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Understanding Your Client’s Evidence asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products

Understanding Your Client’s Evidence asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products. John Raper Consultant Forensic Scientist. SARAG – South Yorkshire Asbestos Victim Support Group WORKING FOR ASBESTOS VICTIMS ACROSS SOUTH YORKSHIRE AND NORTH NOTTS.

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Understanding Your Client’s Evidence asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products

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  1. Understanding Your Client’s Evidenceasbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products John Raper Consultant Forensic Scientist SARAG – South Yorkshire Asbestos Victim Support Group WORKING FOR ASBESTOS VICTIMS ACROSS SOUTH YORKSHIRE AND NORTH NOTTS

  2. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products • Aims • Understanding your client’s evidence • Principal uses of asbestos-containing materials • Evidence relating to exposure to asbestos • Exposure dose calculations • Asbestos v asbestos-free products • Approach • Regulatory controls • Some examples

  3. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products • Principal uses of asbestos-containing materials include: • Thermal insulation (lagging) • Sprayed Coatings (e.g. limpet) • Asbestos insulation board (AIB) • Asbestos cement (AC) • Friction materials (e.g. brakes and clutches)

  4. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products • Thermal insulation (lagging) • 15 – 100% asbestos • Used up to the late 1960s / early 1970s • All types of asbestos used • Mixed on site / pre-formed • Also includes rope, string, yarn, mattresses and blankets Image source – HSE

  5. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products • Sprayed Coatings • Up to 85% asbestos • Usually crocidolite (up to 1970) • Amosite and chrysotile up to the cessation of use in 1974 Image source – HSE

  6. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products • Asbestos Insulation Board (AIB) • 16 – 40% asbestos (mainly amosite) • Used from 1950s to circa 1980 • Numerous construction uses • Fire protection • Heat resistance • Partitions • Some ceiling tiles • General building board Image source – HSE

  7. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products • Asbestos Cement (AC) • 10 - 15% asbestos (chrysotile) • Early 20thCentury to 1990s • Numerous construction uses • Corrugated and flat sheets • Moulded products Image source – HSE

  8. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products • Friction products • Up to 50% asbestos (chrysotile) (as supplied) • Majority converted to fosterite • Use up to the mid-1980s • Brake and clutch linings Image source – HSE

  9. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products • Other products include (but not limited to): • Millboard • Fire blankets, gloves, protective clothing • Flooring materials • Textured coatings

  10. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products • Evidence: • “I keep six honest serving-men(They taught me all I knew);Their names are What and Why and WhenAnd How and Where and Who.” • Rudyard Kipling – The Elephant’s Child (Just So Stories)

  11. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products • Evidence: • Industry • Nature of the exposure • Application of control measures • Elimination • Engineering controls • Segregation • Clearing up – vacuums, wet methods • Ventilation control measures • Respiratory Protective Equipment • Information / Instruction / Training / Supervision

  12. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products • Dose Calculation • Nature of the exposure • Duration – hours per day • Calculated estimate of the 8-hour Time Weighted Average (TWA) exposure • Extent of exposure – years • Asbestos dose – fibres / ml years

  13. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products • Why consider if exposure was to an asbestos-free alternative? • Regulatory controls • Industry / voluntary bans • Industries / situations where asbestos was not commonly used • Considering the actions the Defendant should have taken

  14. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products • The Asbestos Industry Regulations 1931 • The Asbestos Regulations 1969

  15. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products • Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations 1985 • ban on importation, use in manufacture and marketing of crocidolite (blue) and amosite (brown) asbestos • Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations 1992 • ban on importation , supply and use of all amphibole asbestos • prohibit supply and use of certain products containing chrysotile (white) asbestos • Asbestos (Prohibitions) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 • ban on importation , supply and use of all chrysotile asbestos • ban on trade in second hand products • some minor exemptions

  16. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products • Alternatives - Some References • Engineering Equipment Users Association (Handbook No.33) (1969) – Appendix III • Some industry, trade and independent research reports (1970s) • Selected written evidence submitted to the Advisory Committee on Asbestos 1976-1977 • Alternatives to asbestos products: A review (HSE) (1986)

  17. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products • Engineering Equipment Users Association (Handbook No.33) (1969) – Appendix III • Lists commonly available alternatives • Notes alternatives not equivalent in all respects • No alternative? Consider treated asbestos products • Alternatives often more expensive • Notes poor heat + steam resistance of glass and rock wool

  18. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products • Industry-specific documentation (1960s and 70s) • Industry never advocated wholesale removal of installed asbestos • Alternatives evaluated and specified for new work

  19. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products • Trade publications (1970s) • Tended to focus on the uses and attributes of asbestos (maintain the status quo) • Alternatives to most asbestos-containing materials • Costs • Lack of adaptability inherent with the alternatives • very high stock inventories • safety critical failings

  20. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products • Independent Research (1970s) • Many (not all) applications can utilise alternatives • “substitution on health grounds often involves a penalty in cost and performance” • Caution on possible unidentified health hazards from the alternatives • Recognises that some residual use of asbestos will be necessary • Even if banned, legacy of existing installation will necessitate education and strict enforcement

  21. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products • Selected written evidence submitted to the Advisory Committee on Asbestos 1976-1977 • Submissions from many manufacturers of asbestos products • Some manufacturers identified research into alternatives • Alternatives identified due to a perceived “shortage of supply” of raw materials

  22. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products • Alternatives to asbestos products: A review (HSE, 1986) • Independent review • Performance data only – health risks of alternatives not considered • Technical feasibility of replacing asbestos • Thermal insulation and dry packings • Textiles for heat and flame protection • Millboard • Electrical insulation • Friction materials • Bearings • Reinforced plastic composites • Building materials • Others • List of suppliers

  23. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products • Claimant’s description of asbestos exposure is unlikely when describing the useof asbestos after: • 1970 use of crocidolite • 1974 sprayed asbestos dispersions • early 1980s use of AIB in construction • 1988 decorative textured coatings in construction • Some suppliers already voluntarily removed asbestos content • 1999 use of asbestos products in the UK • Of course this doesn’t exclude exposure from disturbance of existing asbestos-containing materials

  24. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products • General points on substitutes • Commonly available from 1960s • Early to mid-1970s – trade associations still promoting ACMs • Keen to point out costs of substitutes were higher than ACM • Independent assessment was rare • Focus upon the performance of the substitute – not the health risks from that substitute • No universal replacement – would likely have the same health hazard • Majority of substitutes suggested were glass or ceramic fibre

  25. Understanding Your Client’s Evidence:asbestos products v asbestos-free substitute products John Raper Consultant Forensic Scientist Pragma Asbestos Ltd 2 Beacon Walk Gringley on the Hill Doncaster DN10 4TD johnraper@pragmaconsulting.net www.pragmaconsulting.net (01777) 816506

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