HEALTH & SAFETY NOTICE
OBUHSN-35 ISSUE 05 December 2012
ASBESTOS
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION Page 35.2
TYPES OF ASBESTOS Page 35.2
NATURE OF RISK Page 35.2
ACQUISISION OF ASBESTOS Page 35.3
LIKLEY LOCATIONS FOR ASBESTOS Page 35.3
TRAINING Page 35.3
MANAGEMENT OF ASBESTOS Page 35.3
LICENSED AND UNLICENSED WORK Page 35.5
CONTROL LEVELS Page 35.6
ASBESTOS IN EQUIMENT AND MACHINES Page 35.7
MANAGEMENT OF SERVICE DUCTS Page 35.7
ACCIDENTAL DAMAGE OF ACM Page 35.7
DISPOSAL OF ASBESTOS Page 35.8
ASBESTOS
INTRODUCTION
1. The Control of Asbestos Regulations places upon premises holders duties to prevent, or control to the lowest possible level, exposure to asbestos fibres.
2. This Oxford Brookes University Health and Safety Notice is intended to implement these regulations, the amendments to the regulations and any guidance that has been issued by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Nothing in this Health and Safety Notice should be read as contradicting any requirement or provision of the regulations or supporting documentation.
3. This Health and Safety Notice should be read and understood by all appropriate employees of Oxford Brookes University. Where appropriate it should be read in conjunction with the Estates and Facilities Management policy document'Management and Control of Asbestos - Policy and Procedures’
4. This Health and Safety Notice will detail procedures to be adopted for dealing with the asbestos contained within Oxford Brookes University sites, and is intended to reduce to a negligible level the risk associated with exposure to asbestos containing materials.
TYPES OF ASBESTOS
5. There are three main types of asbestos, crocidolite, (blue asbestos), amosite (brown asbestos), and chrysotile (white asbestos), which, despite their common names, are not able to be distinguished by their colour. They are all potentially hazardous to health.
NATURE OF RISK
6. Asbestos in the solid or bulk form is not hazardous. When asbestos containing material (ACM) is broken up it can produce very small dust particles or fibres which may become airborne and if breathed in over a long period may cause damage to the lungs. Asbestos diseases usually occur only as a result of prolonged exposure, an isolated accidental exposure to asbestos dust of a short duration is unlikely to result in the development of asbestos-related disease.
ACQUISISION OF ASBESTOS
7. In compliance with The Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations no asbestos or asbestos containing materials may be brought onto any University premises. This prohibition also applies to second hand or reconditioned items or building materials.
LIKELEY LOCATIONS FOR ASBESTOS
8 Asbestos is likely to be found either as a component of a building material, or used within certain types of older equipment or machines such as ovens and heaters.
9 During the twentieth century asbestos was often used as a building material or a constituent for building materials, frequently utilised as a fire retardant and or insulating material.
10 Examples of its use include thermal insulation for pipes and tanks, loose packing in ceiling voids, insulating board, corrugated roofing sheets, protective paper coatings, sprayed on coatings, ceiling tiles and floor tiles.
11 Older pieces of electrical and mechanical equipment such as ovens, hotplates and fan heaters etc. may contain asbestos.
TRAINING
12 The Director of Estates and Facilities Management (EFM) will ensure that all University staff that may come into contact with ACM will undergo suitable and sufficient asbestos safety training, in relation to the type of work they are likely to undertake. The training, which will be provided by a competent trainer, will include details of how to recognise asbestos, its likely locations, the work permitted to be done by law, protection procedures, equipment to be used, type and maintenance of personal protective equipment, decontamination of work areas and disposal of waste.
The Director of Estates and Facilities Management will ensure that newly employed staff will undertake such training prior to carrying out any work which may expose them to ACMs. All staff that are likely to come into contact with ACMs will undergo retaining at a frequency of at least every three years.
MANAGEMENT OF ASBESTOS
13 It is the responsibility of The Director of Estates and Facility Management to identify where asbestos is likely to be within the fabric of University buildings and associated structures.
