exceeded. For example, exposure of an employee to a concentration of 3 f/ml of chrysotile for a continuous 2-hour period each week for 10 weeks, followed by exposure to 1 f/ml for 10 hours in each of the next 2 weeks, would give a cumulative exposure of: 3 x 2 x 10 + 1 x 10 x 2 = 80 fibre hours/ml which is above the action level for chrysotile. when some of the exposure being assessed is to chrysotile and the rest is to other types of asbestos (e.g. amosite or crocidolite), and one type of exposure can be clearly distinguished from the other, a simple method may be used to discover whether or not the action level is exceeded. The exposure in fibre-hours/ml for amosite/crocidolite is multiplied by 1.5 (the ratio of the two action levels), and added to the exposure in fibre-hours/ml for chrysotile; if the resulting total is greater than 72 fibrehours/ml, the action level is exceeded. For example, a 6 hour exposure at 2 f/ml for crocidolite/amosite and a 20 hour exposure at 3 f/ml for chrysotile would give a combined exposure of: (6 x 2) x 1.5 + (20 x 3) = (18 + 60) = 78 fibre-hours/ml Which is greater than 72 fibre-hours/ml, and therefore the action level has been exceeded.
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Official Text (2) For the purposes of these Regulations, except as specified in regulation 8(2), in determining whether an employee is exposed to asbestos or whether the extent of such exposure exceeds the action level or any control limit, no account shall be taken of any respiratory protective equipment which, for the time being, is being worn by that employee (3) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires a) a reference to a numbered Regulation or Schedule is a reference to the Regulation or Schedule in these Regulations so numbered; and b) a reference to a numbered paragraph is a reference to the paragraph so numbered in the Regulation or Schedule in which that reference appears.
Summary of Approved Code of Practice
3. Duties under these Regulations

(I) Where any duty is placed by these Regulations on an employer in respect of his employee, he shall, so far as is reasonably practicable, be under a like duty in respect of any other person who may be affected by the work activity, whether at work or not, except that the duties of the employer a) under Regulation 7 (information, instruction and training) shall not extend to persons who are not his employees unless those persons are on the premises where the work is being carried out; and b) Under Regulation 16 (health records and medical surveillance) shall not extend to persons who are not his employees. (2) These Regulations shall apply to a self-employed person as they apply to an employer and an employee and as if that self-employed person were both an employer and an employee. (3) Nothing in these Regulations shall prejudice any requirement imposed by or under any enactment relating to public health or the protection of the environment. (4) Regulation 13(1), insofar as it requires an employer to ensure that premises are thoroughly cleaned, shall not apply to a) a fire authority in respect of premises attended, for the purpose of fighting a fire or in an emergency, by a fire brigade maintained by that authority; or b) the employer of persons who attend a ship in dock premises for the purpose of fighting a fire or in an emergency, in respect of any ship so attended, and in this regulation, ship includes all vessels and hovercraft which operate on water or land, and dock premises means any dock, wharf, quay, jetty or other place at which ships load or unload goods or embark or disembark passengers, together with neighbouring land or water which is used or occupied or intended to be used or occupied, for those or incidental activities, and any part of a ship when used for those or incidental activities. Employers have duties not only to their own employees but also to, for example; a) visitors to the place where work with asbestos is being carried out; b) the occupiers employees if the work is done in someone elses premises; c) people in the neighbourhood who might be incidentally exposed to asbestos dust arising from the work. People other than the employers own employees should be taken into account in the assessment required by Regulation 5, and in the action to reduce exposure required by Regulation 8. Whenever two or more employers work with asbestos at the same time at one workplace they should co-operate in order to meet their separate responsibilities.
4. Identification of the type of asbestos

An employer shall not carry out any work which exposes or is liable to expose any of his employees to asbestos unless eithera) before commencing that work, he has identified, by analysis or otherwise, the type of asbestos involved in the work; or b) he has assumed that the asbestos is not chrysotile alone and for the purposes of these Regulations has treated it accordingly. Employers who choose to identify the type of asbestos may do so by: a) representative sampling and analysis; b) reference to plans to records showing what type of asbestos was used or installed; c) use of information from the supplier of the material.
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5. Assessment of work which exposes employees to asbestos

Official Text (1) Subject to paragraph (3), an employer shall not carry out any work which exposes or is liable to expose any of his employees to asbestos unless he has made an adequate assessment of that exposure. (2) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), that assessment shall a) subject to Regulation 4, identify the type of asbestos to which employees are liable to be exposed; b) determine the nature and degree of exposure which may occur in the course of the work; and c) set out the steps to be taken to prevent or reduce to the lowest level reasonably practicable that exposure, (3) Where work which exposed or was liable to expose employees to asbestos had been commenced before the coming into force of these Regulations or within 28 days after that date, it shall be sufficient compliance with paragraph (1) if the employer makes the assessment required by that paragraph within 28 days after the date of coming into force of these Regulations. (4) The assessment required by paragraph (1) shall be reviewed regularly and a new assessment substituted when a) there is reason to suspect that the existing assessment is no longer valid; or b) there is a significant change in the work to which the assessment relates (5) The employer shall keep a copy of any assessment required by paragraph (1) which is in writing at any place at which the work to which the assessment relates is being carried out and for any period during which the work to which the assessment relates is being carried out. Summary of Approved Code of Practice Where exposure to asbestos cannot be completely avoided (e.g. by using a substitute material), an assessment must be carried out in order to enable a correct decision to be made about the measures necessary to control the exposure. An assessment also enables the employer to satisfy himself and to demonstrate to others that all the factors pertinent to the work have been considered, and that an informed and correct judgement has been reached about the risks and the steps which need to be taken to achieve and maintain adequate control. To be adequate the assessment should be in writing, except for work done by travelling tradesmen, maintenance and repair work and small-scale construction work; provided that in such cases the work is straightforward and gives rise to low-level exposure, leading to an assessment that is simple and can easily be repeated and explained. Employers and the self-employed should ensure that the assessment is carried out by a person with an adequate knowledge of this type of work. They themselves may undertake the assessment provided their knowledge of the work is adequate. It is not necessary to make an assessment before each individual job. Where an employer carries out work which involves similar jobs on a number of sites, e.g. electrical and plumbing jobs, only one assessment for that work will normally be needed. But where the work varies significantly from site to site, for example in demolition or construction, a new assessment and plan of work (see Reg. 5A) will be required. The assessment should cover, where applicable: a) the type of work, b) why a substitute material or process cannot be used, c) the type and quantity of asbestos, together with the results of any analysis, d) details of expected exposures, e) the steps to be taken to reduce exposure and the release of asbestos into the environment, f) procedures for the provision and use of RPE and other PPE, g) in the case of demolition, procedures for asbestos removal prior to demolition of a structure, h) procedures for dealing with emergencies, i) procedures for waste disposal, The assessment should be reviewed regularly, if it is expected to be no longer valid (e.g. as a result of monitoring exposure), or if there has been a significant change in the relevant work. A written copy of the assessment must be kept at the place where the work is being carried out.
5A. Plans of work

(1) The employer shall not undertake any work with asbestos consisting of the removal of asbestos from any building, structure, plant, or installation or from a ship (including its demolition) unless he has prepared a suitable written plan of work detailing how the work is to be carried out and shall keep that plan at least until the date on which the work to which the plan relates has been completed. (1A) The employer shall keep a copy of the plan of work made in pursuance of paragraph (1) at any place at which the work to which the plan relates is being carried out and for any period during which the work to which the plan relates is being carried out; (2) The plan of work made in pursuance of paragraph (1) shall include in particular details ofa) the nature and probable duration of the work; b) the location of the place where the work is to be carried out; c) the methods to be applied where the work involves the handling of asbestos or materials containing asbestos; Where demolition or construction work involves asbestos, or where asbestos is to be removed from buildings, structures, or installations, a plan of work (or method statement) should be drawn up before any work begins and preferably prior to the assessment required by Reg. 5. Information to be included in the plan is detailed in Reg. 5A opposite. A copy of the plan of work must be kept at the place where the work is being carried out.
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Official Text d) the characteristics of the equipment to be used for(i) protection and decontamination of those carrying out the work. (ii) protection of other persons on or near the worksite. (3) The employer shall ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the work to which the plan of work made in pursuance of paragraph (1) relates is carried out in accordance with that plan.
The work carried out must follow the written plan.
6. Notification of work with asbestos

(1) This Regulation shall apply to any work in which an employee is or is liable to be exposed to asbestos unless a) the extent of that exposure neither exceeds nor is liable to exceed the action level; or b) the employer is licensed under Regulation 3(1) of the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 to carry out the work and is doing so in accordance with the terms and conditions of that licence or is exempted by Regulation 3(2)(b) of those Regulations from those requirements. (2) An employer shall not carry out any work to which this Regulation applies for the first time unless he has notified the enforcing authority in writing of the particulars specified in Schedule 1 at least 14 days before commencing that work or before such shorter time as the enforcing authority may agree. (3) Where an employer has notified work in accordance with paragraph (2) and there is a material change in that work which might affect the particulars so notified (including the cessation of the work), the employer shall forthwith notify the enforcing authority of that change. (4) Where the work with asbestos was commenced before the date of coming into force of these Regulations or within 56 days after that date. it shall be sufficient compliance with paragraph (2) if the employer either a) notifies the enforcing authority in accordance with paragraph (2) within 28 days after the coming into force of these Regulations; or b) had before the revocation of Regulation 6 of the Asbestos Regulations 1969 notified the enforcing authority in accordance with that Regulation. Notification to the enforcing authority is normally required only on the first occasion when work with asbestos is liable to result in employees exposure exceeding the appropriate action level. However, where the nature of subsequent work would be materially different from that described in the first notification, employers are required to send a further, separate, notification. You must notify the enforcing authority at least 14 days before starting work. Note Work subject to the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 (see p.24-19/21), will require separate notification, either under the terms of the licence, or if the work is carried out at the persons own premises.
7. Information, instruction and training

(1) Every employer shall ensure that adequate information, instruction and training is given to his employees a) who are or are liable to be exposed to asbestos so that they are aware of the risks from asbestos and the precautions which should be observed; b) who carry out work in connection with the employers duties under these Regulations, so that they can carry out that work effectively, (2) The information, instruction and training referred to in paragraph (1) shall be a) given at suitable intervals; and b) adapted to take account of any significant changes in the type of work carried out or methods of work used by the employer. The information, instruction and training given to employees, including supervisors, should cover as appropriate: a) the health hazards of asbestos, including the health risks to employees families and others which could result from taking home contaminated equipment and clothing and the dramatically increased risk of lung cancer for asbestos workers who also smoke; b) how controls, protective equipment and work methods can reduce those risks; c) the uses and likley occurrence of asbestos in buildings and plant; d) the assessment of exposure and the purpose of air monitoring; e) the control limits and action levels and their meaning; f) work methods and the correct use of control measures to limit the spread of asbestos fibres outside the work area, and to limit the exposures to workers inside the work area to as low as is reasonably practicable; g) why the particular control methods used were chosen to reduce dust emission; h) the maintenance of control measures,including the maintenance of enclosures and negative pressure equipment;
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Official Text
Summary of Approved Code of Practice i) procedures for reporting and correcting defects; j) the correct selection from a range of suitable RPE, its correct use, cleaning, maintenance and safe storage, with specific attention to ensuring that the RPE is working correctly in accordance with the manufacturers instructions and information, and, checking the fit of face masks to ensure a good seal is achieved; k) the correct use, storage and maintenance of protective clothing; I) decontamination procedures; m) the general procedures to be followed to deal with an emergency, eg an uncontrolled release of asbestos dust into the workplace; n) waste disposal; o) the role of medical surveillance; p) record keeping eg records of examinations of control measures. The following information should be made available, on request, to employees and safety representatives: a) a copy of the written assessment, b) details of any air monitoring strategy and any results, c) maintenance records for control measures, d) details of any notification to the enforcing authority, e) any anonymous collective health records, f) personal information from health records (only to individuals concerned). Employees and safety representatives should be informed as quickly as possible where air monitoring shows that the relevant control limit has been exceeded.
8. Prevention of exposure to asbestos

