Asbestos Awareness

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Asbestos A naturally occurring mineral that's composed of soft and flexible fibres. It was commonly used throughout history for it's resistance to heat, electricity and corrosion.¹

It was commonly used in commercial, industrial & residential settings up until the 1990s in Australia.² Image: Corrugated asbestos roof with fibre cement. Harold Weber / CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Working with asbestos can become a health risk because the small fibres can easily be released into the air and be breathed in. The fibres get lodged in the lungs.³ Image: Lungs of a 61-year-old working with asbestos for decades. Yale Rosen / CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Actinolite Asbestos Image: Didier Descouens / CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Amosite Asbestos Amosite fibres, embedded in a colouring liquid and exposed with a polarisation filter.

Anthophyllite Asbestos Image: Didier Descouens / CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Chrysotile Asbestos (White Asbestos) Image: Eurico Zimbres / CC BY-SA 2.5 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Crocidolite Asbestos (Blue Asbestos) Image: Raimond Spekking / CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Tremolite Asbestos Image: Didier Descouens / CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Historically it's been transformed into various products such as paper, plastic and even fabric. In this lesson we'll cover the common products used in industrial & construction setting. Image: Asbestos Products Ltd (Sydney) asbestos cement corrugated roofing for export, circa 1937

James Hardie & Co. Pty Ltd was global supplier based in Australia that manufactured asbestos containing products. An approximate year is also included to indicate when they stopped manufacturing these products with asbestos in it. Hardiflex (1981) Hardiplank (1981) Villaboard (1981) Versilux (1982) Harditherm (1984) Compressed (1984) Drain Pipe (1984) Super Six (1985) Highline (1985) Shadowline (1985) Coverline (1985) Pressure Pipe (1987) Roofing Accessories (1985)

What should you do if you think a material might contain asbestos?

If you can't tell if a material contains asbestos just from a visual examination, you can use online search for asbestos product databases to see if it matches visually. See the resources lesson for specific information for your country

Working Safely with Asbestos Once asbestos has been identified on the work site it's important to ensure all necessary precautions are taken to minimise the chances of exposure. Start by checking in with your local legislation about the proper signage required on site.

Disposable coveralls Must be labelled for use with Asbestos, and must have a hood and elasticised cuffs If in doubt, go one size bigger to prevent tearing when worn

Footwear ❌ No Boot or shoes with laces as these can't be decontaminated ✅ Gumboots can be easily wiped clean afterwards

Shoe covers Must cover the entire shoe, and be secured above the ankle After proper fitting the coverall legs must go over shoe covers

Gloves Only Latex, Nitrile or neoprene gloves are suitable Make sure it's securely tucked under your coveralls. Tape it up if it's loose

Mask At a minimum, a disposable P2 mask with a particulate respirator must be worn. Learn more about this in the following slide.

Protective eye-wear Tuck in your protective eye wear under your mask and then lastly, put the hood of your coveralls on

Ordinary single-strap dust masks do not provide enough protection

Twin-strap disposable P2 mask can be used but must be disposed of afterwards

Half face filter respirator is preferred but the cartridge must be decontaminated after each use.

Which of these should you wear when working with asbestos? The coveralls, P2 mask and gumboots form part of the uniform for working with asbestos. The laced boots shouldn't be worn because asbestos contaminates can easily be lodged within and it's hard to decontaminate.

Which of these should you wear when working with asbestos? The coveralls, P2 mask and gumboots form part of the uniform for working with asbestos. The laced boots shouldn't be worn because asbestos contaminates can easily be lodged within and it's hard to decontaminate.

Which of these should you wear when working with asbestos? The coveralls, P2 mask and gumboots form part of the uniform for working with asbestos. The laced boots shouldn't be worn because asbestos contaminates can easily be lodged within and it's hard to decontaminate.

Which of these should you wear when working with asbestos? The coveralls, P2 mask and gumboots form part of the uniform for working with asbestos. The laced boots shouldn't be worn because asbestos contaminates can easily be lodged within and it's hard to decontaminate.

Personal Decontaminating After a Job Follow these steps, to make sure you're disposing of PPE and cleaning materials properly: ❗After each step you should always double bag all items, seal it with duct tape and then label it as asbestos waste. Use wet wipes to wipe down any visible asbestos dust from your protective clothing Remove your shoe covers, gloves and coveralls Wipe down your shoes with wet wipes Wipe down the outside of the bags with wet wipes Remove your mask and seal in a double Remove old clothing Seal all plastic bags using duct tape and the double bag method Wash your hands, nails and head thoroughly with soapy water Take a shower and wash your hair

Preparing to work These rules apply to both outdoor and indoor spaces: Lay heavy duty plastic sheets (that are 200um thick) under the work area to catch any particles and to prevent it from contaminating the ground Move any furniture, play equipment, soft furnishings away from the work area Close all the surrounding doors, windows, air conditioner units, and central heating ducts, and seal vents to stop particles being dispersed Ask the neighbours to do the same Put signs and barricades up to keep non essential workers, household members, visitors and pets away

Handling or removing asbestos cement products Here are some other things to keep in mind when working with asbestos: Gently spray asbestos cement sheets with water to keep the dust down Don't use water blasters or scrub with a stiff broom or brush as it deteriorates the asbestos cement sheets Minimise damage to the asbestos containing product, by gently placing the product on the ground or in the skip. Immediately clean up the work area after the removal task is complete Double bag all asbestos containing materials, PPE and cleaning supplies used to decontaminate the area

A great resource for home renovators and tradies alike. They have many fact sheets and checklists available online for you to download. Click here

The Cancer Council has a downloadable fact sheet on the control measures you can take when working with asbestos. Click here

Australian Government Department of Health has sone interesting case studies about asbestos exposure. Click here

Always refer to the Safe Work Australia website for the most up to date information. Click here