The following Asbestos-information has been supplied by “union safe”

Hazards in the Workplace

Fact Sheet : Asbestos

These Fact Sheets will tell you what you need to know and what you need to do regarding asbestos in the workplace.

The Fact Sheet sets out the history of asbestos use, what it is, its health effects and the NSW law surrounding asbestos.

It also covers the exposure standard and the work of the NSW Dust Diseases Board and contains some useful references and Frequently Asked Questions regarding asbestos.

The Fact Sheet contains information on monitoring asbestos, exposure to asbestos, handling asbestos, personal protective equipment, an action plan for OHS Representatives and an asbestos removal checklist.

These Fact Sheets are recommended as a guide only and are not a substitute for professional or legal advice. If you need clarification or further advice please consult your Union for further information.

Asbestos – What You Need to Know

What Is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a silicate mineral mined from the earth in much the same way as any other mineral. The wide use of asbestos over thousands of years is due to its resistance to heat and chemicals.

Under NSW Legislation, material that contains asbestos is referred to as either friable or bonded. Below are definitions of these two forms and some examples.

Bonded Asbestos Material

Bonded asbestos material is any material that contains asbestos in a bonded matrix. It may consist of Portland cement or various resin/binders and cannot be crushed by hand when dry. Asbestos cement (AC) products and electrical metering boards in good condition are examples of bonded asbestos material.

A large number of products made from asbestos cement are still found in Australian buildings.

Friable Asbestos Material

Friable asbestos material is any material that contains asbestos and is in the form of a powder or can be crumbled, pulverised or reduced to powder by hand pressure when dry. Sprayed limpet, millboard, pipe and boiler lagging are examples of friable asbestos.

What Has Asbestos Been Used For?

Asbestos has been sprayed in buildings for acoustic (noise-proofing) and decorative purposes since the 1940’s. By the late 1950’s, it became virtually standard practice for all large multi-storey buildings, and many hospitals and schools, to have asbestos sprayed on their steel girders for fireproofing. As a result many workers and even children in schools can be at risk from exposure to asbestos insulation in buildings.

The main uses for asbestos were as:

• Insulation material such as pipe lagging
• Asbestos-cement fibro products
• Building insulation materials
• Sprayed on fire-proofing and decorative material

As the serious health effects of asbestos became apparent its widespread use in buildings has become an enormous problem.

For example, sprayed asbestos will deteriorate over time, and if uncontrolled will crumble and send fibres into the air where they could be breathed in by people in the surrounding area and even circulated around a building by air conditioning systems.

The demolition of buildings with asbestos insulation or lagging has the potential for the release of massive amounts of asbestos fibre unless stringent precautions are taken.

Where Is Asbestos Found?

Most asbestos went into buildings or ships as pipe and boiler lagging, fire insulations panels and asbestos cement sheets.

There are hundreds of other asbestos products and processes, including:

• Insulation
• Sprayed onto structures, fire blankets, gloves, pads, string, tape, paper, insulation board;
• Friction Materials – clutches, disc brake pads, brake linings;
• Reinforced Products – asbestos cement slabs, sheeting, pipes; floor tiles, composite board, roofing felt, underseals, paints, gaskets, washers, valve-packing.

Asbestos is likely to be in a building if:

• It was built or refurbished between 1950 and 1980 in particular;
• It also has a steel frame; and/or
• It has boilers with thermal insulation.

Types Of Asbestos

WHITE ASBESTOS (Chrysotile) – Fibres are curly and difficult to separate. They are white to grey in colour.

BROWN ASBESTOS (Amosite) – The type of asbestos found most often in sprayed insulation materials.

BLUE ASBESTOS (Crocidolite) – Encountered in maintenance and removal work. Its fibres are straight and coloured dark blue.

In Australia, asbestos has been in commercial use since 1920. State and Federal Governments have banned the importation and use of asbestos from January 1 2004.

However, significant quantities of both CHRYSOTILE and CROCIDOLITE (blue asbestos) remain in installations and exposure can still occur.

Health EffectsThere is no “safe” level of exposure to asbestos.