(1) Every employer shall a) prevent the exposure of his employees to asbestos; or b) where it is not reasonably practicable to prevent such exposure, reduce to the lowest level reasonably practicable the exposure of his employees to asbestos by measures other than the use of respiratory protective equipment. Preventing exposure. This may be achieved by:a) elimination or substitution (by a material that is less hazardous) of the asbestos or asbestos containing material; b) where elimination or substitution is not reasonably practicable, the design of plant and processes to prevent the release of asbestos into the air, for example by containment of asbestos in totally closed systems, preferably under negative pressure, or in enclosed containers. Reducing exposure. Where it is not reasonably practicable to prevent exposure, it should be reduced to the lowest level reasonably practicable. This may be achieved by technical measures and suitable systems of work. Technical measures will include local exhaust ventilation, made as effective as possible by enclosing the source of dust as far as possible. In construction and demolition work, exposure should be reduced so far as is reasonably practicable by: a) the removal of materials containing asbestos before any other major work begins; b) work methods which minimise breakage, abrasion, machining or cutting of asbestos materials; c) dust suppression by wetting where appropriate; d) segregation - by not carrying out asbestos work and other work in the same place at the same time; e) keeping the work area clean by promptly removing offcuts, waste and dust.
1(A) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), where employees may be exposed to asbestos in any manufacturing process or in the installation of any product, prevention of such exposure to asbestos shall be achieved, where it is practicable, by substituting for asbestos a substance which, under the conditions of its use, does not create a risk to the health of his employees or creates a lesser risk than that created by asbestos.
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Official Text (2) Where, in pursuance of paragraph (1), it is not reasonably practicable to reduce the exposure of an employee to below both the control limits which apply to that exposure, then, in addition to taking the measures required by that paragraph the employer shall provide that employee with suitable respiratory protective equipment which will reduce the concentration of asbestos in the air inhaled by the employee (after taking into account the effect of that respiratory protective equipment) to a concentration which is as low as is reasonably practicable and in any event below those control limits. (3) Respiratory protective equipment provided in pursuance of paragraph (2) shall comply with paragraph 3A or, where no requirement is imposed by that paragraph, shall be of a type approved or shall conform to a standard approved in either case by the Executive for the purposes of this Regulation. (3A) Any respiratory protective equipment provided in pursuance of paragraph (2) or protective clothing provided in pursuance of regulation 11(1) shall comply with this paragraph if it complies with any enactment (whether in an Act or instrument) which implements in Great Britain any provision on design or manufacture with respect to health or safety in any relevant Community directive listed in Schedule 1 to the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 which is applicable to that item of respiratory protective equipment or protective clothing. (4) If an unforeseen event occurs which results in the escape of asbestos into the workplace at a concentration that is liable to exceed any applicable control limit, the employer shall ensure that(a) only those persons who are responsible for the carrying out of repairs and other necessary work are permitted in the affected area and that those persons are provided with appropriate respiratory protective equipment and protective clothing; and (b) employees and other persons who may have been affected by the event are informed of it forthwith.
Summary of Approved Code of Practice Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) Where exposure cannot be reduced to below the relevant control limit by the above measures, RPE must be provided. RPE must provide effective protection to the wearer in the circumstances in which it is worn and reduce the concentration to as low a level as is reasonably practicable and below the relevant control limit. Based on the likely concentrations of asbestos-in-air, equipment should be selected for exposures well within the limits of its protection range. Other factors to be considered are: a) fit and achievement of a face seal, b) comfort, allowing for heat and physical stress, c) the length of time the equipment is to be worn. All RPE and protective clothing must comply with the Personal Protective Equipment (EC Directive) Regulations 1992 (see p.18-7) and adequate training in its use must be given.
Uncontrolled releases Emergency procedures must be prepared to cater for an uncontrolled release of asbestos in the event of failure of control measures. The cause of the release must be identified and adequate control regained as soon as possible. The contaminated area must be thoroughly cleaned and inspected by employees wearing suitable PPE. This must be followed by air sampling to ensure that remedial measures have been effective. A note of the event should be added to the records of employees affected.
9. Use of control measures, etc.

(1) Every employer who provides any control measure, personal protective equipment or other thing or facility pursuant to these Regulations shall ensure so far as is reasonably practicable that it is properly used or applied as the case may be. There should be procedures for ensuring that control measures are properly used or applied and are not made less effective by other machinery or work practices. These procedures should be part of normal management and supervision and should include: a) checks at least once a shift; b) prompt remedial action. Use of respiratory protective equipment and protective clothing: a) RPE should not be left hanging around the neck in possible contact with contaminated clothing, or put down in a contaminated area. b) the continuous wearing of some types of RPE, even when correctly fitted, may cause discomfort and workers may need to go to a clean area at regular intervals. Suitable clean storage places should be provided for RPE which is removed for a rest break but is to be worn again afterwards. It may be necessary to provide sealable plastic bags or containers for the temporary storage of RPE. c) RPE and protective clothing should be removed at the end of the working period and then placed in storage provided specifically for the purpose. Note The requirements of the Approved Code of Practice: Work with asbestos insulation, asbestos coating and asbestos insulating board are more stringent than those quoted above (see p.24-24/26).
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Official Text (2) Every employee shall make full and proper use of any control measure, personal protective equipment or other thing or facility provided pursuant to these Regulations and if he discovers any defect therein he shall report it forthwith to his employer.
10. Maintenance of control measures, etc.

(1) Every employer who provides any control measure, personal protective equipment or other thing or facility pursuant to these Regulations shall ensure that it is maintained in a clean and efficient state, in efficient working order, and in good repair, and in the case of exhaust ventilation equipment and respiratory protective equipment (except disposable respiratory protective equipment) is also regularly examined and tested at suitable intervals by a competent person. All engineering controls should be monitored as part of normal supervision to ensure that they are working properly, e.g. that all parts of exhaust systems, etc. are maintained in the correct position and that the system is not made ineffective by incorrect operation. Permanently fitted manometers can help workers and supervisors to see that the exhaust system is working satisfactorily. Procedures should ensure the prompt reporting of defects and prompt remedial action. Exhaust ventilation equipment should be inspected every seven days and thoroughly examined and tested by a competent person every six months. Maintenance procedures for all control measures and personal protective equipment should be drawn up including, as appropriate: a) cleaning equipment with particular attention to vacuum cleaners, which should be type H(BS 5415); b) washing and changing facilities; c) controls to prevent the spread of contamination (including enclosures). Respiratory protective equipment should be checked and cleaned after each shift during which it is used or before reuse. RPE should be examined and tested in accordance with Manufactures instructions. RPE (except disposable RPE) should be thoroughly examined and tested. If appropriate at least once a month. A record must be kept of the thorough examination and test results and any repairs carried out. Records must be kept for at least 5 years from the date of the last thorough examination or test. Note: Further guidance relevant to construction and demolition is contained in the Approved Code of Practice: Work with asbestos insulation, asbestos coating and asbestos insulating board (see p.24-24/26). 2) Every employer shall make a suitable record of work carried out in accordance with paragraph (1) which shall be kept for at least five years from the date on which it was made.
11. Provision and cleaning of protective clothing.

(I) Every employer shall provide adequate and suitable protective clothing for such of his employees as are exposed or liable to be exposed to asbestos, unless no significant quantity of asbestos is liable to be deposited on the clothes of the employee while he is at work. (2) The employer shall ensure that any protective clothing provided in pursuance of paragraph (I) is either disposed of as asbestos waste or adequately cleaned at suitable intervals. (3) The cleaning required by paragraph (2) shall be carried out on the premises where the exposure to asbestos has occurred, where those premises are suitably equipped for such cleaning or in a suitably equipped laundry and protective clothing which has been used and is to be removed from those premises (whether for cleaning, further use or disposal) shall, before being removed, be packed in a suitable container which shall be labelled in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 2 as if it were a product containing asbestos or, in the case of protective clothing intended for disposal as waste, in accordance with Regulation 18(3). Protective clothing, means clothing worn to reduce the contamination of the wearers body or personal clothing by asbestos. It is required whenever a significant quantity of asbestos is liable to be deposited on the employees clothes. The employer must make a judgment whether or not protective clothing is required. Between activities where protective clothing is clearly required and those activities where it is not there will be cases where it is not immediately obvious and the work to be done will have to be examined in detail. For example, work on asbestos cement articles may not need protective clothing if they are clean and can be kept intact. But as the amount of cutting and breakage increases, there will be a point where protective clothing will be necessary. In determining whether protective clothing is adequate for this purpose, the nature and degree of the exposure should be taken into account. For example, if the work involves exposure that exceeds the appropriate control limit, a full suit of protective clothing including headwear, clothing and footwear will be necessary. In situations where
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Official Text (4) Where, as a result of the failure or improper use of the protective clothing provided in pursuance of paragraph (1), a significant quantity of asbestos is deposited on the personal clothing of an employee, then, for the purposes of paragraphs (2) and (3) that personal clothing shall be treated as if it were protective clothing.
Summary of Approved Code of Practice exposure is lower, but still liable to lead to the deposit of significant quantities of asbestos, industrial working clothes such as dust jackets and overalls normally worn at work may be regarded as protective clothing. Usually two sets of clothing per person are needed: one to wear and one for cleaning and/or repair. Disposable protective clothing is useful when storage or washing present difficulties, for example with intinerant workers. Protective clothing should be removed before taking off RPE and leaving the working area (which will not necessarily be an area designated under Regulation 14) for meals or other breaks and before leaving the premises at the end of the working day. It should not be taken home. Protective clothing should be vacuum cleaned before removal using a type H vacuum cleaner fitted with suitable attachments. Once removed, protective clothing should be placed in the accommodation specifically provided for it, or sealed in a dust-tight bag if it is to be removed from the premises for cleaning, or disposal as asbestos containing waste. The bag should be strong enough to remain dusttight during transit and handling. Protective clothing should be washed clean. Dry cleaning is not a satisfactory means of removing asbestos from protective clothing. Where clothing needs to be dry cleaned (e.g. because of soiling with oil or grease), it should be washed first. Note Further guidance relevant to construction and demolition is contained in the Approved Code of Practice: Work with asbestos insulation, asbestos coating and asbestos insulating board.
12 Duty to prevent or reduce the spread of asbestos

Every employer shall prevent or, where this is not reasonably practicable, reduce to the lowest level reasonably practicable, the spread of asbestos from any place where work under his control is carried out. Measures may be necessary under this Regulation to deal with, in particular: a) the escape of airborne dust. Suitable techniques are extraction and enclosure of the work area; b) the decontamination of plant and equipment which is being moved from the work area for use on other premises or for disposal.
13 Cleanliness of premises and plant

(1) Every employer who undertakes work which exposes or is liable to expose his employees to asbestos shall ensure that the premises or those parts of premises where that work is carried out and the plant used in connection with that work are kept in a clean state and, in particular, where such work has been completed the premises or those parts of the premises where the work was carried out are thoroughly cleaned. Cleaning should be as frequent as is necessary to ensure that premises and plant are kept in a clean state. In particular, floors and workbenches, external plant surfaces, and washing and changing facilities should be cleaned at least once a day. A fixed vacuum cleaning system may be suitable or, if mobile vacuum cleaners are used, they should be type H and be suitable for use with asbestos. Dry manual brushing or sweeping should not be used to remove asbestos dust. Surfaces may be hosed or washed down provided that residues are properly disposed or and not allowed to dry out. Small amounts of asbestos dust can be removed with a well-damped cloth, which should then be placed in a suitable container and sealed before it dries out. When work with asbestos comes to an end in a workplace which is then to be used for other purposes or when a contractor has carried out repair or maintenance work, the work area should be thoroughly cleaned before being handed over for reoccupation. All visible traces of asbestos should be removed except for materials which are intentionally left in place. Air samples can provide supporting evidence that the area has been satisfactorily cleaned but are not a substitute for careful visual inspection.
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Official Text (2) Subject to paragraph (3), where a manufacturing process which gives rise to asbestos dust is carried out in a building, the employer shall ensure that any part of the building in which the process is carried out is a) so designed and constructed as to facilitate cleaning; and b) is equipped with an adequate and suitable vacuum cleaning system which shall, where reasonably practicable be a fixed system. (3) Paragraph (2)(a) shall not apply to any building in which, immediately before the coming into force of these Regulations, there was carried out a process to which either a) prior to its revocation Regulation 13 of the Asbestos Regulations 1969, as in force immediately before the coming into force of these Regulations. applied and the process was carried out in compliance with that Regulation; or b) that Regulation did not apply.
14. Designated areas.