14 It should be assumed that all materials contain asbestos unless there is clear evidence that they do not (e.g. glass, steelwork, stone).
For all suspect materials a survey will be carried out in accordance with The Asbestos Survey Guide HSG264 which will make use of an approved specialist contractor or consultant.
15 For sites in which no or a minimal amount of dismantling is anticipated a Management Survey (visual and sample analysis) will be carried out.
16 For major work a Refurbishment and Demolition Survey (visual and full access sample analysis) will be carried out.
17 Records of the location, type, description and condition of the ACM will be entered onto the electronic Envacs System, the University’s asbestos register, controlled by the Directorate of Estates and Facility Management.
These records must be updated whenever any changes to the ACM (e.g. repair or removal) or re-inspection takes place.
18 The Directorate of Estates and Facilities Management will draw up and maintain a plan, which will be recorded on the Envacs system, of what needs to be done with the ACM, depending on the risk which it poses. The risk assessment will take into account the ACM’s location, the product type, its friability, risk of damage and the occupation level in the area.
19 If the condition of the ACM is good, and it is not likely to be damaged or disturbed, it should be left it in place, if possible labelled at its location, its details recorded on the Envacs database and be inspected regularly.
20 If the ACM is in poor condition or is likely to become damaged, it should, if possible, be labelled at its location and the situation recorded on the Envacs database.
ACM should not be removed unnecessarily. If possible the ACM should be repaired or sealed (by painting or similar technique). If the ACM is unable to be to sealed or repaired it will be removed using controlled methods, see 22 below.
21 Care will be taken that ACMs are not disturbed or damaged when any maintenance or repair to buildings or equipment is carried out by University staff or by outside contractors.
For buildings constructed before 2000, prior to commencing any building or maintenance work, regardless of whether or not it includes the intended repair or removal of asbestos, the asbestos register on the Envacs database (paragraph 18) must be consulted to determine if ACMs are located in or near to the area of the intended work. If not a survey (as described in sections 14-16) may need to be carried out if there is uncertainty that ACMs are present.
Those carrying out the building work must be informed of the findings of the survey. The permit to work system will be utilised whenever there is a need warn of the danger of disturbing asbestos. The procedures are explained in the Code of Practice for Permits to Work Procedure, which is available on line at
www.brookes.ac.uk/services/hr/health_safety/permit_to_work/procedure.html
LICENSED AND UNLICENSED WORK WITH ASBESTOS
22 Certain types of work with asbestos need to be licensed with the HSE.
In most circumstances HSE licensed and Oxford Brookes University approved specialist contractors will be utilised to carry out any work with ACMs. However certain low risk activities with ACMs may be carried out without the need for a licence from the HSE, provided that any such work be approved in advance by the responsible person within the Directorate of Estates and Facilities Management and the University Health and Safety Officer.
Unlicensed Work includes the following;
Work in which it is certain that the airborne concentration of asbestos will be below the control limit (paragraph 24).
Work on asbestos containing textured coatings, asbestos cement, bitumen, plastics, resins, or rubber which contains asbestos.
Minor work with asbestos containing insulating board , e.g. repairing minor damage, painting, removal a single panel, provided that the job lasts less than 1 hr per person per week and the total time per job is less than 2hr in seven consecutive days.
Notifiable Non-Licensed Work. Certain types of non-licensed work needs to be notified to the HSE. This applies where the ACM meets the criteria above but is highly friable, poorly bonded in a matrix or likely to deteriorate when worked on. Records of the work carried out will be kept by the Director of Estates and Facilities Management. From April 2015 those undertaking notifiable non-licensed work will undergo appropriate medical examinations. A risk assessment will be carried out to determine if the work needs to be notified to the HSE. Guidance on how to determine if notification is necessary can be found in the HSE document ‘a0, Advice on non-licensed work with asbestos’.
Other work on ACM needs to be licensed by the HSE, and undertaken by approved contractors.