The more asbestos fibres you are exposed to, the greater the risk of getting asbestos related disease. This is why it is so important to prevent exposure in the first place.

Asbestos is known to be very toxic, especially following prolonged exposure. Breathing in very small fibres of asbestos causes the ill health effects of exposure to asbestos.

Diseases caused by asbestos are asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma and other cancers. Large numbers of Australian workers are still being diagnosed with asbestos related illnesses, many years after they were exposed. Many of these workers will die.

ASBESTOSIS – Progressive scarring (fibrosis) of the lung, leading to pain, breathlessness, and, eventually death. The first symptoms can appear 15 to 20 years after exposure. There is no known cure.

LUNG CANCER – Tumours of the bronchial tubes and lungs, occurring up to 25 to 30 years after first exposure, and normally fatal. The risk increases greatly in workers who smoke. The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions estimate that at least one in ten cases of lung cancer are caused by exposure to asbestos.

MESOTHELIOMA – Is a cancer of the lining of the chest (pleura) or of the abdomen (peritoneum). This tumour thickens the lining and may eventually totally enclose the lung. It is painful and invariably fatal.

OTHER CANCERS – Cancers of the larynx, stomach, large intestine and possibly of the ovary, breast, kidney and bone marrow.

Other indications of asbestos exposure are:

• Pleural plaques – patches of thickening of the lining of the chest wall and over the diaphragm;
• Pleural effusion – a collection of fluid within the chest but outside the lung.

Who Is Most At Risk?

The most serious risk is for workers involved in the removal of the asbestos itself, the demolition of buildings with asbestos in them, and maintenance or renovation work on the areas of a building containing asbestos.

By knowing what precautions are necessary when asbestos work is being done, workers can make sure that their health is not being threatened by exposure to deadly asbestos fibres.

Smoking And Asbestos

The health effects of asbestos strike at smokers and non-smokers alike, but cigarette smoking greatly increases the risk of death from lung cancer in people who are exposed to asbestos.

Workers exposed to asbestos are 10 times more likely to develop lung cancer than unexposed general population. In workers who smoke and have a high exposure to asbestos this risk of lung cancer can be up to 100 times.

What Does The Law Say About Asbestos?

In NSW the most important laws covering asbestos come under the NSW Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 and the NSW Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001.

Controllers of Premises’ Responsibilities

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001 there are responsibilities for controllers of premises. A controller of premises that contains asbestos or asbestos containing material must ensure that Risk Assessment and Control Measures are carried out.

The controller of premises is defined under Clause 33 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001 as a person who has control of premises used by people as a place of work. This includes a person who only has limited control of the premises and a person who has, under any contract or lease, an obligation to repair or maintain the premises.

Keeping A Register of Asbestos

A controller of premises must ensure that:

• A register, in which the type, condition and location of all asbestos and asbestos containing material in any workplace, is prepared, recorded and maintained. For example, if it is contaminated roof tiles or in the walls of a building a register must be kept of these details.
• Any action taken to control asbestos and asbestos containing material in the workplace or in plant at the workplace is to be recorded in the asbestos register. The register must be easily accessible to everyone in the workplace, including contractors and visitors (e.g. electricians, plumbers and others who may perform work in asbestos contaminated areas).
• The Register must also include details of assessment concerning the asbestos that took place before any work was carried out.
• If a contractor carried out the work rather than by an employee of the controller of premises then the name of the person who carried out the work and date on which the work was carried out must also be registered. For example, was the asbestos disturbed in any way and if so what measures were put in place to seal any potential exposure.

Employers’ Legal Requirements

Employers are required to identify, assess and control both stable asbestos and asbestos in processes. This involves requirements in the design of workplaces and plant, labelling, notifying WorkCover in certain circumstances, controlling the exposure, providing training, and consulting with employees and health and safety reps.

An employer must ensure that asbestos work is carried out within the legal requirements of the NSW OHS Legislation.

The National Code of Practice for the Safe Removal of Asbestos (National Occupational Health & Safety Council Australia, 1988) sets out theminimum industrial hygiene procedures to be used for the removal of asbestos insulation material such as lagging and sprayed asbestos.