(1) Every employer shall ensure that any area in which work under his control is carried out is designated as a) an asbestos area. where the exposure to asbestos of an employee who worked in that area for the whole of his working time would exceed or would be liable to exceed the action level; b) a respirator zone, where the concentration of asbestos in that area would exceed or would be liable to exceed any control limit. (2) Asbestos areas and respirator zones shall be clearly and separately demarcated and identified by notice indicating a) that the area is an asbestos area or a respirator zone or both, as the case may be; and b) in the case of a respirator zone, that the exposure of an employee who enters it is liable to exceed a control limit and, if it does, that respiratory protective equipment must be worn. (3) The employer shall not permit any employee, other than an employee who by reason of his work is required to be in an area designated in accordance with paragraph (1), to enter or remain in any such area and only employees who are so permitted shall enter or remain in any such area. (4) Every employer shall take suitable steps to ensure that a) his employees do not eat, drink or smoke in any area designated as an asbestos area or a respirator zone; and b) in such a case, arrangements are made for such employees to eat or drink in some other place. The purpose of designating asbestos areas is to help reduce exposure and the spread of contamination by ensuring that workers do not enter areas where they may be exposed to significant levels of asbestos unknowingly. The purpose of designating areas as respirator zones is to ensure that respiratory protective equipment is worn whenever the control limits are liable to be exceeded. It should be noted that, because of the differences between the action level and the control limit, it will be possible for an area to be designated as:a) a respirator zone (because either of the relevant control limits is liable to be exceeded), but not as an asbestos area (because the action level is liable not to be exceeded); or b) an asbestos area, but not a respirator zone; or c) a respirator zone and an asbestos area. Eating, drinking and smoking must be prohibited in designated areas. Suitable arrangements, conveniently accessible to the working area and hygiene facilities, should be made for these activities.
15. Air monitoring

( I ) Every employer shall take adequate steps to monitor the exposure of his employees to asbestos where such monitoring is appropriate for the protection of the health of those employees. Monitoring of employee exposure should be done by personal sampling, followed by analysis, using a method approved by the Health and Safety Commission. Its purpose is to discover or check the concentration of airborne asbestos to which employees are exposed, with the secondary objectives of: a) checking the effectiveness of control measures; b) confirming that the right level of personal protective equipment has been chosen. Measurements of employee exposure should be by personal sampling. Static sampling may be suitable for checking control measures or the cleanliness of work areas when work with asbestos has ceased.
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Official Text
Summary of Approved Code of Practice Monitoring should always be done when there are any doubts about the effectiveness of the measures taken under Regulation 8(1) and (2) to reduce the concentration below the relevant control limits. Air monitoring may not be appropriate wherea) exposure levels are known to be low and not likely to approach the relevant control limits; b) the work is intermittent and of short duration and adequate information is available to enable the appropriate protective equipment to be provided; c) the protective equipment provided is of such a standard that no foreseeable measurement result could indicate a need for equipment of a higher standard. If monitoring is considered inappropriate, other sources of information about likely concentrations of asbestos in air should be used. These sources could include guidance issued by the Health and Safety Executive, information from suppliers of the material concerned and previous experience of the work.
(2) The employer shall keep a suitable record of any monitoring carried out in accordance with paragraph (1) and that record or a suitable summary thereof shall be kept a) in a case where exposure is such that a health record is required to be kept under Regulation 16, for at least 40 years; b) in any other case, for at least five years.
Records should contain full details of the monitoring, together with further information as described in HSE Guidance Note EH10 Asbestos: Exposure limits and measurement of airborne dust concentrations. Where employees are under medical surveillance (see Regulation 16), it will be necessary to retain a summary of any air monitoring results (or the original results themselves) to supplement the health record. Any summary of air monitoring results should contain enough information about airborne fibre levels to allow individual average exposures for different types of work to be calculated as accurately as possible. The summary, or the original results, should be retained for the same length of time as the health record.
15A. Compliance with EN 45001

(1) Every employer who carries out any measurement of the concentration of asbestos fibres present in the air, whether or not in pursuance of regulation 15(1), shall ensure that he meets criteria equivalent to those set out in paragraphs 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4.1 and 5.4.2 of EN 45001. (2) Every employer who requests a laboratory to carry out any measurement of the concentration of asbestos fibres present in the air, whether or not in pursuance of regulation 15(1), shall ensure that laboratory is accredited by an appropriate body as complying with EN 45001. Measurement of the concentration of asbestos should be carried out to the criteria set by EN 45001. Laboratories engaged to carry out air monitoring must be accredited by an appropriate body ie Namas, Ukas to EN 45001. Employers carrying out their own air monitoring must enure that their employees receive training, supervision and quality control to similar standards as required by EN 45001,
16. Health records and medical surveillance

(1) Every employer shall ensure that a health record containing particulars approved by the Executive relating to each of his employees who is exposed to asbestos is maintained unless the exposure of that employee does not exceed the action level and that that record or a copy thereof is kept for at least 40 years from the date of the last entry made in it. (2) Every employer shall ensure that each of his employees who is exposed to asbestos is under adequate medical surveillance by an employment medical adviser or appointed doctor unless the exposure of that employee does not exceed the action level, and such medical surveillance shall include a) a medical examination not more than two years before the beginning of such exposure, and A health record is a record of examination and exposure, and is quite separate from confidential clinical medical records. The health record should contain at least the following information a) surname, forenames, sex, date of birth, permanent address, post code, National Insurance Number; b) A record of types of work performed, and where relevant its location, with start and end dates and with average duration of exposures in hours per week; c) a record of any work with asbestos prior to this employment; d) dates of medical examination.
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Official Text b) periodic medical examinations at intervals of not more than two years or such shorter time as the employment medical adviser or appointed doctor may require while such exposure continues, and each such medical examination shall include a specific examination of the chest. (3) Where an employee has been examined in accordance with paragraph (2), the employment medical adviser or appointed doctor shall issue to the employer and that employee a certificate stating that he has been so examined and the date of the examination and the employer shall keep that certificate or a copy thereof for at least 4 years from the date on which it was issued. (4) An employee to whom this Regulation applies shall, when required by his employer and at the cost of the employer, present himself during his working hours for such examination and tests as may be required for the purposes of paragraph (2) and shall furnish the employment medical adviser or appointed doctor with such information concerning his health as may reasonably be required. (5) Where medical surveillance is carried out on the premises of the employer, the employer shall ensure that suitable facilities are made available for the purpose. (6) On reasonable notice being given, the employer shall allow any of his employees access to the health record which relates to that employee. (7) Where before the coming into force of these Regulations, an employee was engaged in work in which he was exposed to asbestos to an extent which exceeds the action level and continues to be engaged in such work, it shall be sufficient compliance with paragraph (2) if either a) he is medically examined within six months after the date of coming into force of these Regulations; or b) in a case where i) he had been medically examined before the date of coming into force of these Regulations, and ii) that examination was for the purpose of Regulation 6 of the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 or an employment medical adviser or appointed doctor has certified that it is appropriate for the examination to be deemed to be an examination for the purposes of paragraph (2)(a), he is next examined within two years after the date of that examination or within such shorter time as the employment medical adviser or appointed doctor may require. (8) a) fees shall be payable in accordance with the following provisions of this paragraph to the Health and Safety Executive in respect of a medical examination for the purpose of this Regulation by an employment medical adviser. b) the fees shall be payable, in the case of the examination of an employee, by his employer; and, in the case of the examination of a self-employed person, by that selfemployed person. c) the fees shall be a basic fee of 34.50 for each examination, together with an additional fee of 27.00. in respect of all X-rays taken in connection with any one examination and of 15.50 in respect of all laboratory tests carried out in respect of any one examination. (9) In this Regulation appointed doctor means a registered medical practitioner who is for the time being appointed in writing by the Executive for the purpose of this Regulation; employment medical adviser means an employment
Summary of Approved Code of Practice No person who is likely to be exposed above the action level should be employed on work subject to the regulations unless they have been examined within the previous two years. The employer and the employee should each receive a copy of the examination certificate. The employer must keep the certificate for 4 years.
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Official Text medical adviser appointed under section 56(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc, Act 1974; medical examination, except in paragraph (8), includes any laboratory tests and X-rays that the employment medical adviser or appointed doctor may require.
17. Washing and changing facilities

(1) Every employer shall ensure that, for any of his employees who is exposed or liable to be exposed to asbestos, adequate and suitable a) washing and changing facilities; b) where he is required to provide protective clothing, facilities for the storage ofi) that protective clothing, and ii) personal clothing not worn during working hours; c) where he is required to provide respiratory protective equipment, facilities for the storage of that equipment are provided. The type and extent of the washing facilities should be related to the nature and degree of exposure as indicated by the assessment carried out under Regulation 5. Where exposure is low and infrequent, the facilities may be shared with other workers not liable to such exposure. In other cases separate facilities will be necessary. Where wash basins alone are inadequate, separate shower facilities should be provided. Such facilities should:a) be located, as far as is reasonably practicable, next to the work area. In some cases, for example on construction sites, mobile units or temporary facilities will be necessary. b) have changing areas for protective clothing and protective equipment separate from those for personal clothing by means of separate rooms or, where this is not possible, dividing rooms into dirty (protective clothing/equipment) and clean (personal clothing) areas. Wherever possible, the showers should be located between the dirty and clean areas. The term dirty should not be taken to imply that any part of the hygiene facilities may not be kept as clean as is reasonably practicable. c) be kept clean and tidy at all times; d) be heated and ventilated when in use; e) have hot and cold or warm running water, soap or other cleaning materials and individual towels or other means of drying; f) have sufficient wash basins and showers or baths to enable the maximum number of persons expected to use them at any one time to do so; g) have type H vacuum cleaners for the vacuuming of personal protective equipment; h) have suitable containers for the collection of used respiratory protective equipment and protective clothing which is to be removed from the storage area for cleaning or disposal.
(2) The facilities provided under paragraph (1) for the storage of personal protective clothing, of personal clothing not worn during working hours and of respiratory protective equipment shall be separate from each other.
18. Storage, distribution and labelling of raw asbestos and asbestos waste
(1) Every employer who undertakes work with asbestos shall ensure that any raw asbestos or waste which contains asbestos is not a) stored: b) received into or despatched from any place of work; or c) distributed, except in a totally enclosed distribution system, within any place of work, unless it is in a suitable and sealed container clearly marked in accordance with paragraph (2) and (3) showing that it contains asbestos. (2) Raw asbestos shall be labelled in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 2. (3) Waste containing asbestos shall be labelled a) Where the Carriage of Dangerous Goods (Classification, Receptacles should be so designed, constructed and maintained as to prevent any of the contents escaping when subjected to the stresses and strains of normal handling. For raw fibre or loose or dusty waste, or other asbestos waste in small fragments, double plastic sacks are suitable. The inner sack should not be overfilled and each sack should be capable of being securely tied or sealed. Air should be excluded from the bag as far as possible before sealing. Stronger containers are necessary if the waste contains sharp objects liable to puncture a plastic bag. Large pieces of rigid materials should not be broken or cut for disposal in plastic sacks. They should be wrapped intact in sheet plastic or other suitable material, or placed in a sealed container such as a totally enclosed
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Official Text Packaging and Labelling) and Use of Transportable Pressure Receptacles Regulations 1996 apply, in accordance with those Regulations; b) where the waste is conveyed by a road tanker or tank container in circumstances where the Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road Regulations 1996 apply, in accordance with those Regulations; c) in any other case, in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 2.
Summary of Approved Code of Practice skip. If an open skip is used it should be tightly and securely sheeted with tarpaulin or a similar strong material. Containers containing asbestos waste should be labelled: a) in accordance with the Carriage of Dangerous Goods (Classification, Packaging and Labelling) and Use of Transportable Pressure Receptacles Regulations 1996, where those Regulations apply; b) in accordance with the Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road. Regulations, where those Regulations apply; c) where neither of the two above sets of Regulations apply, in accordance with Schedule 2 of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations. Bags containing loose fibrous or dusty asbestos waste should be transported in a vehicle which is itself enclosed. Any open topped vehicle should be securely sheeted or similarly covered to prevent packages from rolling or falling off, and to ensure that no asbestos dust is released.
19. Supply of products containing asbestos for use at work

(1) Subject to paragraph (2), a person shall not supply any product which contains asbestos, being an article or substance for use at work, unless that product is labelled in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 2. (2) Where a product contains a component containing asbestos it shall be sufficient compliance with this Regulation if such component is labelled in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 2 except that where the size of such a component makes it impossible for a label to be fixed to the component neither the component nor the product need be labelled. Any product supplied for use at work should be labelled in accordance with Schedule 2 whether the product is an article or a substance. In the case of substances the Classification, Packaging and Labelling Regulations may also apply, and where they do, an additional label or labels should be provided to comply with them.
20. Exemption certificates

(1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this Regulation, the Executive may, by a certificate in writing, exempt any person or class of persons from all or any of the requirements or prohibitions imposed by these Regulations and any such exemptions may be granted subject to conditions and to a limit of time and may be revoked by a certificate in writing at any time. (2)The Executive shall not grant any such exemption unless having regard to the circumstances of the case, and in particular to a) the conditions, if any which it proposes to attach to the exemption; and b) any other requirements imposed by or under any enactments which apply to the case it is satisfied that the health and safety of persons who are likely to be affected by the exemption will not be prejudiced in consequence of it and that any provision imposed by the European Communities in respect of the encouragement of improvements in the safety and health of workers at work will be satisfied. (1) Subject to paragraph (2), the HSE may grant exemption certificates.
(2) Exemptions will be granted only if the health and safety of persons is not thereby prejudiced.
21. Extension outside Great Britain

These Regulations shall apply to any work outside Great Britain to which Sections 1 to 59 and 80 to 82 of the Health and Safety at Work etc., Act 1974 apply by virtue of the Health and Safety at Work etc., Act 1974 (Application outside Great Britain) Order 1989 as they apply to work in Great Britain. These regulations apply to work carried out on off-shore installations and pipelines within territorial waters and the areas designated under the Continental Shelf Act 1969.
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21A. Defence in Proceedings for Contravention of these Regulations

In any proceedings for an offence consisting of a contravention of these Regulations it shall be a defence for any person to prove that he took all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence to avoid the commission of that offence.
22. Revocations and savings

(1) The Asbestos Regulations 1969 are revoked (2) Regulation 6 of the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 is revoked. (3) Any report required to be kept under Regulation 7(4) of the Asbestos Regulations 1969 or certificate required to be kept under Regulation 6 of the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 shall, notwithstanding the revocation of those Regulations, be kept in the same manner and for the same period as if the revocations mentioned in paragraphs (2) & (3) had not taken effect.
(2) Regulation 6 refers to medical examinations (3) Reports of test & examination of exhaust ventilation equipment, made under the Asbestos Regulations 1969, must be kept for two years. Medical certificates, issued under the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983, must be kept for four years.
Schedule 1 Particulars to be included in a notification.

