Page 37 - The City and Guilds Textbook: Plumbing Book 1 for the Level 3 Apprenticeship (9189), Level 2 Technical Certificate (8202) and Level 2 Diploma (6035)

Chapter 1 Health and safety practices and systems

Safe working practices when dealing with asbestos
The presence of asbestos alone does not necessarily mean there is a health risk.
Provided that the fibres are intact and are not disturbed the risk is relatively low.
However, once the fibres are loose and enter the atmosphere the risk increases
dramatically; the asbestos is inhaled into the lungs, which causes certain types
of lung disease.
Lung disease from exposure to asbestos can be divided into three main types:
1 Asbestosis: a process of widespread scarring of the lungs.
2 Disease of the lining of the lungs, called the pleura. This has a variety of
signs and symptoms and is the result of inflammation and the hardening
(calcification) and/or thickening of the lining tissue.
3 Mesothelioma: a rare form of lung cancer.
ACTIVITY
All of the commonly available commercial forms of asbestos have been linked
to cancerous and non-cancerous lung disease. Although asbestos is not used Visit the HSE’s page on the
in any new builds, continuing sources of exposure are asbestos removal and risks of asbestos at: www.
hse.gov.uk/asbestos/risk.
general construction industries. The delay between exposure to asbestos and htm
the development of cancer is generally 20 years or more.
Asbestos-containing materials should have been identified before work begins,
but there is always the risk that some may be hidden on-site and is not found
until work has started. If you think you have found asbestos, STOP WORK AT
ONCE and alert people that asbestos may be present. Asbestos is a difficult
substance to identify, so it is better to assume a material contains asbestos until
proven otherwise. Do not return to the site until it has been deemed safe to do so.
Do not start work if:

● you are not sure if there is asbestos where you are working
● the asbestos materials are sprayed coatings, board or insulation and lagging
on pipes and boilers; only licensed contractors should work on these
● you have not been trained on non-licensed asbestos work – basic awareness
is not enough.
You should continue only if:

● the work has been properly planned, the right precautions are in place and
you have the correct equipment
● the materials are asbestos cement, textured coatings and certain other
materials that do not need a licence; these are listed in HSE’s ‘Asbestos
essentials’ (see www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/essentials/)
● you have had training in asbestos work and know how to work with it safely.
If you work with asbestos:
● use hand tools and not power tools ACTIVITY
● keep materials damp, not too wet
● wear a properly fitted, suitable mask (e.g. disposable FFP3 type); an ordinary Watch the HSE video
about the risks of asbestos
dust mask will not be effective at: www.hse.gov.uk/
● don’t smoke, eat or drink in the work area asbestos/campaign/video.
● double-bag asbestos waste and label the bags properly htm
● clean up as you go and use a special (class H) vacuum cleaner, not a brush
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