There is another requirement under the clause 51 of the OHS Regulations 2001 that refers to atmospheric contaminants. This is the clause that has precedence (is more important than) the NOHSC guidelines.

Employers must ensure that employees and other persons contracted to carry out asbestos work are informed of the dangers involved and of any precautions that should be taken.

Employees must be provided with:

• Training
• Safe Work Method Statements
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Facilities to safely wash and remove PPE and clothing before they leave the workplace.

Employees are to be notified in writing if asbestos work is being carried out.

All persons must be warned, by the use of signs, labels or other similar measures, of the presence of asbestos or asbestos-containing material in a place at which work is being carried out around asbestos.

Employers must identify, and implement measures to prevent any disturbance of asbestos-containing material while work is being carried out.

For example, if asbestos is encapsulated, or sealed, the employer cannot allow any asbestos fibres to be released into the air – they must seal off the asbestos and areas where it exists.

An employer must ensure that procedures are in place for:

• The cleaning of premises at which asbestos work is carried out;
• The laundering and cleaning of personal protective equipment used for asbestos work;
• The containment of asbestos waste; and
• The disposal of asbestos and asbestos-containing material safely according to Environmental Protection Authority standards and guidelines (e.g. disposed of to a legitimate hazardous waste facility).

An employer must ensure that no asbestos-containing material, including asbestos cement, is reused in connection with the carrying out of construction work.

An employer must not use high-pressure hoses to clean the surface of asbestos-containing material, including asbestos cement or any structures that consist of or contain asbestos, during the carrying out of construction work.

Occupiers’ Legal Responsibilities

Occupiers also have requirements to identify, assess and control asbestos, in workplace design and to notify WorkCover.

Legal Responsibilities of Designers, Manufacturers, Importers And Suppliers

Designers, manufacturers, importers and suppliers have design and labelling requirements.

The Exposure Standard

Legally an employer must ensure that no person at a place of work is exposed to an airborne concentration of an atmospheric contaminant that exceeds or breaches a standard referred to in or determined under clause 51, subclause (2) of the OHS regulation 2001.

The Exposure Standard sets out the time weighted average fibre concentration in the air breathed by a worker. This is on the basis of the amount of exposure that an employee may be exposed to during an eight-hour working day, five-day working week. For example, the experts place a monitor on a worker to measure the average time that a worker is exposed to a substance.

The exposure standards are as follows:

• White Asbestos (chrysotile) 0.1 fibre per millilitre of air
• Blue Asbestos (crocidolite) 0.1 fibres per millilitre of air
• Brown Asbestos (armosite) 0.1 fibres per millilitre of air

Monitoring Asbestos Levels And Health

See the accompanying Fact Sheet Asbestos – What you Need To Do for information on monitoring asbestos levels.

Dust Diseases Board

The Dust Diseases Board is a NSW statutory authority established under the Workers’ Compensation (Dust Diseases) Act 1942.

Under the Act, the Dust Diseases Board is required to:

• Determine eligibility and award compensation to workers who are suffering from dust diseases such as mesothelioma, and dependants of deceased workers.
• Determine the classes of employment in any industry or process that expose workers to the risk of contracting a specified dust disease.
• Administer the Workers’ Compensation (Dust Diseases) Fund, the Dust Diseases Reserve Fund and pay all compensation, awards, research grants, fees, salaries and all other costs of administration of the Act including the operating expenses of the Dust Diseases Tribunal.
• Make an estimate each year of the amount of compensation to be paid to workers and dependants of deceased workers.
• Administer the trust funds held on behalf of the dependants of deceased workers.

The NSW Workers’ Compensation Dust Diseases Board can be contacted on (02) 8223 6600 or Toll Free on 1800 550 027

The Dust Diseases Board also operates the Occupational Respiratory Screening Service and the Mobile Respiratory Screening Service (Lung Bus) Tel: 1800 727 333

Frequently Asked Questions regarding Asbestos

What should you do if you have already worked with or been exposed to asbestos?