1. The following particulars are to be included in a notification made in accordance with Regulation 6(2), namely; (a) the name, address and telephone number of(i) the notifier, and (ii) his usual place of business; (b) a brief description of(i) the type(s) of asbestos used or handled, (crocidolite, amosite, chrysotile or other), and (ii) maximum quantity of asbestos held on the premises at any one time, and (iii) the activities or processes involved, and (iv)the products manufactured, (where applicable); (c) date of commencement of work activity where work has yet to begin.
not to scale
Schedule 2
The labelling of raw asbestos, asbestos waste and products containing asbestos (Regulation 18(2) and (3) and Regulation 19). 1. (1) Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) of this paragraph. the label to be used on a) raw asbestos (together with the labelling required under the Carriage of Dangerous Goods (Classification, Packaging and Labelling) and Use of Transportable Pressure Receptacles Regulations 1996): b) asbestos waste (when required to be so labelled by Regulation 18(3)): and c) products containing asbestos (including used protective clothing to which Regulation 11(2) applies). shall be in the form and in the colours of the following diagram and shall comply with the specifications set out in paragraphs 2 and 3.
(2) In the case of any product containing crocidolite, the words contains asbestos shown in the diagram shall be replaced by the words contains crocidolite/blue asbestos. (3) Where the label is printed directly on to a product a single colour contrasting with the background colour may be used. 2. The dimension in millimetres of the label shall be those shown on the diagram, except that larger measurements may be used, but in that case the dimension of the label indicated as h, on the diagram in paragraph 1(1) above shall be 40% of the dimension indicated as H on that diagram. 3. The label shall be clearly and indelibly printed so that the words in the lower half of the label can be easily read, and those words shall be printed in black or white. 4. (1)Without prejudice to the provisions of any other legislation relating to health and safety at work, where any product may undergo processing or
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Official Text finishing it shall bear a label containing any safety instructions appropriate to the particular product and in particular the following instructions operate if possible out of doors or in a well ventilated place; preferably use hand tools or low speed tools equipped, if necessary, with an appropriate dust extraction facility. If high speed tools are used, they should always be so equipped; if possible, dampen before cutting or drilling; dampen dust and place it in a properly closed receptacle and dispose of it safely. (2) Any additional safety information given on any label shall not detract from or contradict the safety information given in accordance with sub-paragraph (1) above. 5. (1) Labelling of packaged and unpackaged products in accordance with the foregoing paragraphs shall be effected by means of a) an adhesive label firmly affixed to the product or its packaging, as the case may be; b) a tie-on label firmly attached to the product or its packaging, as the case may be; or c) direct printing on to the product or its packaging, as the case may be. (2) Where, in the case of an unpackaged product, it is not reasonably practicable to comply with the provisions of sub-paragraph (1) above the label shall be printed on a suitable sheet accompanying the product. (3) Labelling of raw asbestos and asbestos waste shall be effected in accordance with sub-paragraphs (1)(a) or (c) above. (4) For the purposes of this Schedule, a product supplied in loose plastic or other similar wrapping (including plastic and paper bags) but no other packaging shall be treated as being supplied in a package whether the product is placed in such wrapping at the time of its supply or was already so wrapped before that time. But no wrapping in which a product is placed at the time of its supply shall be regarded as packaging if any product contained in it is labelled in accordance with the requirements of this Schedule or any other packaging in which that product is contained is so labelled.
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The Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983

S.I.1983 No.1649 As amended by
The Asbestos (Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 1998

S.I.1998 No.3233 1. Citation and commencement
Official Text These Regulations may be cited as the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 and shall come into operation on 1st August 1984.
2. Interpretation
Official Text (1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires:asbestos means any of the following minerals, that is to say, crocidolite, amosite, chrysotile, fibrous actinolite, fibrous anthophyllite, fibrous tremolite and any mixture containing any of those minerals; asbestos cement means a material which is predominantly a mixture of cement and asbestos and which when in a dry state has a density greater than 1 tonne per cubic metre; asbestos coating means a surface coating which contains asbestos; asbestos insulation means any material containing asbestos and used for thermal, accoustic or other insulation purposes (including fire protection) except a) asbestos cement or asbestos insulating board, or b) any article of bitumen, plastic, resin or rubber which contains asbestos and the thermal or accoustic properties of which are incidental to its main purpose. asbestos insulating board means any sheet, tile or building board consisting of a mixture of asbestos and other material excepta) asbestos cement; or b) any article of bitumen, plastic, resin or rubber which contains asbestos and the thermal or accoustic properties of which are incidental to its main purpose. work with asbestos insulating board meansa) work which consists of the removal, repair or disturbance of asbestos insulating board; b) work which is ancillary to such work; and c) supervising work referred to in sub-paragraphs (a) or (b) above; and work with asbestos insulation or asbestos coating meansa) work which consists of the removal, repair or disturbance of asbestos insulation or asbestos coating; b) work which is ancillary to such work; and c) supervising work referred to in sub-paragraphs (a) or (b) above; and (2) Any reference in these Regulations to a paragraph not otherwise identified is a reference to a paragraph in the Regulation where the reference appears. Simple Interpretation
Roofing sheets, wall boards, gutters and drainpipes are the most commonly used asbestos cement products; Asbestos coating applies to coatings for insulation and fire protection, and to decorative finishes; Asbestos insulation means products not applied as a coating; it includes pre-formed pipe insulation, asbestos lagging and asbestos in-fill. b) materials such as vinyl floor tiles, electric cables and roofing felts are excluded.
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3. Work with asbestos insulation or asbestos coating not to be carried on without a licence
Official Text (1) Subject to paragraph (2), an employer or self-employed person shall not undertake any work with asbestos insulation or asbestos coating or work with asbestos insulating board unless he holds a licence granted under Regulation 4 of these Regulations relating to such work and complies with the terms and conditions of that licence. (2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply where a) (i) any person who carried out work with asbestos insulation or asbestos coating or work with asbestos insulating board does not spend more than a total of one hour on such work in any period of seven consecutive days, and (ii) the total time spent on such work by all the persons working on that work does not exceed two hours; or b) the work is undertaken at premises of which the employer whose employees are carrying out the work or the selfemployed person who is carrying out the work himself, as the case may be, is the occupier, and (i) that employer or self-employed person does not hold a valid licence to do such work granted under these Regulations; and (ii) he has given notice of the work in accordance with Regulation 5 of these Regulations; or c) the work consists solely of air monitoring or collecting of samples for the purposes of identification. Simple Interpretation
a) This permits minor maintenance and repair work to be carried out without a licence;
b) This exception does not relieve the employer or selfemployed person from the duty to ensure all necessary precautions, medical surveillance, etc.;
(ii) where repetitive work is involved, a single notification may be permissible: c) Monitoring or sampling must be carried out by trained persons who know the risks and necessary precautions
4. Licences for work with asbestos insulation or asbestos coating

Official Text (1) The Health and Safety Executive may grant a licence for work with asbestos insulation and asbestos coating or work with asbestos insulating board if it considers it appropriate to do so and a) the person who wishes the licence to be granted to him has made application for it on a form approved for the time being for the purposes of this Regulation by the Executive; and b) the application was made at least 28 days before the date from which the licence is to run, or such shorter period as the executive may allow; (2) A licence under this Regulation a) shall come into operation on the date specified in the licence and, subject to paragraph (3), may be with or without a limit of time; and b) may be granted subject to such conditions as the Executive may consider appropriate. (3) The Executive may vary the terms of a licence if it considers it appropriate to do so and in particular may a) add further conditions, and vary or omit existing ones; b) impose a limit of time where none had been imposed and where a limit had been imposed may vary or remove it. (4) The Executive may revoke a licence if it considers it appropriate to do so. (5) A licensee shall, when required by the executive, return a licence to the Executive for any amendment or following revocation. (6) A fee of 100 shall be payable to the executive on each application being made for a licence under this Regulation. but where the application is for a licence to follow a previous licence without any gap in time the fee shall be 50. Simple Interpretation
a) Applications should be made on form ASB1, available from HSE area offices, and sent to the Asbestos Licensing Unit;
b) The licence will include a Schedule of Conditions, details of which will depend upon an assessment by the Licensing Unit. a) Further conditions, relating to a particular contract, may be imposed where special precautions are considered necessary. b) (i) Regulation 6 is revoked by the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987, (ii) The Asbestos Regulations 1969 are revoked by the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987
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5. Notification to the enforcing authority of work with asbestos insulation or asbestos coating at persons own premises
Official Text (1) The notice to which Regulation 3(2)(b) refers is a notice in writing given to the enforcing authority at least 14 days before the work is commenced (or such shorter period as that authority may allow) and specifying the type of work to be carried out and the address of the premises at which it is to be carried out. (2) Where in the case of asbestos containing crocidolite, an employer or self-employed person has given notice under Regulation 6 of the Asbestos Regulations 1969 to an inspector appointed by the Health and Safety Executive, that notice shall be deemed to comply with paragraph (1), (3) Every employer or self-employed person who is undertaking work with asbestos insulation or asbestos coating or work with asbestos insulating board after having given notice in accordance with this Regulation shall:a) provide adequate information to persons who may be in the vicinity or who may be affected by such work and, in the case of an employer, instruction and training for his employees where appropriate; and b) shall ensure that he, his employees, other employees, and any other persons who may be in the vicinity of, or may be affected by his or his employees work activities are exposed only to the lowest level of asbestos dust which is reasonably practicable. Simple Interpretation (1) Where work is to be carried out at a persons own premises, notification to the enforcing authority should describe the work to be carried out and give the address of the premises. (Information on enforcing authorities is given on p 1-18). (2) This paragraph is superseded by regulation 6 of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987 (see p 24-6).
6. Certificate of medical examination

Revoked by the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987 (Certificates issued under the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations must be kept for at least four years).
7. Exemption certificate
Official Text (1) Subject to paragraph (2), the Health and Safety Executive, may by a certificate in writing, exempt any person, class of person, product containing asbestos or class of such products from all or any of the prohibitions or requirements imposed by these Regulations and any such exemptions may be granted subject to conditions and to a limit of time and may be revoked at any time by a certificate in writing. (2) The Executive shall not grant any exemption unless having regard to the circumstances of the case and in particular to a) the conditions, if any, which it proposes to attach to the exemption, and b) any other requirements imposed by or under any enactments which apply to the case, it is satisfied that the health and safety of persons who are likely to be affected by the exemption will not be prejudiced in consequence of it. Simple Interpretation (1) Subject to paragraph (2), the HSE may grant exemption certificates.
(2) Exemptions will be granted only if the health and safety of persons is not thereby prejudiced.
8. Extension of these Regulations outside Great Britain

Official Text These regulations shall apply in relation to any. work with asbestos insulation or asbestos coating or any work with asbestos insulating board to which or in relation to which sections 1 to 59 and 80 to 82 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 apply by virtue of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Application outside Great Britain) Order 1977 as they apply to such work in Great Britain.
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Simple Interpretation These regulations apply to work carried out on offshore installations and pipelines within territorial waters and the areas designated under the Continental Shelf Act 1969.
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ASBESTOS
Introduction
Known and used for more than 4,000 years, the commercial development of asbestos on a large scale began in the late 19th century. It occurs freely in various parts of the world, and is obtained by mining or quarrying. Asbestos is a fibrous form of hydrated (and usually impure) magnesium silicate. Of the five or so variants which occur, the three main types of asbestos used by industry include: a) crocidolite (commonly known as blue asbestos) b) amosite (commonly known as brown asbestos) c) chrysotile (commonly known as white asbestos) The different types of asbestos cannot usually be identified by their colour alone. All are dangerous, but crocidolite and amosite asbestos are known to be more hazardous than chrysotile. As from November 1999 the importation, supply and use of asbestos in any of its three common forms crocidolite (blue), amosite (brown) and chrysotile (white) are prohibited. The importation and supply of crocidolite and amosite, or of any product containing them, is prohibited by the Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations 1992 and the supply and sale of chrysotile (white) asbestos is prohibited under the Asbestos (Prohibitions) (Amendment) Regulations 1999. Work with asbestos is therefore now largely restricted to removal. All industrial exposure to asbestos is subject to The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987 as amended and the associated Approved Code of Practice, The control of asbestos at work. These regulations and the Approved Code of Practice specify the requirements for working with asbestos regardless of its source, type or the process involved (see p 24-4/18). In addition there is a further Approved Code of Practice, Work with asbestos insulation, asbestos coating and asbestos insulating board which establishes standards to be adopted when carrying out work with asbestos-based thermal or acoustic insulation, including structural fire protection, or sprayed coating or asbestos insulating board. The removal of all materials containing asbestos, (except asbestos cement), requires a licence and is subject to The Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983, as amended. f) certain texture coatings, decorative plasters and paints: Artex; g) asbestos ropes and cloth: used in jointing and packing materials, gaskets and caulking for brickwork; h) bitumen felts and coated materials: some roofing felts, flashing tapes, damp-proof courses may contain asbestos fibre; i) flooring materials: asbestos has been added to the mix of certain PVC and thermoplastic floor tiles and sheet materials; j) reinforced plastics: asbestos reinforced PVC containing chrysotile has been used to make cladding panels.
Health hazards associated with asbestos

