Asbestos awareness for Craftsman Presented by Bob Miller & Andrew Knight

What do you know about asbestos? Outline four things you know about asbestos.

What could be asbestos here?

What is asbestos? Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral which has been in use for over 2,000 years.

What is asbestos? There are three common types of asbestos Chrysotile (‘white asbestos’) Amosite (‘brown asbestos’) Crocidolite (‘blue asbestos’)

Useful properties Fireproofing Insulation Weather resistance

Typical applications Gaskets Fire blankets Ropes Asbestos Insulation board (AIB) Pipes & tanks Floor tiles Textured coatings (‘Artex’) Resin composite

Asbestos legislation The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002 requires that University of Brighton manages asbestos and prevents exposure to persons

Why worry about asbestos? Asbestos is only a problem when it is disturbed or in poor condition Greatest risk to maintenance operatives is accidental disturbance

Why worry about asbestos? It can be hazardous when breathed in When an unplanned disturbance occurs microscopic fibres are release into the air These fibres lodge in the lungs and they cannot be expelled

Why worry about asbestos? Any fibres lodged in lung tissue can lead to asbestosis lung cancer mesothelioma

Asbestosis Usually applies to heavy and regular exposure It is incurable Restricts the lung function Increased risk of lung cancer

Lung Cancer Smoking multiplies risk A smoker is 15 times more likely to suffer from lung cancer A smoking asbestos worker is 75 times more likely to suffer with lung cancer

Mesothelioma Caused by all kinds of particle exposure but particularly blue Is a form of cancer Exposure level unknown but is low

Mesothelioma Is incurable and painful Can develop anytime between years from the exposure Deaths from it are estimated to peak at 2500 every year between the years 2011 and 2015

Mesothelioma symptoms Chest pain and pain in the lower back Difficulty breathing Coughing Weight loss Fever Muscle weakness and sensory loss Swelling of the face and arms Hoarseness Coughing up blood

Why is the exposure to asbestos still a problem in buildings? From the 1950s until the 1980s asbestos was used extensively in the UK This use continued until 1999 Thousands of tonnes of asbestos still in buildings You are likely to find it in any building constructed before the year 2000

Where are we likely to find asbestos?

Examples of asbestos in buildings The panels beneath the glazing are chrysotile (‘white’) asbestos

Examples of asbestos in buildings Both ceilings are asbestos Note the new panel which is not asbestos Crocidolite (‘blue’)Amosite (‘brown’)

Examples of asbestos in buildings Note the damage to asbestos ceiling

Examples of asbestos in buildings Asbestos cement

Examples of asbestos in buildings Asbestos cement (flue infill)

Examples of asbestos in buildings Asbestos insulating board

Examples of asbestos in buildings Sprayed asbestos

Examples of asbestos in buildings Asbestos textiles

Examples of asbestos in buildings Asbestos lagging

Examples of asbestos in buildings Stair nosing

Examples of asbestos in buildings Asbestos rope

Discovering suspect materials If it is not in the asbestos register, and you feel it may be asbestos - assume it is! Ceiling tiles were removed at this location because they were asbestos, this revealed asbestos shown in photo

Suspect material awareness Be careful, as other asbestos containing materials are not obvious

Typical examples of suspect materials Amosite not Asbestos

chrysotile not asbestos Typical examples of suspect materials

chrysotile not asbestos Typical examples of suspect materials

Is this artex asbestos?

Asbestos check procedure before starting work When you receive any work requests, you must consider whether the work involved may disturb any of the adjoining building materials, which could contain asbestos. If you feel there is any risk then you must check the asbestos register prior to commencing work.

Asbestos check procedure before starting work University of Brighton maintenance operatives are not permitted to work with asbestos. Only contractors licensed by Health and Safety Executive are permitted to undertake work with asbestos, under controlled conditions.

Asbestos check procedure before starting work DO NOT ASSUME that asbestos is not present. If you have concerns – Ask STO / Asbestos Co-ordinator / Maintenance Manager

Emergency procedure If anyone suspects that asbestos has been disturbed then the following steps should be taken IMMEDIATELY: Stop work Evacuate the area, without causing alarm Secure the area Contact STO and/or Asbestos Co-ordinator Do not re-enter the work area

How to find the asbestos register The asbestos register is found on the University intranet at

Asbestos Co-ordinator Andrew Knight is the University Asbestos Co-ordinator Contact for general advice on using the asbestos register dealing with suspicious materials reporting incidents

How to use the asbestos register Practical demonstration + handout

What could be asbestos here?

Substitution of asbestos materials When you have replaced a section only of AIB with a non-asbestos equivalent, could this item be useful in obtaining future access? i.e. a single tile in an asbestos ceiling? See example – this section of ceiling was replaced to enable safe access to the fitting. How can we identify the non-asbestos material when the ceiling is painted?

Procedure to label materials that are not asbestos There are two instances where we may wish to label non-asbestos material 1 – Where only a small part of a component is replaced, as previous slide; and 2 – Where an item is clearly suspicious, but has been tested and confirmed to be non- asbestos, but may raise further concerns in the future.

Procedure to label materials that are not asbestos Green discs are available from your STO, these are used to label materials that are non-asbestos. These should be screw fixed in place and adhesive labels should be avoided.

Substitute material selection Look carefully to identify what the original material was put in to do The non asbestos substitute MUST be able to do the same thing Extreme care must be taken to ensure that this is done i.e. replacing asbestos fire stopping with a non-fire resistant material

Assessment Course assessment