Make sure your employer, your doctor and your union have a record of your asbestos exposure, and if you get any of the asbestos diseases, contact your union for assistance in seeking compensation.

Asbestos diseases usually take many years to appear, so medical checks straight after exposure may detect nothing. Such checks will not cure asbestos diseases – they just help to identify some of them earlier. However, some workers may benefit from stopping further work with asbestos if disease is detected, and some ill-health can be helped by early detection. Regular medical check-ups must be according to the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission’s “Guidelines for Health Surveillance”. You must tell your doctor how you have been exposed to asbestos dust, where and for how long.

If you smoke, try to stop or cut down. Your risk of lung cancer begins to drop the day you stop smoking.

What Is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a mineral, which has been mined extensively and processed for many commercial applications throughout the world. It is commonly known in its various forms as blue asbestos (crocidolite), brown asbestos (amosite), or white asbestos (chrysotile).

The resistance of asbestos to fire and chemical breakdown and its fibrous structure are properties that have made it so useful in many products. We are familiar with its use in building material as asbestos cement sheeting, insulation and various fireproof fabrics. It has also gained entry into homes in other forms such as ironing blankets, simmering pads for the top of stoves and the contamination of talcum powder.

How Does Asbestos Get Into The Body?

Asbestos fibres can become airborne because they are very fine. Some of them are small enough to get through the smallest airways of the lung to end up in the air sacs where the oxygen gets into the blood.

Asbestos can also be swallowed.

Inhaled fibres are the cause of asbestos lung diseases. Also it is possible that swallowed fibres cause peritoneal (abdominal) mesothelioma.

Is All Asbestos Harmful?

All types of asbestos are unsafe for humans.

The three forms of commercial asbestos, which have been used in Australia, are all harmful. There is no amount of asbestos exposure low enough to be guaranteed 100 per cent free of health risk.

As well as causing several diseases affecting health, asbestos can also cause pleural plaques. These plaques usually are not associated with any ill effects but occasional individuals may have pain.

What diseases does asbestos cause?

It is known that asbestos causes the following diseases

• Benign related pleural disease
• Lung cancer
• Mesothelioma
• Asbestosis

None of these diseases can be spread to other people because they are not infectious.

What is benign asbestos related pleural disease (ARPD)?

ARPD usually begins with an inflammation of the pleura leading to fluid collecting in the space between the lung and the chest wall. This may be associated with some discomfort, but most usually it causes shortness of breath that may come on over days or weeks.

What treatment is available for benign asbestos related pleural disease (ARPD)?

Removal of the fluid is usually indicated and is followed by immediate relief of breathlessness. This is a small procedure done with local anaesthetic and it may need to be repeated if the fluid gathers again.

The fluid eventually stops coming back if nothing is done and the lung pleura may begin to thicken. This pleural thickening can be seen on x-ray of CT scan. Because the thickening of the pleura tends to squeeze the lung it may cause shortness of breath.

Further Information

Other Useful References

Workers Health Centre (phone 9749 7666)

Safe Work Australia (phone 132 447)

NSW WorkCover Authority (Publications Order Line 131 050)

Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia (Phone: 1800 006196)

See Also:

Asbestos: Code of Practice and Guidance Note (National Occupational Health and Safety Commission, 1988.)

“Asbestos Kills” – a publication from the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU)

This Fact Sheet is recommended as a guide only and is not a substitute for professional or legal advice. If you need clarification or further advice please consult your Union for further information.

Asbestos – What You Need To Do

The legal requirements regarding the removal or working with asbestos based products (e.g. roof tiles, lagging and wall insulation) are very stringent and MUST be followed.

Legal information covering asbestos is available in the ‘Asbestos – All You Need To Know’ Fact Sheet.

Employer’s Responsibilities

The employer must have a register of every incidence of asbestos occurring in the workplace.

Employers are required to identify, assess and control both stable asbestos and asbestos in work processes.

An employer must ensure that asbestos work is carried out within the legal requirements of the NSW OHS Legislation and the National Code of Practice for the Safe Removal of Asbestos (National Occupational Health & Safety Council Australia, 1988).