How does asbestos get into the body? Asbestos is a fibrous material that collects in the nasal passages and lungs. Although the body will get rid of most of the larger asbestos fibres that enter the nose and mouth, tiny fibres can pass into the lower parts of the lung and can stay there for years and in some cases work their way through the lung lining. The body naturally gets rid of any asbestos fibres taken in with food and water and fibres cannot be absorbed through the skin How dangerous is asbestos? There is no cure for asbestos related diseases. These diseases kill more people than any other single work-related illness. They are currently responsible for about 3000 deaths a year in Britain. There is usually a long delay between first exposure to asbestos and the first symptoms of disease. This can vary between 15 and 60 years. Breathing in asbestos fibres can eventually lead to a number of diseases: a) Asbestosis or fibrosis: fibrosis or scarring of the lung where tissue becomes less elastic making breathing progressively more difficult and painful. The lung tissue becomes progressively harder reducing the amount of oxygen absorbed. Symptoms include shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, tiredness and 'clubbing' of the fingers and toes. Strain on the heart can lead to death from heart failure. b) Lung cancer: lung cancer is caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibre and most commonly occurs in the bronchi, i.e. the tubes passing from the windpipe towards the roots of the lungs. All three types of commonly used asbestos fibre can cause lung cancer, but crocidolite and amosite are considerably more dangerous than chrysotile. c) Mesothelioma: a cancer of the inner lining of the chest or of the abdominal wall. The incidence in the general population is very low; the overwhelming majority of cases are attributable to occupational or paraoccupational (those living in the same house as an asbestos worker) exposure to asbestos d) Laryngeal cancer: cancer of the larynx is another risk associated with exposure to asbestos, although there is a greater chance that it may be cured and deaths are rare.
General uses of asbestos

The most useful properties of asbestos are its incombustibility, its resistance to heat, acid and many other forms of chemical attack and its resistance to weathering What types of buildings are likely to contain asbestos? Asbestos is likely to be in a building if: it was built or refurbished prior to 1985; and particularly if it also has a steel frame; and/or it has boilers or pipework with thermal insulation Where is asbestos found in buildings? The use of blue and brown asbestos has been banned since 1985, but many thousands of tonnes were used in buildings in the past. Much of this asbestos is still there and cannot easily be identified. Its most common uses were: a) sprayed asbestos and asbestos lagging: generally used in thermal insulation of pipes and boilers; b) insulating boards used for fire protection, thermal insulation, wall partitions and ducts; c) asbestos cement products: largely used for roofing and wall cladding; d) some reinforced plastics, mastics and sealants; e) millboard, paper and paper products: used as a fireproof facing on wood fibreboard;
Person working with asbestos (non smoker) Person does not work with asbestos (smoker) Person working with asbestos (smoker)
5x greater chance contracting lung cancer 10 x greater chance contracting lung cancer 50 x greater chance contracting lung cancer
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Many of those suffering today from asbestos-related diseases worked in the building trades. 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 them.
Legislative requirements
The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987 (as amended) (CAW) These regulations apply to all work with asbestos, including asbestos cement. Whenever you are working with or removing asbestos materials you must ensure that you are complying with these regulations. The full text of the Regulations is found on page 24-4. Further information on how to comply with them is provided throughout this section. The Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 The basic objective of these regulations is to ensure that persons who carry out work with asbestos: a) have a licence to do so. A condition of all licences is that the enforcing authority will be served 14 days notice of the commencement of the work; or b) carry out work on their own premises having given 14 days notice to the enforcing authority. The enforcing authority may permit a shorter period of notification in particular circumstances. Neither a Licence nor notification is required for maintenance and repair work where the work does not take a person more than 1 hour in any seven consecutive days and the total time spent on such work by all the persons working on that work does not exceed 2 hours. A Licence is not required for taking bulk and air samples or working with asbestos cement. The regulations contain the following definitions: Asbestos cement means a material, which is predominantly a mixture of cement and asbestos and which, when in a dry state, has a density greater than 1 tonne per cubic metre. Asbestos coating means a surface coating which contains asbestos. Asbestos insulation means any material containing asbestos and used for thermal, acoustic or other insulation purposes (including fire protection) except: a) asbestos cement or asbestos insulating board, or b) any article of bitumen, plastic, resin or rubber which contains asbestos, and the thermal or acoustic properties of which are incidental to its main purpose Asbestos insulating board means any sheet, tile or insulating board consisting of a mixture of asbestos and other material except: a) asbestos cement; or a) any article of bitumen, plastic, resin or rubber which contains asbestos and the thermal or acoustic properties of which are incidental to its main purpose. Work with asbestos insulation or asbestos coating means a) work that consists of the removal, repair or disturbance of asbestos insulation or asbestos coating; b) work that is ancillary to such work; and c) supervising work referred to in sub-paragraphs (a) or (b) above A Licence is obtainable from the HSE Licencing Unit Tel:0131 247 2135. To obtain a licence you will be interviewed by an HSE inspector, generally at your place of work, who will need to be convinced that you have the knowledge and experience to work safely with asbestos. This will require you to have knowledge of: the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 (as
amended); the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987 (as amended); the Approved Codes of Practice L27 and L28 (third editions) on The control of asbestos at work and Work with asbestos insulation, asbestos coating and asbestos insulating board; The inspector will want to be sure that you: a) understand the hazards of working with asbestos for example, what it can do to a persons health; b) know what the risks are for example, when working with asbestos insulating board, what might somebodys exposure be? c) know what techniques are appropriate to control exposure to asbestos dust for example, vacuuming and wetting; d) know how to prevent the spread of asbestos for example, by the use of enclosures and negative pressure units; e) understand the requirements relating to air monitoring; f) know what personal protective equipment is required and how it should be used; g) have arrangements in place for keeping necessary records; h) know the procedures for entry into and exit from working areas; i) have received training in the topics detailed in the Approved Codes of Practice and other guidance material. First licences run for a period of one year, if you want to renew the licence you will have to apply to renew it and be assessed again. Renewed licences usually last for three years, but may be for a shorter period, depending on your performance.
Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 (see section OC) introduced new requirements. They placed duties on clients, designers and contractors to ensure that the health and safety aspects of the work are taken into account, and then co-ordinated and managed effectively throughout all the stages of a construction project. This includes all stages in the lifecycle of a project, from conception, design and planning through to execution of works on site and subsequent construction, maintenance, repair and disposal. Clients have a duty whenever construction work is being carried out to provide information relevant to health and safety. This may include identifying asbestos materials within their buildings and assessing the hazards from them.
Where CDM applies, the following conditions apply: a) clients should provide information about the location, type and condition of asbestos; b) designers should take account of this information by altering their designs to remove or reduce the need to work with asbestos; c) planning supervisors should ensure information about asbestos, relevant to the work at hand, is available to designers and the principal contractor; d) the principal contractor should ensure that individual contractors are aware of the relevant information, and that workers are briefed; e) where work with asbestos is part of the construction work, anyone arranging for someone to do the work should be reasonably satisfied that they are competent in work of that type; f) at the end of a project, a health and safety file should be prepared which indicates relevant information about asbestos within the building.
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Table 1 Control limits and action levels for asbestos Asbestos type Chrysotile Any other form of asbestos either alone or in mixtures, including mixtures of chrysotile 4hr control limit (F/ml) 0.3 10-minute control limit (F/ml) 0.9 Action level (fibre hours / ml) 72
0.2
0.6
48
F/ml fibres per millilitre in air averaged over any continuos period. Fibre hours / ml calculated by multiplying the airborne exposure in f/ml by the time in hours for which it lasts to give exposure in fibre hours / ml. Cumulative exposures calculated by adding together all the individual exposures over any continuous 12 week period
Asbestos exposure limits

