Asbestos Risk Management Mark Sarton Sypol Ltd

1. Asbestos Risk ManagementMark SartonSypol Ltd

2. - Asbestos Facts- Control of Asbestos Regulations (2006)- Duty to Manage Asbestos- Asbestos Surveys- Managing Asbestos - Removing Asbestos

3. Asbestos Facts

4. Asbestos Facts • Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral • It belongs to the silicate family of minerals • Fibrous • Non-Fibrous Seven times stronger than steel Chemically resistant (acids, bases, peroxides) Does not conduct heat or electricity Good noise insulation properties

5. Asbestos Facts Two Familial Forms of Fibrous Asbestos Asbestos Serpentine Amphibole Chrysotile Amosite Crocidolite Anthophylite Tremolite Actinolite

6. Asbestos Facts Respirable Asbestos Fibres Since respirable fibres are so small, less than 5 micrometers in diameter, they are invisible to the naked eye They fall very slowly – a fibre released at the ceiling in a normal room will take about 10 hours to reach the floor Respirable asbestos fibres behave more like a gas and are difficult to control

7. Benign pleural plaques Calcification & Fibrosis Asbestosis Asbestos Facts Asbestos Health Hazards • Lung Cancer • Mesothelioma

8. Asbestos Facts Continuing Health Hazard Around 4000 people die each year from asbestos- related diseases This number has not yet reached a peak Working conditions are now much improved No one can be sure just how quickly the numbers are going to diminish

9. Asbestos Facts Is there Asbestos in my buildings? Asbestos was used extensively in buildings between the 1940’s and 1980’s (Construction and Refurbishment) Estimated 2 million premises contain ACMs Thousands of tons of ACMs still in place Crocidolite & Amosite use banned in 1985 Chrysotile use banned in 2000 (Not just buildings)

11. Typical Asbestos Locations in Buildings Roof Fire Doors Pipe insulation Ceiling tiles Wall Boards Service risers Flooring

12. Asbestos Facts Asbestos Containg Materials (ACMs) Some ACMs are more hazardous than others... How hazardous an ACM is depends on: How easily fibres are released from the material How much asbestos fibre is in the material The condition of the material

13. Asbestos Facts Asbestos Containg Materials (ACMs) How can asbestos be released into the air? If it is disturbed Coatings are brushed against or bumped Asbestos boards are cut, drilled, broken or damaged Asbestos ceiling tiles are cut, drilled, broken Asbestos cement is cut, drilled, broken Existing debris is disturbed

14. ACM Type Hazard Level Asbestos Facts Why? Relatively high asbestos content in a brittle / friable material Sprayed Asbestos / Asbestos Boarding in very poor condition Asbestos Insulation Boarding / Pipe lagging In good condition presents a low hazard but often deteriorates Cements and plastics don’t easily release the fibres Cements / plastics / bitumen

15. Control of Asbestos Regulations (2006)(CAR 2006)

16. CAR 2006 Historically… Regulations were brought in to reduce exposure for asbestos workers (Factory Acts) Attention then turned to those workers removing asbestos Now applied to all work including incidental exposure to asbestos Requires the prevention of exposure to asbestos Require a risk assessment

17. CAR 2006 Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 • Apply to all the asbestos minerals • An exercise in simplification • CAWR2002 • Prohibition Regulations • Licensing Regulations

18. CAR 2006 Main Emphasis Licensed work with asbestos coating, insulation materials and insulation boards Contractors who work with asbestos must have an HSE Licence Outlines certain exemptions for “Minor Works” Use of asbestos absolutely prohibited by the EU 2003 Asbestos Worker Protection Directive

19. CAR 2006 Minor Works – Regulation 3(2) “Work of Sporadic and Low intensity” Only the simplest of jobs Exposure below 0.6 f/ml over 10 mins Or: Short duration - one person carries out work for less than one hour in a seven-day period. (total time spent by all workers on the work not exceeding a total of two hours) All Other Jobs: HSE Licensed and Notifiable

20. CAR 2006 Risk Assessment & Plans of Work – Regulations 6 & 7 • Where any work with asbestos is planned a risk assessment must be carried out to determine • The type of asbestos • The likely level of exposure • The control measures needed • Written plan of work (method statement) that must be followed

21. CAR 2006 Licensing & Notification of Work - Regulations 8 & 9 Licenses limited to 3 years max HSE can shorten but not extend the licenses Exemption for work with asbestos on your own premises / with own employees is removed HSE / Local council notified 2 weeks in advance of commencement of work

22. CAR 2006 Information, Instruction, Training & Supervision – Regulation 10 • Large emphasis on asbestos training • Covers all levels Operative – Management • Training for licensable & non-licensable work • Competencies of those delivering training • Traceable certification valid for no more than 1 year

23. CAR 2006 Duty to Manage – Regulation 4 • Asbestos in the non-domestic premises • Consider likelihood of ACM presence • Identification, Assess Risk, Management Plan • Condition assessment; Policies / Procedures for work; Emergencies • Emphasis on Control through Awareness • Plan recorded & enforced

24. Duty to Manage Asbestos(CAR 2006, regulation 4)

25. Duty to Manage Asbestos The duty holder: • Owners of buildings • Occupiers of buildings • Facilities management companies • Those in charge of buildings