Employers must provide employees at risk of exposure with:

• Training and Information on where ALL asbestos products are to be found
• Safe Work Method Statements
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Facilities to safely wash and remove PPE and clothing before they leave the workplace. (See the Safe Handling of Asbestos section below.)

Employers must warn all persons, by the use of signs, labels or other similar measures, of the presence of asbestos or asbestos-containing material in a place at which work is being carried out.

Employers must identify, and implement measures to prevent any disturbance of asbestos-containing material while work is being carried out.

For example, if asbestos is encapsulated, or sealed, the employer cannot allow any asbestos fibres to be released into the air – they must seal off the asbestos and areas where it exists.

An employer must ensure that procedures are in place for:

• The cleaning of premises at which asbestos work is carried out;
• The laundering and cleaning of personal protective equipment used for asbestos work;
• The containment of asbestos waste; and
• The disposal of asbestos and asbestos-containing material safely according to Environmental Protection Authority standards and guidelines (e.g. disposed of to a legitimate hazardous waste facility).

An employer must ensure that no asbestos-containing material, including asbestos cement, is reused in connection with the carrying out of construction work.

An employer must not use high-pressure hoses to clean the surface of asbestos-containing material, including asbestos cement or any structures that consist of or contain asbestos, during the carrying out of construction work.

Employers must provide health surveillance for each employee who is exposed to a hazardous substance, including asbestos, if there is a risk to the health of the employee as a result of exposure.

An employer must provide biological monitoring for an employee if there is a reasonable likelihood that the employee could be exposed to levels of asbestos that could be a risk to health. For more information see ‘Monitoring’ below.

If it is suspected that employees have been exposed to asbestos the employer must ensure that:

• Records are kept of exposure;
• Provide ongoing medical examinations; and
• Provide ongoing health surveillance.

Controllers of Premises’ Responsibilities

A controller of premises that contains asbestos or asbestos containing material must ensure that Risk Assessment and Control Measures are carried out and that a Register is kept of all asbestos bearing material. For details on the keeping of an asbestos register refer to the section of Controllers of Premises’ in the Asbestos – What You Need To Know.

Action Plan For Health And Safety Representatives

• Keep the workforce informed at all times.
• Conduct an asbestos risk assessment
•  A register of asbestos should be kept by the controller of premises
• Make sure management identifies asbestos, develops an action plan to deal with it and stick to that plan.
• Assume that walls, ceilings and lagging contain asbestos unless certain they don’t
• Insist that all work with asbestos complies with the NSW Occupational Health And Safety Regulations 2001
• Make sure that any OHS Committee meeting minutes record all matters relating to asbestos issues, and that these records are kept in a safe area for future reference.

How do you check for levels of asbestos in the workplace?

Monitoring Asbestos Levels And Health

Your Union or the NSW Workers Health Centre (Phone (02) 9749 7666) can help conduct tests for asbestos exposure levels.

Workers Exposed to Asbestos

If you believe you have been exposed to asbestos contact your union and WorkCover immediately. Your union and WorkCover will conduct an investigation.

All employees potentially exposed to any risk must be removed from the area immediately.

The union will refer you to the appropriate health professionals to conduct a full health assessment of employees suspected of exposure to asbestos.

The employer is responsible for meeting the costs of all health surveillance.

The union will also refer you to the Dust Diseases Board. See the ‘Asbestos – What You Need To Know’ Fact Sheet for more information on the Dust Diseases Board.

What To Do About Asbestos

In Australia and overseas, there has been much discussion over what should be done about asbestos in buildings. There are basically four options:

Label it Leave the asbestos intact (but labelled) if it is in good condition, unlikely to be disturbed and unable to feed fibres into workers’ breathing zones.

Enclose it Enclose the asbestos so that disturbance of the asbestos material and entry into the enclosure is not possible.

Seal it Encapsulate (or deep seal) the asbestos, if it is in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed.

Remove it Remove the asbestos if its surface is damaged or crumbling, or it is likely to be disturbed, for example, by maintenance work.