23 Where major works on or removal of ACM is required, the Estates and Facilities Contract Administrator or Line Manager will be responsible for ensuring all work involving asbestos based materials is carried out in full accordance with the current statutory regulations, using HSE licensed and Oxford Brookes University approved specialist contractors. Requirements include (not an exhaustive list):-
Statutory notice to HSE
Job specific Risk Assessment
Job specific Method Statement
Prior liaison with University Safety Officer and Site Services
Prior liaison with appropriate Faculty/Directorate staff
Waste disposal to approved sites under controlled conditions
Air clearance certificates (by independent analyst)
Update the progress of the work on the Asbestos Register
CONTROL LIMITS
24 There is a single control limit of 0.1 asbestos fibres per cubic centimetre (f/cm3) of air, regardless of the type of asbestos.
It is not anticipated that any employees of Oxford Brookes University will, in the course of their work, be exposed to such levels. The intention is that work which may generate such levels will always be carried out by licensed contractors.
Those working in environments in which the control limits are likely to be exceeded will be given training in how to minimise exposure by the use of appropriate personal respiratory equipment and personal protective equipment, including overalls, and will be provided with suitable changing and cleaning facilities to prevent taking asbestos into clean areas.
Those working in environments in which the action levels are likely to be exceeded shall have the exposure monitored will and will undergo medical surveillance.
Access to areas in which the levels of asbestos exceed the actions levels will be prevented by suitable means, to all other than HSE approved contractors.
ASBESTOS IN EQUIPMENT AND MACHINES
25. The Dean of Faculty/Director of Directorate will be responsible for all products, materials or equipment within their Faculty/Directorate, identified as having ACM, excluding ACM used in the construction of the building.
26. The Dean of Faculty/Director of Directorate where products, materials or equipment have been identified will prepare safe written procedures for operating, handling, etc. the item containing the asbestos.
MANAGEMENT OF SERVICE DUCTS
27. Due to the presence of asbestos products within the service ducts, any entry to the ducts, or any work carried out within the ducts will require a Permit to Work, issued by the Safety Officer and the procedures are explained in the Code of Practice for Permits to Work Procedure, which is available on line at
www.brookes.ac.uk/services/hr/health_safety/permit_to_work/procedure.html
28. A licensed specialist contractor will carry out any necessary repair work on the ACM products within the cable ducts.
29. If the ACM within a service duct suffer damage at any time, the person causing or finding the damage will immediately vacate the ducts and inform Director of Estates and Facilities Management and/or the Safety Officer.
30. The Director of Estates and Facilities Management will immediately have all persons working within the duct evacuated, prohibit any further access to the cable duct until the area is declared safe, and arrange for a licensed specialist contractor to carry out remedial work and clean the area, using approved procedures.
ACCIDENTAL DAMAGE OF ACM
31. If a material, product or equipment containing or suspected to contain ACM becomes damaged, the person causing or finding the damage must immediately restrict access to the area, and inform the Safety Officer or the Director of Estates and Facilities Management.
32. The Director of Estates and Facilities Management, the Safety Officer and the Dean of Faculty/Director of Directorate involved will then agree a method of dealing with the problem.
DISPOSAL OF ASBESTOS
33. The licensed specialist contractor carrying out work on asbestos materials will be responsible for disposing of, in the approved manner, any waste product containing asbestos.
34. Materials or products containing asbestos will be placed in double plastic bags, sealed and suitably marked, and the Director of Estates and Facilities Management informed. A specialist licensed contractor will then be contacted and be asked to dispose of them.
35. Equipment containing asbestos, which there is a requirement to dispose of, will be sealed in double plastic bags if possible, or be securely double wrapped in plastic and adequately sealed. The item will be suitably marked and then advice obtained Director of Estates and Facilities Management on how the item will be disposed of.
Approved by: Issued by:
......
(Vice-Chancellor) (Safety Officer) (Senior Occupational
Health Advisor)
Date...... /...... /......
OBUHSN-35 Issue 05 35.2