Emergency Procedure for Accidental (Unplanned) Release of Asbestos Protocol
Accidents happen despite taking all the precautions imaginable. Whatever was the cause of the accidental release of asbestos into the air, what you do in the immediate aftermath of an incident is critical to minimizing the harm to you and others might suffer.
The threat to the long-term health of any individual caused by breathing in asbestos fibres is mainly cumulative for diseases such as asbestosis. One isolated exposure incident is unlikely to result in developing asbestosis in later life.
On the other hand, it only takes one inhaled or ingested asbestos fibre to eventually develop into a life-threatening cancer in the years to come. That is the main reason why every person should take exposure to asbestos so seriously.
Many construction workers nearing the end of their career may carry an understandable level of contempt for the draconian safety regulations they are asked to observe today. They spent their early careers installing the very asbestos-containing-materials (ACM) everyone gets excited about disturbing today. It may seem reasonable to question why we should go to such lengths to drill a mere 5mm hole into an ACM-coated ceiling today, when people were working knee-deep in AIB dust as they installed the panels in the past.
You may feel the point is valid ... until you factor in the medical evidence (Google Scholar) that documents cases where construction workers have unknowingly killed their own children by taking home asbestos fibres trapped in their work-clothing. A worst case scenario we agree, but it should make everyone stop for a moment and reflect why the decontamination protocol outlined below is not a waste of your time.
You may feel the point is valid ... until you factor in the medical evidence (Google Scholar) that documents cases where construction workers have unknowingly killed their own children by taking home asbestos fibres trapped in their work-clothing. A worst case scenario we agree, but it should make everyone stop for a moment and reflect why the decontamination protocol outlined below is not a waste of your time.
So, if you are caught up in an incident where known or suspected ACM has been disturbed, and it is likely asbestos fibres have been released into the air (including drilling into, or cutting ACM), then follow each step as listed below, in the order of priority in which they appear:
1. Remain calm and think before you act.
2. The first priority is to clear the room of all personnel, closing doors and windows behind you.
3. Do not take tool boxes or personal items with you as you leave. You need to avoid spreading contamination to other clean areas.
4. Aim to move outdoors if possible into the fresh air, unless that involves transversing too many rooms. Every room you pass through will require a deep-clean.
5. Keep staff together to avoid spreading contamination to other areas.
6. Wipe your mouth and nose area with a damp cloth and put on the asbestos-rated RPE mask you should have in your kit bag with you on site. Even if you have stubble or a beard, wearing a tightly fastened mask may reduce or eliminate the chances of continuing to breath in asbestos fibres. Reduce personal movements to an absolute minimum to prevent dislodging more fibres into your immediate environment.
7. Take steps to isolate the contaminated room or site, and prevent other people from entering it.
8. Having dealt with the immediate priorities, call head office and advise the Health and Safety team of what has happened. They will follow their own protocols designed to safely manage this kind of incident, which will include sending a response team to your site with extra kit to facilitate the containment and decontamination procedures.
9. If you have a pair of disposable overalls in your kit, strip down to your underwear and put them on. Take care to use the hood to cover your hair. Next to your clothes, your hair is the most likely area to harbor contaminated dust you cannot easily remove with just a wet cloth. Use a bag to store your contaminated clothes. Remember to observe personal privacy and decency conventions as best you can. Having a group of workers running around in their underwear (or less) will raise a few eyebrows for the casual observer. You can never be sure where others may draw the line in what is acceptable and reasonable behavior, even in these extenuating circumstances.
10. Your highest personal priority is to take a shower, leaving your mask on until you have thoroughly washed and rinsed your hair. Do not be tempted to jump into your vehicle and head for home until you have donned a protective and disposable set of overalls. Decontaminating a vehicle is a very expensive exercise that will take your vehicle out of service for weeks.
11. If the property was occupied at the time of the incident, the residents should be encouraged to talk to the senior member of the response team on route to you. They will be explain what will happen next.
We promote a no-blame culture that recognised accidents happen. We all have experienced a moment's lapse of concentration, or we just made a poor call on the day. We will not normally look to discipline any worker who causes an accidental release of asbestos on site. The incident will be thoroughly investigated, with the aim to identify the lessons to be learned to reduce the risk of repeating the accident again in the future.
Marisco Group
Head Office:
Unit J5, The Fulcrum
Vantage Way, Poole, BH12 4NU
Tel: 01202 474001
Email: accounts@mariscosouth.com
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