Removal of asbestos obviously eliminates the hazard forever – provided it is done with the best control procedures, with competent removal experts, good supervision and a well-informed workforce. But often this is not the case in practice.

The National Code of Practice for the Safe Removal of Asbestos introduced strict licensing requirements and regulations for asbestos removal contractors.

There was an argument in favour of temporary sealing in the past, but now only electrical equipment can be temporarily sealed.

Easy Guide To Handling Asbestos

Removal, Treatment or Sealing Of Asbestos

Where significant amounts of asbestos dust may be present because asbestos has been broken to remove it from a confined area (e.g. ceiling of a room) disposable overalls and gloves should be worn.

Removed asbestos sheets should be disposed of in polyethylene sheeting, and wrapped and sealed into appropriate bundles for disposal.

Broken asbestos sheeting and associated wastes should be placed directly into disposal bins (skips) that have been lined with polyethylene sheeting or placed in heavy duty, 0.2 mm thick polyethylene plastic bags.

The bags should be no larger than 1200 mm by 900 mm. Bins and bags should be sealed for removal. To make handling and sealing easier, bags should only be partially filled.

Some simple procedures to ensure safety to all workers when removing asbestos products:

• When asbestos products are being removed, signs and barriers must be erected to warn of the danger and to prevent unauthorised people entering.
• All people in the asbestos removal area must wear disposable coveralls and a suitable half face respirator.
• Asbestos must be sprayed with a poly vinyl acetate (PVA) solution or kept wet with water during removal. Care must be taken on roofs because Asbestos Cement sheets are brittle and  slippery when wet.
• Non-powered hand tools or portable power tools incorporating dust suppression or dust extraction attachments designed to collect asbestos fibres must be used.
• Asbestos products must be removed with minimal breakage, and lowered to the ground, not dropped.
• Removed sheets are to be stacked on polythene sheeting, then wrapped and sealed into bundles for disposal, or placed directly into disposable bins that have been lined with polythene sheeting, and sealed for disposal.
• Asbestos sheets must not be left lying about the site where they may be further broken or crushed by machinery or site traffic.
• When removed asbestos sheets are being stacked, care must be taken not to skid one sheet over another, as this will result in the release of fibres.
• Roof gutters must be cleaned or sealed prior to their removal.
• Any asbestos visible residue remaining in the roof space or within the removal area is to be cleaned up, using an approved vacuum cleaner if necessary.
• All waste containing asbestos is to be kept wet, wrapped in polythene or otherwise sealed, and removed from the site as soon as practicable.
• Used disposable coveralls and masks are to be placed in bags for removal with other asbestos waste.

Safe Work Method Statements

If there is any potential exposure of employees, self-employed, workers or members of the public to asbestos fibres, employers should ensure appropriate respiratory protection is available.

Airborne asbestos fibre contamination should be minimised by observing correct work practices.

The employer should ensure that people involved in the removal or treatment of asbestos-cement sheeting undertake safety training and familiarisation with the proposed work before commencing.

All employees involved in the removal of asbestos cement sheeting must follow the recommended safe work method procedures, which must be developed by the employer including contractors and any other personnel involved.

Disposal Of Asbestos Material

Collection and Storage

All waste containing asbestos must be:

• Kept damp (you must prevent excess runoff water
• Collected, labelled and sealed using recommended plastic or leak proof containers
• Stored in labelled lined bins or a leak proof container, and covered
• Stored in a secure area
• Removed from the site as soon as practicable and/or
• Collected and stored in a manner approved by the EPA or an appropriate disposal authority.

Note: EPA legislation requires friable asbestos waste to be collected into plastic bags.

Transportation

All asbestos waste must be transported:

• In a covered leak-proof vehicle and/or
• In a manner approved by the EPA.

Note: only vehicles licensed by the EPA can transport friable asbestos waste.

Disposal

• Asbestos waste in any form must be disposed of in a manner – and at a site – approved by the EPA or an appropriate disposal authority.
• Vehicles and their containers must be cleaned before leaving the landfill site.
• Contact the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and local council for transport requirements of asbestos waste and approved waste facilities. Most local councils and WorkCover NSW require tipping receipts for proof of proper disposal.

