Working near asbestos

[bobby544]

Hello.
I am a plumber and i need some advice about working around asbestos. Ive searched the internet, but nothing seems to give me any answers.
I need to work in a small boiler room which has asbestos covered around steel pipes.
The asbestos around the pipes has previously been broken and i am not doing any work on the asbestos itself, just in the boiler room.
I'm not comfortable working in the room, but my boss keeps pressuring me into doing the work.
I guess my question is can I refuse to work near damaged asbestos, and also is it ok to work around it, just not with it.

 

[gregers]

do you know if an air test has been carried out?
or just make sure your boss supplies you with the correct safty equipment i:e correct mask/overalls/gloves etc.
iirc your boss has an obligation to ensure your health and safty at all times?

 

[^woody^]

You need to polish up your google foo

Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 imposes a duty on your boss and the building owner to manage asbestos - specifically to locate it and ensure that you are not exposed to it

"A suitable risk assessment should be made before carrying out any work which may expose employees to asbestos"

Don't go anywhere near it until the area has been surveyed and assessed

The insulation around the pipes will likely be Amosite (Brown asbestos) and the second most dangerous type and very liable to release lots of fibres when knocked or broken - with the risk of exposure amplified in an enclosed boiler room

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Your boss needs to wise up about the dangers of this stuff! You have some superb advice there from woody, follow it. Whats worth more, job or health? Do nothing without a risk assesment, and the correct PPE. There's a shedload of advice on the HSE website. http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/

Might be worth showing your boss this too.... http://www.northantset.co.uk/news/100000-FINE-FOR-ASBESTOS-BLUNDER.2230726.jp That was pocket money, the school eventually accepted damages of £3.1 million from the Contractors involved...

 

[geraint]

do you know if an air test has been carried out?
or just make sure your boss supplies you with the correct safty equipment i:e correct mask/overalls/gloves etc.
iirc your boss has an obligation to ensure your health and safty at all times?

what the hell is an air test and how would that help..... jesus....

 

[geraint]

Hello.
I am a plumber and i need some advice about working around asbestos. Ive searched the internet, but nothing seems to give me any answers.
I need to work in a small boiler room which has asbestos covered around steel pipes.
The asbestos around the pipes has previously been broken and i am not doing any work on the asbestos itself, just in the boiler room.
I'm not comfortable working in the room, but my boss keeps pressuring me into doing the work.
I guess my question is can I refuse to work near damaged asbestos, and also is it ok to work around it, just not with it.

if people can understand asbestos..... it is harmless untill disturbed. what ever variety it is..

working alongside dormant asbestos will do you no harm... you will get more damage from the dust around it where nobody has cleaned..

 

[Nige F]

do you know if an air test has been carried out?
?

what the hell is an air test and how would that help..... jesus....

He was a carpenter - not a plumber

 

[jeds]

As an employee you shouldn't, in theory, be working near asbestos without a risk assessment. If it is a commercial situation the risk assessment should have allready been carried out by the building owner, or landlord, and be contained in a register - known as the asbestos register. The register should list all the known asestos in the building and the risk associated with working in the vicinity. The register should be brought to the attention of anybody carrying out works in the building.

So, all you need to do is ask to see the register, check if the asbestos is listed and what the risk is.

Of course there might not be a register. In which case you should have a risk assessment carried out. As a bonus it will be the start of the building owners new asbestos register.

Unbroken asbestos is one thing but broken asbestos can be disturbed by natural ventilation or just opening and closing the door. The air in the room should be tested (the air test) to see if there are any fibres present.

Look up control of asbestos regulations 2010 for more detail.

 

[gregers]

do you know if an air test has been carried out?
?

what the hell is an air test and how would that help..... jesus....

He was a carpenter - not a plumber

and so am i,
iirc an air test will tell you if there are any particles evident in the surrounding air.thought that was pretty obvious.

 

[geraint]

do you know if an air test has been carried out?
?

what the hell is an air test and how would that help..... jesus....

He was a carpenter - not a plumber

and so am i,
iirc an air test will tell you if there are any particles evident in the surrounding air.thought that was pretty obvious.

so tell me who and when do you have an air test.... never heard of it before... and how would that see any asbestos.....

 

[gregers]

this is just 1 of no doubt hundreds found on google,
http://www.professional-cv-writings...se/asbestos-removal/asbestos-air-testing.html


every day is a learning day my friend,no shame in eating humble pie,

oh and thats mr jesus to you

 

[^woody^]

I'm not sure on the value of an air test in this instance

The OP says that the existing insulation is broken. In which case, if a risk assessment had been done then it would flag up as a high risk with action required.

The action may be removal or encapsulation, but it certainly can not be left in a broken exposed state, and any air test without such work would be of little value.

Only after the appropriate treatment, would an air reassurance test be done, and the boiler room declared safe to work in.

Any person working in a commercial building, or a domestic property owned by the council , HA or management agent should request to see the asbestos log, which will show locations, type, risk etc for possible asbestos in all parts of the building

And all property owners would be wise to get the contractor to sign a receipt confirming that the contractor has seen or been given a copy of the asbestos log - this will safeguard against potential future personal injury claims against the employer or building owner

 

[noseall]

do you know if an air test has been carried out?
?

what the hell is an air test and how would that help..... jesus....

He was a carpenter - not a plumber

I think Jesus was a stonemason, his dad Joseph was a chippy.