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AIR > Details Asbestos may be found in cement pipe, cement sheets, insulation, textured wall surfaces, sealants, resilient floor coverings (namely linoleum flooring and vinyl asbestos tile), roofing tiles, gaskets, certain adhesives and electrical equipment. Both the Environment Agency and HSE are responsible for regulating environmental exposure and for protecting construction workers from asbestos. HSE is responsible for the health and safety of workers who may be exposed to asbestos in connection with their jobs. The EA is responsible for developing and enforcing regulations necessary to protect the general public from exposure to airborne contaminants that are known to be hazardous to human health. In addition to the complete regulation citations referenced below each topic area, you should check the air-quality regulations for your specific state to determine whether it applies to your facility. Standards for Demolition and Renovation People working in demolition, construction, and building maintenance are at particular risk of exposure to asbestos. Before you begin work on an existing building, any asbestos containing material should have been identified. Check with the Project Manager that this work has been carried out. All work (with a few exceptions) with asbestos insulation, asbestos coatings and asbestos insulating board must be carried out by contractors who have a licence issued by the Health and Safety Executive. For works with other forms of asbestos, employers must prevent the exposure of employees to asbestos or, where this is not practicable, reduce exposure to a level which is as low as possible. If once you start work you come into contact with any materials
that you suspect contain asbestos (including any hidden materials
or dust), stop work immediately. Identifying asbestos will require
tests on the suspect material at a specialist laboratory. Do not
break or damage any material that may contain asbestos to try and
identify it. Only suitably trained people should take samples. You
should ask the person or organisation taking samples of the suspect
material for evidence of their training and work experience in dealing
with asbestos, for the method by which they will undertake the survey
and for evidence that they have suitable liability insurance. Requirements for Removal and Disposal of Asbestos Asbestos is classed as a carcinogen (cancer causing material). Materials containing it or likely to be contaminated with it must be disposed of as 'Hazardous Waste. This will include overalls, over-shoes, sampling wastes and respiratory protection equipment that have come into contact with asbestos. Asbestos contaminated soil has resulted from mixing soil with demolition rubble, poor housekeeping at industrial sites and poor waste disposal practices in the past. If the soil that you are working with contains more than 0.1% asbestos, it is considered Hazardous Waste. Any materials containing asbestos that could become airborne should, where possible, be kept damp. Any material containing asbestos should be disposed of in covered
skips or should be double bagged. In either case, the material must
be clearly labelled. Contractors who specialise in removing asbestos
will use red, thick plastic sacks with asbestos warnings printed
on the outside for disposing of asbestos contaminated materials.
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