What are control limits and action levels? A control limit is that concentration of asbestos in the air (averaged over any continuous four hour or ten-minute period) above which employees must not be exposed unless they are wearing suitable RPE. Both the four hour and ten minute periods have their own control limits, the values of which vary depending on the type of asbestos present. The control limits are given in Table 1. Action levels apply to exposure in the longer term, and are cumulative exposures calculated over any continuous 12week period. The 12 week period should not be deliberately chosen to avoid exceeding the action level. It should represent a 'worst case' for the work being undertaken. If the exposure of any employee exceeds or is likely to exceed an action level, the regulations in CAW on notification, designation area and medical surveillance, apply. The action levels are given in table 1. Example 1 A demolition contractor is asked to remove an asbestos cement roof, Guidance note EH71 gives an estimate of 0.5 fibres/ml or less for this type of work. The job is estimated to take 40 hours. Thus for any individual carrying out the work, the exposure is 0.5 x 40 = 20 fibre hours/ ml i.e. the action level is not exceeded: BUT CAW STILL APPLIES: exposure must still be controlled 2 A contractor spends the same amount of time cleaning the roof. Even with wet brushing EH71 estimates up to 3 fibres/ml Exposure is then 3 x 40 = 120 fibre hours/ml and the action level is exceeded Identification, assessment and control of existing asbestos installations Identification Extensive use has been made of building materials containing asbestos. Unless material is readily identifiable, for example, by the use of an asbestos label, check the original building plans which, may help determine the presence of asbestos. It is important to determine the type and amount of asbestos present in the building, the type of material in which it is contained, its use and its location. Some general points are given below: a) finding asbestos material may require a diligent and determined survey; b) those carrying out sampling must be suitably trained and experienced; c) taking samples from asbestos materials will involve damaging the materials so fibres will be released into the air. Appropriate precautions must therefore be taken to
avoid endangering the health of staff or contaminating buildings; d) do not sample unnecessarily; e) arrangements should be made to repair damage such as exposed edges, after sampling and to clean-up when sampling is completed; f) waste materials, cloths etc - should be disposed of correctly. It will not usually be necessary to carry out an accurate quantitative analysis, an indication of the presence of asbestos and its type will be sufficient in most cases. Assessment Once the presence of asbestos materials within a building has been established, the potential for fibre release must be assessed so that the appropriate control measures may be taken. The potential for fibre release from asbestos material is determined by 3 main factors: a)The type of material, its properties, and the type of asbestos used in its manufacture: for the purposes of assessment, the types of asbestos material are listed in approximate order of fibre release: 1) sprayed coatings and laggings; 2) insulating boards, insulating blocks and composite products, ropes, yarns and cloth; 3) millboard, paper and paper products; 4) asbestos-cement products; 5) bitumen roofing felts, damp-proof courses, semi-rigid asbestos-bitumen products and asbestos coated metals; 6) asbestos paper-backed vinyl flooring, unbacked (homogenous) vinyl flooring and floor tiles; 7) textured coatings and paints containing asbestos, mastics, sealants, putties and adhesives, asbestos reinforced PVC and plastics. The hazard presented by these materials is related to their hardness or toughness and the ease with which fibres may be released. The ranking can only be approximate. b) The integrity of the material, and the condition of any sealant or enclosure: for a material to be classified as being in good condition it must be intact, not cracked or fractured and not bearing evidence of abrasion or fraying. In the area surrounding or beneath the asbestos material there should be no debris, or other evidence of dust release. c) The position of the material: take into account its accessibility and vulnerability to damage, and the use of the area or building where the material is installed. Readily accessible material is likely to be vulnerable to damage arising from vandalism, impact by vehicles, people, or objects and in certain circumstances, to damage arising from maintenance and repair work.
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Other sources of damage are vermin (rats, mice and birds) and water. If an anticipated future use of a building would make previously undisturbed asbestos installations accessible and therefore vulnerable to damage, the material concerned should be reassessed. Control Once identification of asbestos installations and assessment have been completed, appropriate remedial measures must be determined for each installation. It is impossible to give detailed instruction for all the different uses of asbestos in buildings, but the guiding principles are: a) ASBESTOS MATERIALS WHICH ARE SOUND,UNDAMAGED AND NOT RELEASING DUST SHOULD NOT BE DISTURBED; b) THE RELEASE OF ASBESTOS DUST SHOULD BE AVOIDED AS FAR AS POSSIBLE; c) THE CONCENTRATIONS OF AIRBORNE ASBESTOS IN OCCUPIED AREAS SHOULD BE REDUCED TO THE LOWEST LEVEL REASONABLY PRACTICABLE. The remedial measures available are: a) leave the material in place without sealing and introduce a management system; b) leave the material in place, effectively seal it (e.g. encapsulate or protect it by mechanical means - board materials etc.) and introduce a management system; c) remove and dispose of the asbestos. These actions vary in detail depending upon the type of material, its condition, location and accessibility, but are outlined in general terms below. Management It is not normally necessary to seal, enclose or remove asbestos materials which are sound, undamaged and not releasing dust. These should be left in place and a system of management introduced, which will require some or all of the following steps to be taken: a) the presence of an asbestos material should be noted on plans or other records, and updated as necessary; b) building owners should make known at tender stage the existence or suspected existence of asbestos to any contractors working on their premises; c) workers and others who may be affected should be notified; d) asbestos materials likely to be disturbed by maintenance or other workers should be labelled clearly; e) a note should be made of which types of work on the material will require licences, etc., and adequate instructions must be given to the workforce; f) the installation must be re-inspected periodically to ensure that the condition of the material has not changed; g) minor repairs should be carried out if necessary; h) if an anticipated future use will make undisturbed asbestos vulnerable to damage, management alone may not be sufficient and, as further action may be necessary, A reassessment should be carried out; i) it may be helpful to record the locations of non-asbestos materials which may be confused with asbestos materials. Where management over an extended period is unlikely to be cost effective, further action, including removal, should be considered. Sealing and repair Sealing (or encapsulation) requires the application of some form of coating, whether paint, polymeric, bituminous or cement based. The sealing system chosen will depend on the nature of the asbestos material, the degree of damage, the
protection required and surface flammability requirements. The sealing coat must adhere firmly and the integrity of the asbestos material must be sufficient to carry the sealing coat. Sealed materials must meet the standard for spread of flame specified in building regulations. Normal paints may not achieve this standard. Specially formulated sealants are available. Asbestos materials may be enclosed with sheet material, sealed at corners and edges. However, resistance to fire spread must be maintained. Removal When it is not possible to seal an asbestos material effectively and it is likely to release dust, the decision may be to remove it completely. Depending on circumstances, the asbestos removal may be complete or just restricted to a small vulnerable area. Temporary repair, sealing or enclosure, may be required to render asbestos material safe pending removal. When asbestos fire protection material is removed, it must immediately be replaced with materials having at least an equivalent fire performance. All asbestos removal (except asbestos cement) should be carried out by licensed specialist contractors. Work carried out on asbestos requiring a licence Before starting any work where asbestos is present, CAW requires that an assessment of the likely exposure of employees and others to asbestos is carried out. Alongside this, there is a further requirement to prepare a plan of work. All assessments and plans of work should be in writing, except for very small jobs such as may be encountered in building maintenance. Assessing the work Where the decision is made to remove asbestoscontaining materials the licensed contractor needs to assess the work to determine the stripping technique(s) to be used, and identify all associated control measures. The types of issues to be considered under assessment, include: a) the type of work and its duration; b) the type of asbestos-containing material c) the quantity of asbestos material; d) the surface onto which the asbestos has been applied,For example, a sprayed coating may have been applied onto a bituminous layer on structural steel work. This will make the removal of residual asbestos difficult; e) the location of the asbestos containing material and the nature of the work area; f) selection of work methods and justification where, in exceptional circumstances, controlled stripping techniques cannot be used; g) the need to reduce exposure to the lowest level reasonably practicable thus minimising the amount of fibres generated at the point where asbestos is being stripped h) anticipated expected exposures and the number of people affected; i) selection, provision, use and decontamination of personal protective equipment, including RPE; j) removal of asbestos waste and debris; k) emergency procedures These factors should be considered in co-operation with the client to ensure that the work is carried out as safely as possible. Liaison with the client or the clients agent is necessary to ensure that all the factors, which might influence the safety of the work, have been taken into account.
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Planning the work When planning work with asbestos, the initial assessment should be considered and a specific plan / method statement devised. A plan should cover: a) nature of the work and probable duration b) address and location of work c) methods of work as described in the assessment A checklist for asbestos removal method statements is provided at the end of this section. Assessments and, if necessary, plans of work must be reviewed regularly when a significant change in the work occurs or is expected. Copies of assessments and plans of work must be kept on site. Plans of work must be submitted to the appropriate enforcing authority at its request The plan of work must be followed at all times Designated areas Areas in which persons will be exposed to asbestos fibre above certain limits must be designated as either asbestos areas or respirator zones a) Asbestos area: where the exposure to asbestos of an employee who worked in that area for the whole of his working time would exceed or would be liable to exceed the action level b) Respirator zone: where the concentration of asbestos in that area would exceed or would be liable to exceed the control limit Each of the above areas must be clearly delineated with barriers and appropriate notices. The notices must indicate the nature of the delineated area and prohibit access to all persons not involved with the asbestos activity. Personnel must not smoke, eat or drink whilst in an asbestos area or a respirator zone. In practice, in the construction industry, there are unlikely to be asbestos areas which are not also respirator zones. Enclosures provided for work with asbestos An enclosure is a physical barrier erected around the asbestos work area which is sealed to minimise leakage, so that, as far as possible, asbestos dust and waste arising from the work is prevented from spreading to the surrounding environment. Anyone working inside an enclosure must wear suitable protective clothing and respiratory protective equipment (RPE) and must thoroughly decontaminate themselves on leaving the enclosure. Enclosures may either make use of part of the existing building structure or be self-supporting temporary structures built around the asbestos working area. They may be constructed using suitable timber studding or similar material. A membrane, preferably of double 1000 gauge polythene is stapled to the studding and all joints sealed with self adhesive tape. The seal should extend to the sides, floor and ceiling. The floors of enclosures must be covered in an impervious material unless the existing floor on which the enclosure is erected has an impervious surface which can be thoroughly cleaned after asbestos removal work is completed. Floor coverings may become slippery. If polythene is used it can be covered with hardboard, or similar material to minimise this hazard. This material should be disposed of as asbestos waste. Whenever possible, uncontaminated items of plant not being worked on should be removed from the enclosure. Any items left within the enclosure, e.g. switchgear, should be covered, with sealing material such as polythene sheeting and
securely taped to complete the seal and prevent contamination. The inclusion of live operating plant within the enclosure should be avoided wherever practicable. Asbestos workers should enter the enclosure from the hygiene facility, which should be attached via a short intervening space or tunnel to the enclosure. Where the hygiene facility cannot be positioned close to the enclosure an arrangement will be required for workers to enter the enclosure through an air lock system. Before asbestos work starts, a thorough visual inspection of the enclosure should be carried out to ensure that it has been constructed correctly and that it is effectively sealed. Particular attention should be paid to seals, air locks, joints and the fitting of sheeting around pipes, pipe trays, conduits etc. The enclosure should be tested by releasing smoke from smoke generators, smoke bombs or pellets inside the enclosure with the air extraction equipment switched off; escaping smoke indicates leaks which should be dealt with as far as possible. The responsibility for monitoring and maintenance of the enclosure should be allocated to a nominated, trained and competent person and a system devised which will set out the procedure and frequency of inspection. In every case a visual inspection of the enclosure should take place at the start of each working shift to establish that the internal negative pressure is maintained (i.e. the sides of the enclosure are drawn in). It is recommended that tests with smoke tubes or different pressure monitors should be carried out at frequent intervals. The result of the visual inspection, monitoring and maintenance should be recorded and kept by a named person who is responsible for those duties. When personnel are not on site, reasonable steps should be taken to prevent the enclosure being tampered with. Air Extraction Equipment Whatever the type of enclosure, it is important to remember that no construction method will give an absolutely airtight seal and that some degree of leakage will always be present. For this reason mechanical extraction ventilation should be applied to maintain the air pressure inside the enclosure slightly below atmospheric pressure (known as negative pressure). This will ensure that airflow through any leaks in the enclosure will be inwards rather than outwards, so that asbestos dust is contained within the enclosure. The main characteristics of a good extract ventilation system are: a) adequate filtration: the system should incorporate a highefficiency (HEPA) filter of at least 99.997% efficiency when tested. b) adequate fan performance; c) robust construction; d) reverse flow damper; e) indication of flow; f) discharge ducting. Procedures for the operation and maintenance of air extraction plant should be clearly set out and the users given adequate instruction on how to operate it. The system should be correctly installed and checked by a competent person before use. In particular; the equipment should be checked to ensure that it is in good condition and has been properly assembled. When replacing the filters during the course of a job; stripping operations should cease. A maintenance schedule should be formulated and carefully followed, and clear instructions given on the action to be taken if the unit breaks down or fails to achieve specified performance.
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A record of inspection, thorough examination, routine maintenance and any defects remedied should be kept available for inspection. The extract system should be turned on before work starts and should preferably be left running continuously throughout the stripping work, including times when personnel are not on site. If it is not reasonably practicable to leave the system running continuously, it should be left on during breaks and for a sufficient period at the end of each shift to clear the enclosure of airborne dust (at least one hour). Working Methods Where reasonably practicable, the stripping method chosen should disturb the asbestos containing material as little as possible and should inject water into the insulation to minimise the release of asbestos fibres. There are a number of controlled stripping techniques which can be used to control the release of fibres during asbestos removal. These can be divided into the following two broad categories: a) controlled wet stripping b) dry stripping with control at source HSE policy is to give a very high priority to the use of wet stripping in asbestos removal. Wet stripping must always be adopted unless there are exceptional circumstances where this method cannot be used. In addition to the use of controlled stripping techniques, there are other elements of good working practice which are needed to control exposure: a) the selection and use of tools and equipment can greatly affect the exposure levels. Abrasive power and pneumatic tools in particular can create high fibre concentrations. Manual tools should be used whenever practicable with shadow vacuuming. b) It is essential that every worker receives adequate training, including refresher training, in the use of controlled stripping techniques, and that there is adequate site supervision. Good control techniques can be made valueless by poor work practices resulting from a lack of training and supervision. c) The use of controlled stripping techniques does not remove the need for close supervision and for checking that the standards of control and work methods are being maintained. Viewing panels should be provided in enclosures to allow supervision to check that operators are following instructions and taking the necessary precautions d) Maintenance of control equipment is essential to ensure that it continues to operate effectively e) Good waste control measures including the clearing away of waste material as work progresses. While some controlled stripping techniques (for example multi-point injection) can, in principle, achieve more control than others, the whole range of controlled techniques may need to be considered for a particular job. A combination or series of approaches may be needed for effective control in different aspects or phases of the work. Controlled Wet Stripping Asbestos fibres can be effectively suppressed if the asbestos containing material is uniformly wetted with a liquid. Wetting agents can be applied by injection or spraying, and are supplied either ready for use or requiring further dilution. Some wetting agents can ease removal by loosening the binding agents within the asbestos containing material.
Problems associated with wet stripping techniques The use of wetting agents or water alone, whether injected or sprayed, is not appropriate in some circumstances because their use may introduce additional hazards, for example a) the presence of live electrical equipment which may prevent, or restrict the use of controlled wet stripping b) the need to carry out work on hot plant which may make controlled wet stripping inappropriate as it produces a scalding risk, a risk of heat stress and a humid atmosphere, and is of limited effectiveness as the asbestos containing material can dry out c) the presence of chemicals may present a direct risk to the workers or prevent the use of controlled wet stripping techniques d) the use of wetting agents may create a risk of slips. This is particularly important when working at heights Dry stripping with control at source Wrap and cut In some circumstances, for example the removal of redundant pipework, it may be more appropriate to use wrap and cut rather than controlled wet stripping. This is because wrap and cut does not require the wholesale disturbance of the lagging. Consequently, the potential for fibre generation is much reduced. Wrap and cut is particularly suitable for pipework of small diameter (150 mm or less). Glovebags There are a number of proprietary glovebags, made of strong clear plastic materials, that are designed to allow stripping activities inside the bag by external operators using integral plastic gloves. The top part of a glovebag fits around the item to be stripped while the bottom part acts as storage for tools and asbestos waste. It is important to note, however, that glovebags have certain drawbacks which prevent them from substituting enclosures in many applications. The main concern is that there is no way to prevent asbestos spreading if there is a bag failure, for example through punctures or from a seal failure. Glovebags can be used without an enclosure where the assessment shows minimal risks to other people if the glovebag leaks or fails. This may be the case where the site is remote from other workers. However, you should note that there is still the potential for relatively low concentrations of fibre to leak out from the glovebag during use, especially through small holes. Consequently, the work area still needs to be segregated. Glovebags should not be used in occupied areas without additional precautions such as enclosures and negative pressure units. Direct Removal by vacuum systems Direct vacuum removal uses a combination of removing and vacuuming away asbestos material at source, by purpose designed vacuum equipment. However, this method does not remove the need for an enclosure and other precautions. It is one method of removing loose asbestos which has been 'blown dry', and where wetting could cause the asbestos to bond to the underlying surface. Where this type of system is adopted, the assessment and plan of work should clearly identify the precautions to use and the procedures to follow in the event of problems such as blocked ducting, etc. Enhanced air management Enhanced air management is a technique where air is introduced by a blower unit close to the area of work and then the air is extracted at a higher rate to maintain negative pressure.
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Enhanced air management can be used for any type of stripping work. It is particularly helpful when controlled wetting or other controlled stripping techniques cannot be used, such as with hot work. Because stripping may be carried out dry, with the potential for high exposures, it is very important to carefully plan and closely monitor the job. Only companies and individuals who have had specific training should use this technique. Because this is a complex system to operate and requires constant monitoring, it is mainly applicable when there are problems using other controlled stripping techniques. Where possible, the controlled stripping techniques previously described should be the first choice. However, you need to remember that adopting enhanced air management does not exclude the use of other controlled stripping techniques. Asbestos stripping techniques and situations to avoid where possible Uncontrolled dry stripping This technique involves stripping asbestos-containing material in its dry state within an enclosure but without any direct controls to reduce exposure. Exposure levels resulting from this technique are significantly higher that those from other techniques. This approach places absolute reliance on the effectiveness of the RPE. You should only consider uncontrolled dry stripping in extremely exceptional circumstances, where the possibility of using any form of controlled technique is shown to be impractical. This should be justified in the assessment of work. Work in hot environments The main purpose of asbestos lagging on pipes and vessels is to prevent the loss of thermal energy to the surrounding environment. If the lagging, or even part of it, is removed, heat will escape and result in an increase in temperature in the surrounding environment. To help reduce heating as the work progresses, you can use 'sacrificial insulation', i.e. covering stripped surfaces with non asbestos lagging material. This can be disposed of later as asbestos waste. Where hot working cannot be avoided, it is essential to carefully assess and plan the work. The workers need to be medically checked and monitored during the work. Because of the many problems associated with work in hot environments, asbestos stripping should only be carried out with the plant operating if absolutely necessary, and should be justified in the assessment under regulation 5 of CAW High pressure water jetting High pressure water jetting has been used to remove asbestos from concrete floors, beams, and columns. It is a highly specialised technique which removes asbestoscontaining materials using water jets normally operating at pressures of about 138 bar (2000 psi) or above. This technique has a number of disadvantages, including: a) asbestos fibres have no chance of absorbing the water; b) a vast amount of virtually unmanageable slurry containing free asbestos fibres is produced; c) the jet can cause serious injury; d) a mist of fine water droplets is formed which will wet the filters in RPE. This may affect the performance of the RPE, for example increasing the breathing resistance, decreasing the airflow or leading to a reduction in the assigned protection factor (APF).
High pressure water jetting is not controlled wet stripping, and it should only be used in exceptional circumstances and with specialist advice. Emergency Procedures Asbestos removal often requires access to heights in difficult or confined areas. The risk of an accident occurring is always a possibility and emergency procedures for the evacuation of ill or injured personnel should be built into the planning stage and should appear in the written assessment. Personnel should be trained to deal with the emergency. The location of the nearest telephone should be identified. Evacuation of the seriously ill or injured employee must not be delayed by over-elaborate attempts to decontaminate the casualty. If the victim can be moved his colleagues should move him outside. If necessary entry / exit , may be made by slitting the walls of the enclosure. All personnel should then finally decontaminate themselves in the hygiene facility. In some situations it may be necessary to treat the victim inside the enclosure. In view of the increased fire risk and possible obstruction of the normal means of escape where personnel are working inside an enclosure which is situated in a relatively inaccessible part of a building, it is important that they are familiar with fire warning alarms or systems, and the means of escape from the enclosure and from the area in which it is situated. Collecting residues and waste In order to maintain the benefits of controlled stripping techniques, it is important to place waste directly into suitable containers and to prevent it from drying out. Similarly, any significant leakage of liquid on to the floor should be cleared up to minimise the risk of slurry formation and slips. However, if the material is still dry on removal, further wetting may be needed before bagging. This type of wetting should be carried out by the use of light sprays. Work practices which prevent the build up of waste in the working area should be selected. Examples include: a) using waste bags directly beneath the work; b) for debris clearance, vacuuming (using Type H (BS 5415) vacuum cleaner); c) shadow vacuuming when residues have to be scraped off pipework and vessels, etc; d) choosing containers which prevent the contents from escaping during normal handling. For loose fibrous material or small fragments, double bagging in plastic bags is suitable provided they are not overfilled, so that the air can be excluded (within the enclosure) and the bags effectively sealed; e) individually wrapping larger pieces of waste in polythene sheeting; f) taking into consideration and effectively dealing with any predominance of wet waste, as it may add to handling problems. Waste containers should not be thrown or dropped. Whatever type of waste is generated or waste container used, it is important to emphasise that: a) the container should be made of a material which. - in normal handling, is strong enough to contain the waste; - takes account, if necessary, of any waste material that is sharp enough to cause a puncture; b) the waste should be double-wrapped to prevent the escape of asbestos fibres; c) the container should be capable of being readily decontaminated before leaving the work area;
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d) the container should be properly labelled; e) the container should be kept secure on site until sent for disposal, e.g. in a locked skip; The labelling of raw asbestos, asbestos waste and products containing asbestos should be in accordance with regulations 18(2) and (3) and schedule 2 of CAW, and with the Carriage of Dangerous Goods (Classification, Packaging and Labelling) and Use of Transportable Pressure Receptacles Regulations 1996. Once the waste is properly contained. it should be sent for disposal following the procedures required by the Special Waste Regulations 1996. Dismantling and Disposal When asbestos removal work has been completed the area inside the enclosure should be thoroughly cleaned using suitable vacuum cleaners (BS 5415 Type H). The cleaning should include the inside surfaces of the enclosure, all plant from which asbestos has been removed and all equipment which has been used inside the enclosure. A visual inspection should then be made with particular attention paid to difficult positions where access is restricted and where asbestos dust may have become trapped. When the person carrying out the visual inspection is satisfied that the area is clean and dry, arrangements should be made for air sampling to be carried out. If the sampling is satisfactory then the enclosure can be carefully dismantled. The materials used in the construction of the enclosure may have become contaminated and should be disposed of as asbestos waste unless they can be effectively cleaned or sealed Problems arising from cleaning access equipment used in the enclosure can often be minimised if sufficient planning has been undertaken before the equipment is taken into the enclosure. Scaffold tubes should have the ends capped and where possible boards should be covered with polythene or varnished to ensure that effective cleaning can be carried out. However, scaffold boards used inside an enclosure for access to plant at high level may create a slipping hazard if covered with polythene. Therefore in these cases, the risk should be carefully considered before a decision is made.
j) the correct selection from a range of suitable RPE, its correct use, cleaning, maintenance and safe storage, with specific attention to ensuring that the RPE is working correctly in accordance with the manufacturers instructions and information, and, checking the fit of face masks to ensure a good seal is achieved; k) the correct use, storage and maintenance of protective clothing; l) decontamination procedures; m) the general procedures to be followed to deal with an emergency, e.g. an uncontrolled release of asbestos dust into the workplace; n) waste disposal; o) the role of medical surveillance; p) record-keeping, e.g. records of examination of control measures; Anyone who carries out any examination, testing (including clearance inspection, air monitoring and exposure monitoring) or maintenance of plant or equipment should be suitably trained. Refresher training covering the topics above should be given at least every year, or more frequently if necessary, particularly where: a) work methods change; b) the type of equipment used to control exposure changes; or c) the type of work carried out changes significantly. Training should be provided by someone who is competent to provide it and has had adequate personal practical experience and theoretical knowledge of all relevant aspects of the work being carried out by the employer. Contractors must also ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that adequate information, instruction and training are given to non-employees who are on the premises and could be affected by the work, as well as to their own employees. Information, instruction and training will need to take account of any possible risks resulting from rearrangement of thoroughfares and fire exits as well as the risks arising from disturbance of asbestos-containing materials. Training procedures, including refresher training, should be set out in writing. Availability of information Employers should make the following information available, on request, to employees, employee representatives and to safety representatives: a) a copy of the current assessment for the workplace b) details of any air monitoring strategy and any results c) maintenance records for control measures d) details of any notification to the enforcing authority under regulation 6 of CAW concerning the workplace e) any anonymous collective information from the health records; and f) personal information from health records (only to the individual employees concerned) Procedures for providing information, instruction and training There should be a written statement setting out procedures for providing information, instruction and training. This should be reviewed regularly, particularly when work methods change Medical Records In accordance with CAW, employees whose exposure to asbestos exceeds the action level should be included within a health surveillance programme which should include a two yearly medical examination by an appointed doctor. The
Information, instruction and training

