Prohibited Activities with Asbestos
Asbestos has been banned from being used in several countries. Several laws and legislations have come into effect considering the deleterious effects of the naturally occurring material. These rules or laws and legislations revolve around the safety of the workforce and their families. Hence certain activities have been prohibited while dealing with asbestos.
Men engaged at place of work must ensure that they do not damage or disturb any asbestos containing materials. There are instructed not to drill holes or saw asbestos containing materials like hard board panels and floor tiles. Hanging pictures or plants on asbestos material is strongly discouraged. Workforce is prohibited from damaging asbestos related material under any circumstances. Odd as it may seem, installing curtains and drapes, moving furniture, or any activity that may lead to asbestos damage is strictly prohibited.
Workers must actively refrain from dusting of floors, ceilings, molding or other surfaces in an environment where asbestos might be present in powder form. Use of dry brush or broom is strongly prohibited in such areas. Also, use of ordinary vacuum cleaners to clean up asbestos containing debris is a complete no. Ordinary vacuum cleaner filters can not effectively filter the asbestos fibers and they pass through them. Vacuum cleaners with special filters certified by the HEPA must be used if required. In places of operation where asbestos fibers might be present, it is prohibited to remove or and shake ventilation system filters in dry state. In fact any form of activity or work that could cause dispersal of asbestos fibers in the air is strictly prohibited at places of work. However, if there is a possibility of asbestos particles being airborne or getting disturbed by any sort of work on them, qualified contractors must be considered for work.
The following instructions must be followed while handling asbestos containing floor material.
- Prohibition of sanding or sawing of asbestos containing floor material.
- Stripping of finishes to be done with low abrasion pads using wet methods. The speed must be lower than 300 rpm.
- Burnishing or dry buffing must be performed to the extent of not wearing off the finish to reveal or corrode the asbestos containing material.
The new laws and legislations prohibit simultaneous demolition and asbestos removal. Since demolition activities increase the risks of fire, simultaneous asbestos removal activities in the same building are being prohibited. Asbestos containment limits access to all areas within the building when removal and demolition are happening at the same time. Fire fighters seem to experience difficulty in accessing every desirable part easily.
In metropolitans the increasing number of buildings poses a serious problem. Due to this high rate of density of development, nowadays buildings are being dismantled floor by floor instead of a controlled demolition that can take the entire building down. Whatever the method maybe, immense care must be exercised while collecting and containing asbestos fibers.
New permit programs are being established for a number of objectives such as asbestos abatement activities and prohibition of smoking in any building part where asbestos abatement is being done. The focus is also on enhanced asbestos cleanup safeguards. Moreover, a permit program has also being established where the Department of Environmental Protection guides environmental contractors on safety regulations and maintenance of entrances and exits at cleaning sites.