Personal Protective Equipment

In undertaking the removal or treatment of asbestos-cement sheeting the appropriate personal protective equipment should be worn.

Personal Protective Equipment Should Never Be Removed From A Site Where Asbestos Exists

All personal protective respiratory equipment (RPE) should be of an approved type.

For example, respiratory protective devices manufactured to the standard AS/NZS 1716.

Check that all respiratory protective devices meet this standard.

Respiratory Protection

There is a wide range of respiratory protection available for airborne asbestos dust.

In general, the nature of the asbestos work and the probable maximum concentrations of asbestos dust that would be encountered in this work determine the selection of a particular respirator.

The proper fitting of respiratory protective equipment requires the use of some type of “fit” test to determine an adequate match between the face piece of the respirator and face of the wearer.

The personal characteristics of the wearer will affect the facial fit of the respirator, especially the amount of facial hair, or whether glasses are worn. The supplier of the respiratory protective equipment should be consulted for further advice.

Types Of Respirator

The following list provides, in approximate order of increasing efficiency, an indication of some respirators that may be used for protection against asbestos dust.

• Disposable, half-face particulate respirators
• Half-face, particulate filter (cartridge) respirator
• Powered, air-purifying, ventilated helmet or hood respirator
• Full-face, particulate filter (cartridge) respirator
• Full-face powered air-purifying particulate respirator
• Full-face, positive pressure demand airline respirator
• Full suit or hood, continuous flow, airline respirator.

Protective Coveralls

Disposable fibre proof coveralls should be used over other clothing. If coveralls are not disposable, then the employer is responsible for laundering contaminated clothing. Coveralls with Velcro type seals are not suitable for asbestos work

Wear old clothes beneath your coveralls. When you have finished work put disposable coveralls into a rubbish bag and seal it. Do this before you remove your mask. Don’t allow anyone else to touch the coveralls. If not using disposable coveralls ensure that any laundry container for non-disposable coveralls is firmly sealed. Use of non-disposable coveralls is not recommended.

Never sweep up. Always use a vacuum cleaner that has an internal sealed and removable bag. Put the vacuum bag carefully into a rubbish bag and seal it. Keep your mask on while you do this.

Put any discarded material in a strong rubbish bag and seal it. Only then remove your mask and disposable coveralls and seal them in the rubbish bag.

Shower thoroughly immediately after finishing work, on site so as not to carry fibres home to your friends and family.

Asbestos Removal Checklist

• Before Asbestos work commences is there adequate warning signage of the dangers and appropriate equipment to be used if entering the work site?
• Is all equipment used for the removal of asbestos material inspected before commencement?
• Is personal protective equipment including coveralls and a suitable respirator used? (Coveralls with Velcro type seals are not suitable for asbestos work)
• Are there any tools being used on Asbestos i.e., abrasive cutters and sanders, are these generating dust?
• If the answer to the above question is YES, are hand tools rather than power tools being used?
• Are wet methods used to dampen down material?
• Are suitable vacuum attachments fitted with High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters to reduce the release of dust?
• Are all work procedures devised to minimise the release of dust and fibres?
• Is waste disposed of and dust collected in plastic bags, which are clearly labelled asbestos waste?
• Are drop sheets used to collect debris, with precautions taken to prevent slip and trip hazards?
• Is asbestos waste transported in a covered leak-proof vehicle and/ in a manner approved by the EPA?
• Is asbestos waste disposed of in a manner and at a site that is approved by the EPA or an appropriate disposal authority?
• Are licensed professionals conducting the asbestos removal work?
• Are masks used during asbestos removal approved to Australian Standard AS1715 to protect against asbestos?
• When you have finished work have you showered thoroughly immediately after finishing work and ensured that any Protective masks and coveralls have been disposed of securely in plastic PVC bags?

Further Information

This Fact Sheet is recommended as a guide only and is not a substitute for professional or legal advice. If you need clarification or further asbestos information please consult your Union for further information.