Information, instruction and training given to employees, including supervisors, should cover, in appropriate detail, both by written and oral presentation as well as by demonstration: a) the health hazards of asbestos, including the health risks to employees' families and others which could result from taking home asbestos contaminated equipment and clothing and the dramatically increased risk of lung cancer for asbestos workers who also smoke; b) how controls, protective equipment and work methods can reduce those risks; c) the uses and likely occurrence of asbestos in buildings and plant; d) the assessment of exposure and the purpose of air monitoring; e) the control limits and action levels and their meaning; f) work methods and the correct use of control measures to limit the spread of asbestos fibres outside the work area, and to limit the exposures to workers inside the work area to as low a level as is reasonably practicable; g) why the particular control methods used were chosen to reduce dust emission; h) the maintenance of control measures, including the maintenance of enclosures and negative pressure equipment; i) procedures for reporting and correcting defects;
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examination should incorporate a specific chest examination to check that employees are suitable for the work. Employers and employees should receive a certificate of examination which must be kept for 4 years. In addition, a weekly register should be kept by the employer of all hours each person has spent on work involving asbestos. Health records must be kept for at least 40 years. d) e) f) g) h) i) j)
Protective equipment and clothing

Respiratory Protective Equipment When should RPE be provided? CAW requires you to do all that you reasonably can to prevent exposure to asbestos fibres, or where prevention is not possible, to reduce exposure to the lowest possible level. In addition you must always provide suitable RPE if, despite the precautions taken, exposure to asbestos fibres is liable to exceed the 'control limits' laid down in the Regulations Note: You should not use RPE as your only control measure. You must reduce asbestos fibre concentration in air to a minimum before using RPE The RPE you provide must be marked with a CE symbol. This means it meets the minimum legal requirements, usually by conforming to a European Standard. Selecting Suitable RPE RPE must be matched to: a) exposure concentrations (expected or measured); b) the job; c) the wearer; and d) factors related to the working environment. Suitable RPE: a) provides adequate protection (i.e. reduces the wearers exposure to asbestos fibres to as low a level as is reasonably practicable and anyway to below the control limits) during the job in hand and in the specified working environment (e.g. confined spaces); b) provides clean air and the flow rate during the whole wear period at least conforms to the minimum recommended by the manufacturer; c) has face piece which fits the wearer correctly; d) is properly maintained; and e) does not introduce additional hazards that may put the wearers health and safety at risk. People come in all shapes and sizes. Therefore, one particular size or type of RPE is unlikely to suit everyone. In addition, the performance of face-pieces depends on achieving a good contact between the wearers skin and the face seal of the mask. To make sure that the face-piece can provide adequate protection for the wearer, the initial selection should include quantitative fit testing. A good fit would be one which indicates an inward leakage level at or below the value in the appropriate EN standard. You can carry out a Face fit test in a number of ways, including: a) using a purpose- built test chamber; or b) using an ambient particulate counting device. For further information on Face fit tests see HSE publication INDG288 Selection of suitable respiratory protective equipment for work with asbestos When choosing RPE you must think about: a) the expected concentrations of asbestos fibres in the air; b) the protection factor values of different types of RPE; c) the potential for oxygen deficiency and/or the presence of other hazardous substances (e.g. solvent vapours)
k) l)
within the work environment. You should be aware that particulate filters used for protection against asbestos fibres will not protect against oxygen-deficient atmospheres; the kind of work involved, e.g. more strenuous jobs may need a greater air supply; the temperatures at which people will be working; the facial characteristics of the wearers (e.g. beards, sideburns, stubble growth, glasses etc); the medical fitness of the people needing to wear the equipment; the length of time the person will have to wear the equipment; how comfortable it is and whether people will wear it correctly for the required length of time; whether the job involves extensive movements, restrictions and/or obstruction which need to be overcome while doing the job. In some circumstances the use of compressed airline breathing apparatus (CABA) may be impractical or can introduce secondary hazards such as tripping or entanglement with the enclosure. The equipment may restrict mobility, making it difficult to work in restricted or heavily congested areas; the need to communicate verbally during working periods; and the effects of other personal protective equipment and other accessories on RPE (e.g. unmatched goggles may affect the face seal provided by the face mask; jewellery may interfere with the performance of the RPE).
Respirators will normally be selected from: a) half-mask (orinasal) and disposable filtering facepiece respirators; b) high efficiency full facepiece dust respirators; c) high efficiency positive pressure respirators and blouses; d) ventilated visor dust respirators. The capabilities of the respirators are shown in the following table, but it must be stressed that half-mask and disposable filtering face piece respirators are not approved for work with crocidolite or amosite produced by the removal of insulation or coatings
TYPE OF RESPIRATOR High efficiency positive pressure (full facepiece) High efficiency positive with blouse or suit
Half mask disposable filtering facepiece
High efficiency ventilating helmet
High efficiency fall facepiece
Crocidolite Maximum use concentration f/ml Amosite Chrysotile
2 2 3
20 20 3
180 180 270
500 500 750
2,000 2,800 3,000
Respiratory protective equipment must be maintained in good working order, and regularly examined and tested at suitable intervals by a competent person. Protective clothing The type of protective clothing provided will depend on the likely exposure and should be suitable for the job. As a general rule, employees need to be provided with protective clothing if a significant amount of asbestos dust is liable to get on their clothes. You should regard any deposit of dust which can be seen as significant. Disposable overalls are normally preferable to cotton type overalls as this removes the need for sending them to a
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laundry suitably equipped to handle clothing contaminated with asbestos. However, the final choice will depend on the assessment and the suitability of the protective clothing for the work. For example working outside in cold and wet conditions may require waterproof clothing. Contaminated clothing should be vacuumed using a Type H vacuum cleaner (BS 5415) and removed on leaving the work area for breaks and at the end of the work period. It should be stored separately from clean clothing. It must never be taken home for cleaning. Waterproof clothing needs to be sponged or wiped clean. Disposable overalls should be disposed of as asbestos waste at the end of each shift.
Hygiene facilities should, where practicable, be positioned close to the work area with an intervening space or tunnel constructed of polythene sheeting, connecting the hygiene facility with the stripping enclosure. Where it is impracticable, owing to limited space, restricted access or, multi-storey work, to site a purpose built unit close to the work area, then consideration may be given to constructing temporary facilities (to the same standard as purpose-built units) close to the work area. Where it is not possible to provide a purpose-built hygiene unit or temporary facilities attached to the work area, special facilities should be provided at the work area which will enable workers to partially decontaminate themselves before travelling to the main hygiene facility for full decontamination. Maintenance staff carrying out cleaning of the hygiene facility should wear protective clothing and RPE. Maintenance of hygiene facilities is essential if they are to provide an acceptable standard for the decontamination of workers who have been in asbestos contaminated areas. Arrangements should be made for the facilities to be cleaned at the end of each working day. Before a mobile facility is removed from site, it should be thoroughly decontaminated both inside and out. Checks should be made to assess that no damage has occurred while it has been in use, either to the structure of the facility or to the equipment inside. The area where the facility has been parked should, where possible, be thoroughly washed down to ensure that there is no residual asbestos waste.
Cleaning and hygiene facilities

