Asbestos and working with wood: What you need to know

Asbestos and Woodworking professionals

Institute of Carpenters regional secretary in the North West and long time member, David Elliott, started his apprenticeship in 1956 in Carlisle where he received a wide range of experience in bench joinery, ecclesiastical joinery, bank and building society work, shopfitting, libraries, and doors and windows.

It was working in a large railway marshalling yard just outside Carlisle that David first came in contact with asbestos and similar materials. Since then, David has worked for several joinery firms and on housing estates, before becoming a joinery instructor and Head of Construction Crafts at Wigan College and working as an Inclusive Learning Officer with young people with learning difficulties.

David is now a local school governor responsible for the building and its grounds, and answers a few questions about asbestos for us here.

What is asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral. There are three common types: Crocidolite (blue asbestos), Amosite (brown asbestos), and Chrysotile (white asbestos), however, they cannot be identified just by their colour. Blue and brown – the two most dangerous forms – have not been imported into the United Kingdom for over twenty years as their use was banned in 1985. Except for a small number of specialised uses, white asbestos was banned in 1999, however this still means that asbestos can be present in any building built or refurbished within the last 11 years. It had many uses including fireproofing, insulation. But it can be deadly.

What are the risks from asbestos?

Working with or disturbing asbestos can release small fibres into to the air. Breathing in these fibres can eventually lead to a number of fatal diseases, including asbestosis or fibrosis (scarring of the lungs), lung cancer, and mesotheliomas – a cancer of the inner lining of the chest wall or abdominal cavity. There is no cure for asbestos-related diseases.

Asbestos-related diseases are currently responsible for thousands of deaths each year in Britain. There is usually a long delay between first exposure to asbestos and the first symptoms of the disease which can vary between 15 and 60 years. The vast majority of those dying were exposed to asbestos between 1950’s and 1970’s – workers mainly from the building trades exposed to asbestos fibres in their day-to-day work with asbestos-containing materials or because work with asbestos was carried out by others near them – before current control regulations were introduced. However, it must not be forgotten that asbestos was still used in buildings before 2000.

Continued awareness raising campaigns like the current one from the Health & Safety Executive and support from organisations such as the Institute of Carpenters are important to help ensure that trade and woodworking professionals do not have their lives cut short needlessly.

Why is asbestos still a problem?

Thousands of tonnes of asbestos still remain in buildings, and about half a million non-domestic premises may contain asbestos. Whilst all woodworking professionals need to be aware of the risks posed by asbestos, those working in renovation or restoration in older buildings must make sure they are particularly vigilant. All public buildings, including schools, civic centres, town halls and offices should have Asbestos Survey Reports.

Asbestos can be found in:

• Asbestos Cement: corrugated sheets, flat panels such as used for soffits, gutters, cladding etc.

• Sprayed Asbestos Lagging: used as loose packing, generally used as fire breaks in ceiling voids, sprayed on pipes etc.

• Asbestos Insulating Board: used for fire protection, thermal insulation, wall partitions and ducts.

• Asbestos Textiles: used for asbestos ropes or clothes.

• Other Products: Millboard and paper products for electrical insulation.

• Composite Materials: including vinyl floor tiles, ceiling tiles and decorative textured coatings such as Artex.

What about exposure?

It is possible that repeated low-level exposures may lead to asbestos-related diseases, although high exposure for long periods is linked more clearly to the illness. But provided the asbestos material is intact and in position where it cannot easily be damaged, it will not pose a risk to health by releasing fibres into the air.

Asbestos fibres are released into the air by drilling and fixing, filling, sawing and cutting, cleaning, accidental damage or collision, and natural degradation of the material – all of which onsite carpenters and joiners might find themselves either aggravating or exposed to.

Asbestos in good condition and undisturbed poses no risk to health. When disturbed, it can break down into sharp fibres which can be inhaled from the airborne particles. The fibres lodge in the lungs and do not dissolve. Inhaling asbestos fibres can lead to three main diseases: asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.

Who has responsibility?

We all have responsibility; site managers, site agents, charge hands, foreman, anyone that organises work, but in particular, remember that individuals have a duty of care to themselves. Find out if there is asbestos, how much and where. Presume unknown materials are Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs). Make a record and keep control of the location and condition of ACMs or presumed ACMs.

What do I need to do on a job that involves asbestos disturbance?

Notify the Health and Safety Executive. There are specialist contractors who are licensed specifically for the safe removal of asbestos. Method statements and risk assessments will be made, the conditions controlled, and any implications on the job, such as time delays and costs, will also be assessed.

If scaffold is used to provide a framework or access, where disturbance to asbestos is foreseeable scaffold erector must hold an Ancillary License and in additional 14 days notification is required to the HSE, along with 14 day notification for removal.

Common mistakes occur when the asbestos survey information is not considered, the information is incorrect but had not been challenged, and the scope of work extended beyond programme or work area and asbestos was not reconsidered. Contractor competency can also be a factor, along with information not being made available to relevant people, and work commencing before results from survey were received.

What happens if it goes wrong?

1. Remove all persons from area
2. Seal off the area to all persons and allow no further access
3. Call Directorate and Health and Safety Officer, or personnel or the contract consultant and liaise with all parties concerned
4. An analyst must be contacted (local authority or private) to carry out examination and testing, to establish if an exposure has occurred
5. If an exposure is confirmed, report to HSE using form F2508 or online and complete HS1
6. Investigate reasons for exposure
7. Arrange for removal and clearance testing before the contract re-starts

What can you do to protect yourself?

Do:

1 Use the personal protective equipment given to you, including respirator mask
2 Keep the materials containing asbestos damp while working on them
3 Use hand tools – not power tools
4 Clean up as you go; do not let waste pile up
5 Clear up asbestos dust using a special “type H” vacuum cleaner or damp cloths
6 Put asbestos waste into a suitable sealed container. You can use a heavy duty polythene bag which is then put into a second bag and labelled to show which ones contains asbestos. Remember that, in most cases, asbestos waste needs to be taken to a licensed tip.
7 Wash your hands and face when you take a break, and at the end of the day’s work

Do not:

1 Use power tools – they create more dust
2 Take home to wash the overalls you have worn while working with asbestos
3 Eat or drink in the work area
4 Smoke – the risk of lung cancer from asbestos is higher among smokers

Do not forget:

Be alert at all times to the dangers of working with materials that may contain asbestos. If you come across asbestos – stop work and tell a supervisor. Avoid exposure to all dust. Respect and protect your health and that of your work mates. Encourage them to do the same.

The Institute of Carpenters is one of the partner organisations working with HSE to raise awareness of the dangers and risks that asbestos still pose to all trade professionals, including carpenters and joiners. The hidden killer answers key questions, including where asbestos can be found, what it can do to you, how to handle it, and a ‘myth buster’ to test your current knowledge.

For information on the risks of asbestos to woodworking professionals, and for membership information on the Institute of Carpenters, visit www.instituteofcarpenters.com or call 0844 879 7696.