ASBESTOS REMOVAL & PERSONAL SAFETY
When removing and disposing of small quantities of asbestos containing material the following precautions should be taken when:
1. When carrying out the works, you should wear a disposable boiler suit, safety spectacles/goggles, a disposable facemask and gloves. These are available from DIY stores and you should dispose of the boiler suit, mask and gloves on completion of the work.
2. The material should not be broken, smashed or cut. It should be, wherever possible, removed whole by removing or cutting away fixings. If they need to be cut, a powered circular saw or jigsaw should not be used. Sheets can be cut by scoring with a steel point and snapping over a straight edge. The line of cuts should be soaked with water to reduce any tendency to produce airborne dust. Working dust must be damp swept into a plastic bag which is then sealed for disposal.
3. A plastic sheet should be laid below the area being worked in. This will collect any dust spillage and when work is completed, carefully folded up with the dust inside. After folding, the package should be taped up to prevent it falling open. If it is not practicable, the working dust must be cleaned up. In any event, the area should be cleaned up when the plastic sheet has been removed. Use a vacuum cleaner correctly filtered for asbestos (these can be hired) or, if there is only a small amount, damp down the dust and sweep carefully into a plastic bag. Do not use an ordinary vacuum cleaner as it will not have the correct filter for asbestos and will suck in all the dust at one end and blow out fine asbestos dust at the other.
4. If sheets are of a suitable size, they should be placed into a plastic bag strong enough not to be split by the waste and the bag sealed. This should then be placed inside a further bag and similarly sealed. Small amounts of asbestos waste can be disposed of at Amersham Household Waste Site and other sites. You will need a permit issued for free by Buckinghamshire County Council who manages these sites. You should call 01296 387828 for more information. The maximum amount of asbestos accepted is 3 normal sized bin-liner bags or 4 sheets of approx 3ft by 8ft. This material needs to be carefully wrapped (e.g. polythene) bags sealed with tape so that no dust can escape. If you have more than this please contact a private waste contractor who is registered to handle asbestos. You can find these specialists by looking for them in Business Pages (e.g. Yellow Pages, BT business pages, Thomson Local etc) or by contacting members of the Asbestos Removal Contractors Association www.arca.org.uk