Hygiene facilities are provided to enable people removing asbestos: a) to change from normal outdoor clothing into protective clothing and respiratory protective equipment (RPE) before entering the asbestos contaminated area; and b) to effectively decontaminate themselves when leaving the work area. The facilities should be purpose built and should be provided exclusively for the use of people who have been working in asbestos contaminated areas and not for other site operatives. The hygiene facility should comprise three separate compartments; a) a clean area, b) a shower area and c) a so called dirty area. The compartments should be physically separated and access between them should be through self-closing (either sliding or hinged) doors. The doors to the compartments should be clearly labelled to indicate which compartment they lead to. To prevent contaminated air entering the clean area, it is necessary to maintain an air-flow from the clean to the dirty area. In order to achieve this, an air extraction system should be provided in the dirty area which will draw air through the facility, filter it and discharge it outside It is important that all facilities are so constructed that asbestos dust does not accumulate in inaccessible places and that the facility can be easily and effectively cleaned. For example, the surfaces of all internal walls and ceilings should be impervious, e.g. melamine faced board or hard gloss paint. Floors should be totally covered with an impervious floor covering. The clean area should have fixed seating, provision for hanging and drying outdoor clothing and safe keeping for personal valuables. The separate shower compartment should be situated between the clean and dirty sections with self-closing doors on both sides of the compartment. The number of showers provided depends on the size of the facility and the number of people who will use it. A general ratio of one shower for each four people using the facility is a useful guide in most circumstances. The dirty area should have fixed seating and bags for contaminated clothing. A wash basin with hot and cold running water for activities such as scrubbing dirty hands should be provided either in the dirty area or the shower compartments. Plastic bags suitably marked to indicate that they contain asbestos contaminated waste should be provided to enable used filters to be stored prior to disposal. Any other waste in the dirty area should also be stored in suitably marked plastic bags.
Work carried out on asbestos not requiring a licence

Minor maintenance and repair A Licence is not required where: a) a person carries out work with asbestos insulation, asbestos coating or asbestos insulating board; and b) they will not spend more than a total of one hour on such work in a period of seven consecutive days, and the total time spent on such work by all the persons working on that work does not exceed two hours; and c) it relates to maintenance and repair. If the work includes the removal of the asbestos material, then a Licence will be required. Work with asbestos cement In construction work the greatest risk from asbestos cement is the risk of falling through asbestos cement roof sheets. Use crawling boards at all times on asbestos cement roofs. Light work with hand tools on asbestos cement which is in good condition should not be give rise to respirable fibre concentrations in excess of the control limit. Where, as a result of handling asbestos cement products, there is a risk that clothes will come into contact with the material, then disposable overalls should be worn. Overalls should be discarded upon completion of the operation and should be disposed of as asbestos waste. After people have handled asbestos cement products, they should thoroughly wash their hands before eating, drinking, smoking or carrying out any further work. No work should be done: a) on asbestos cement containing crocidolite; b) on asbestos cement which is brittle, or which has a powdery surface; c) with power tools;
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d) in demolition, or stripping out, where asbestos cement sheeting breaks during handling. unless it is carried out in accordance with the precautions for personal protection and decontamination outlined previously under Work carried out on asbestos requiring a licence Remote demolition of asbestos cement, with such measures as a demolition ball, should be undertaken as follows: a) the work should be carried out before the demolition of the rest of the structure; b) the material should be dropped onto a clean, hard surface; c) the material should be kept wet whenever possible; d) the waste and debris should be removed from site as soon as possible; e) persons involved in cleaning up and disposing of the debris should dress and decontaminate in accordance with the standards outlined previously. Cleaning of asbestos cement should be undertaken only where necessary and not for decorative purposes. Where the work is necessary, it should be carried out as follows: a) apply fungicidal solution or moss killer; b) after 24 hours, or other period specified by the manufacturer, use a low pressure hose to keep the sheets wet whilst employing a stiff broom to remove any moss and lichens. During this process the operative should wear disposable overalls and respiratory protective equipment; c) collect the sweepings and place them in asbestosmarked bags before they become dry. Overalls should be removed and placed in the bags which should be sealed and removed to await disposal. The respirator should be removed and either discarded or washed; d) where exposure is low, hands and faces should then be washed in the washroom. Otherwise separate washing and changing facilities should be provided.
information on the efficiency of the enclosure and will highlight any release of asbestos fibre); j) that the storage of the asbestos on site does not give rise to asbestos fibre release and that all asbestos is effectively removed from site double bagged and in suitable skips; k) that the works are overseen by a person with sufficient training and experience to ensure that the above requirements are complied with and to ensure that any other matters of good practice are implemented.
Supervision of asbestos removal contractors

Contractors who engage asbestos removal specialists have some responsibility to ensure that other people who use the site are not put at risk. To enable this duty to be effectively discharged, those letting the contract should take the necessary steps to ensure: a) that only asbestos removal contractors and laboratories with the necessary licence, experience and capabilities will be engaged; b) that a suitable plan / method statement has been supplied, outlining the method of work and any health and safety issues raised by the initial assessment; c) that facilities provided by the asbestos removal contractor are suitable and do not obstruct any access, etc. This applies particularly to the enclosure, the hygiene facility and air ducting, etc.; d) before work commences, that the enclosure within which the asbestos removal contractor is to work, will not permit any escape of asbestos fibre into the atmosphere. This will normally be achieved by witnessing the smoke test being carried out. You should insist that the enclosure includes a viewing panel ; e) that a maintenance / inspection schedule is in place for the enclosure and any air extraction equipment f) that asbestos does not escape into the atmosphere during the asbestos stripping operation; g) the adequacy of the personnel decontamination procedure, so that asbestos is not released from persons moving through the site; h) that the area being stripped is clean, both visually and with the supporting air sampling results; i) that the removal of the enclosure does not give rise to the release of asbestos fibre; (Air monitoring carried out around the enclosure once work starts will provide useful
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CHECKLIST FOR ASBESTOS REMOVAL METHOD STATEMENTS

Asbestos removal method statements should normally include the following so far as is relevant in the circumstances : Name and address of the asbestos removal contractor. Asbestos licence details i.e number and date of expiry. Name and address of the site to which the method statement relates. Names of the supervisor/foreman and appointed safety adviser and arrangements for monitoring the work. Type of work e.g. removal of roof sheets, insulation boarding or lagging. Type and quantity of asbestos and the results of any analysis. Probable duration of work. For work with asbestos insulation or coating, date of notification to HSE and, where relevant, confirmation of waiver of 14 days notice period. The controls to be applied to reduce exposure other than by PPE e.g. controlled wetting method. Details of expected exposures. Details of the steps to be taken to control the release of asbestos to the environment e.g. enclosure arrangements, negative pressure equipment, reassurance monitoring, clearance certificate on completion, etc. Location of decontamination unit. Arrangements for 240 volt power supply and clean water supply. Details of the equipment, including PPE, to be used for the protection and decontamination of those carrying out the work. Procedures for the removal of waste from the work area and the site. Procedure for disposal of contaminated water. Procedures for dealing with emergencies.
Note :This checklist is intended to aid the production and approval of method statements. It is not an exhaustive list of every possible issue that may need to be addressed for any given task. Refer to Section 1 for general information on method statements.
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REFERENCES
Legislation
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 The Control of Pollution Act 1974 The Special Waste Regulations 1996 The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987 The Control of Asbestos at Work (Amendment) Regulations 1992 The Control of Asbestos at Work (Amendment) Regulations 1998 The Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 The Asbestos (Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 1998 The Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations 1992 The Asbestos (Prohibitions) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 with asbestos insulation and coatings. Enclosures provided for work with asbestos insulation, coatings and insulating board. EH 57 The problems of asbestos removal at high temperatures. MS 13 Asbestos. HSE Guidance booklets: HS (G) 53 The selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment HS (G) 189/1 Controlled asbestos stripping techniques for work requiring a licence HS (G) 189/2 Working with asbestos cement L 11 A Guide to the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 MISC 155 Substitutes for chrysotile (white) asbestos HSE Leaflets: IND(G)187 Asbestos dust the hidden killer! Essential advice for building maintenance, repair and refurbishment workers IND (G) 188 Asbestos alert (pocket card) for building maintenance, repair and refurbishment workers. IND (G) 223 Managing asbestos in workplace buildings. IND (G) 255 (Rev 1) Asbestos dust kills keep your mask on IND (G) 288 Selection of suitable respiratory protective equipment for work with asbestos. IND (G) 289 Working with Asbestos in Buildings. EH 51 Asbestos in Buildings (DoE) Recommended guidelines for the encapsulation of asbestos based products (ARCA Advice Note No.10).
Approved Codes of Practice

L 27 L 28 The control of asbestos at work (third edition) Work with asbestos insulation, asbestos coating and asbestos insulating board (third edition).
British Standards
BS 5415 Industrial cleaning appliances.
Guidance
HSE Guidance Notes: EH 10 Asbestos exposure limits and measurements of airborne dust concentrations. EH 47 The provision, use and maintenance of hygiene facilities for work with asbestos insulation and coatings. EH 50 Training operatives and supervisors for work
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Construction Health and Safety

The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987

Summary of Approved Code of Practice

3. Duties under these Regulations

4. Identification of the type of asbestos

5. Assessment of work which exposes employees to asbestos

5A. Plans of work

Summary of Approved Code of Practice

The work carried out must follow the written plan.

6. Notification of work with asbestos

7. Information, instruction and training

8. Prevention of exposure to asbestos

9. Use of control measures, etc.

Summary of Approved Code of Practice

10. Maintenance of control measures, etc.

11. Provision and cleaning of protective clothing.

12 Duty to prevent or reduce the spread of asbestos

13 Cleanliness of premises and plant

Summary of Approved Code of Practice

14. Designated areas.

15. Air monitoring

15A. Compliance with EN 45001

16. Health records and medical surveillance

Summary of Approved Code of Practice

17. Washing and changing facilities

19. Supply of products containing asbestos for use at work

20. Exemption certificates

21. Extension outside Great Britain

Summary of Approved Code of Practice

21A. Defence in Proceedings for Contravention of these Regulations

22. Revocations and savings

Schedule 1 Particulars to be included in a notification.

The Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983

The Asbestos (Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 1998

4. Licences for work with asbestos insulation or asbestos coating

6. Certificate of medical examination

8. Extension of these Regulations outside Great Britain

Health hazards associated with asbestos

General uses of asbestos

Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994

Asbestos exposure limits

Information, instruction and training

Protective equipment and clothing

Half mask disposable filtering facepiece

High efficiency ventilating helmet

High efficiency fall facepiece

Crocidolite Maximum use concentration f/ml Amosite Chrysotile

180 180 270

500 500 750

2,000 2,800 3,000

Cleaning and hygiene facilities

Work carried out on asbestos not requiring a licence

Supervision of asbestos removal contractors

CHECKLIST FOR ASBESTOS REMOVAL METHOD STATEMENTS

Approved Codes of Practice

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