26. Duty holders will have to: Duty to Manage Asbestos • Find out if there is asbestos, how much and where • Presume unknown materials are ACMs • Make and keep a record of the location and condition of ACMs/presumed ACMs • Assess the risks from ACMs

27. Dutyholders will have to (cont): • Prepare a written management plan • Implement the plan • Provide information on the location and condition of the ACMs • Monitor and review the plan

28. Duty to Manage Asbestos Maintenance and building trades-people may have been exposed to asbestos when; They didn’t know that it was asbestos they were working on They had little or no information about asbestos The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 require those in charge of buildings to identify where asbestos is present and prevent exposure

29. Management Principles Who is at risk? Anybody who inhales airborne respirable asbestos fibres If fibres are not released, there is no disease risk

30. Managing Asbestos • Duty is to manage asbestos • It requires an assessment to be made • Not a duty to survey although a survey may be needed • Steps required are those that are ‘reasonable’ • Useful start: ask ‘What am I doing now to manage the risk?’ • Aim is to protect maintenance workers

31. Identifying Asbestos • Presume asbestos: - carry out own inspection? - engage others to undertake survey • Establish identity by sampling or; • Conclude it is not asbestos (requires strong evidence) or; • A combination of all the above

32. Developing a Management Plan Find out if asbestos is present, how much there is and in what condition

33. Developing a Management Plan Decide what type of inspection or survey needs to be carried out Depends on: • Use of the Building • Age of the Building • Refurbishment Plans

34. Asbestos Surveys HSG 264 Asbestos: The Survey Guide

35. Asbestos Survey HSG 264 gives guidance to those carrying out surveys and includes: • How to recognise and sample • How to assess their condition • Two types of survey • Management – presumptive with some sampling and risk assessment (a combination of the old Type 1 and 2) • Demolition - quantitative for demolition / refurbishment (Type 3)

36. Developing a Management Plan Decide who will carry out the inspection or survey • Consider training and competency issues • Asbestos survey companies who have United Kingdom Accreditation Scheme (UKAS) accreditation

37. Developing a Management Plan Make and keep a record of the location and condition of the ACMs/presumed ACMs

38. Developing a Management Plan Assessing the risks: the material assessment (NB Asbestos is only harmful if fibres are released into an area where they can be inhaled) The material assessment quantifies the hazard from the material, i.e. “how likely is airborne fibre release if disturbed?”

39. Developing a Management Plan Prepare a detailed written plan of how to manage the risk • If the ACM are in good condition leave them in place • If the ACMs are in poor condition or could be disturbed • Seal them • Encapsulate them • Remove them

40. Developing a Management Plan Prepare a detailed written plan of how to manage the risk If the ACM are to be left in place: • Regularly monitor their condition • Procedures for informing others of their presence • Permit to work system

41. Developing a Management Plan Prepare a detailed written plan of how to manage the risk • If the ACM are in good condition leave them in place • If the ACMs are in poor condition or could be disturbed • Seal them • Encapsulate them • Remove them

42. Developing a Management Plan Implementing the plan • An asbestos register in a form readily accessible to maintenance staff • Keep the asbestos register up to date

43. Asbestos Register • Asbestos Condition and Exposure Assessments • Materials conditions are scored using HSG 264 • The risk of exposure is scored using HSG 227 • The combined score allows comparison of materials and the relative risk. • This information forms part of an asbestos register along with photographic evidence and plans of the areas

44. Management Principles • Who is at Risk? • Plumbers • Electricians • Sky / Audio Visual Engineers • Cable Installation Engineers • Direct Maintenance Staff • Cleaning Staff • Tenants

45. Management Principles Information, Instruction and Training • Letters to Service Providers • Asbestos included in Contractors Induction • Access to Register • Software? • Hard Copy? • Labelling? • Direct Maintenance Staff

46. Management Principles Monitoring the condition of asbestos • Asbestos materials are assessed using a standard HSE scoring criteria • Removal is not usually the safest option • Depends on the risk of exposure and the materials condition. • Most ACMs are to be left in place and managed

47. Responsibilities Asbestos Condition and Exposure Assessments • The condition assessment will be recorded as part of your asbestos survey by the asbestos surveyor • The risk of exposure is scored using HSG227. You can ask for this to be completed as part of your survey BUT you must check the information as they are your responsibility • The combined score allows comparison of materials and the relative risk • This information forms part of an asbestos register along with photographic evidence and plans of the areas

48. Types ACM Condition Why? Sprayed Asbestos / Asbestos Boarding in poor condition (Score 10 -12) Relatively high asbestos content in a brittle material In good condition presents a low hazard but often deteriorates Asbestos Insulation Boarding / Pipe lagging (Score 5-9) Cements / plastics / bitumen (Score <4) Cements and plastics don’t easily release the fibres

49. Risk Level ACM Exposure Risk Why? (Not Exhaustive) Relatively high levels of activity / risk of damage / Large group of people potentially exposed Moderate risk of exposure through planned maintenance perhaps. Material is located under water pipes etc. In a locked, sealed area. Encapsulated. Restricted Access. Very low risk activities etc. etc. (walking on ACM Floor Tiles for e.g.

50. Monitor & Review Exposure Risks Over Time