Removing asbestos-cement building materials or vinyl asbestos: guidelines for risk protection, for the preparation of plans asbestos, and information necessary

Guidelines of the Lazio Region for the protection of risks related to exposure to asbestos and asbestos in the preparation of the plans. DPI and necessary information for those who want to remove building materials, asbestos-cement or vinyl-asbestos.

The argument asbestos is back with force on the pages of the average non-specialized both for the historical judgment Eternit, and, to a minor, for information relating to asbestos exposure in companies like Fibronit of Bari and the Sacelit Italcementi Senigallia .

With reference to the data is not reassuring number of exposures to carcinogens in Italy, we deal today in a document published on the website of the Lazio Region Health Unit Rome F entitled "Practical Guidelines for the application of Legislative Decree no. 81 / 08, as amended - Title IX - Dangerous Chapter III - Protection from risks related to exposure to asbestos. "

The document - approved on 11 October 2010 and developed by a working group of the Lazio regional ASL (Roma, Roma C, D Rome, Rome E, F Rome, Roma G, LT, FR) - provides some guidelines for the protection of risks related to exposure to asbestos and, in particular, an operational guide for the preparation of plans asbestos.

A document that was created not so much to deal with all the complex issues related to the presence and exposure to asbestos, but "towards the adoption of procedures for sharing by several services PRESAL on those aspects that most affect the daily activities of Services" (management work plans for the removal of asbestos, proper evaluation of the plans, proper supervision of interventions removal, management of activities subject to mandatory reporting, management innovations introduced the use of PPE and respiratory assessment of the risks of asbestos, ...).

Referring our readers to a thorough reading of the document we focus on some aspects: the PPE respiratory protection, risk assessment and the necessary information for those who want to remove building materials, asbestos-cement or vinyl-asbestos.

For all workers who are the PPE respiratory protection must have "an adequate protection factor operating to the concentration of asbestos fibers in the air, so as to always guarantee that the filtered air inside the PPE is not worn greater than 10 fibers / liter. It makes explicit reference to the protection factor operating (FPO) rather than nominal protection factor (FPN). The FPO is an index lower at the operational practice of the work environment, taking values significantly below the FPN. "

And the mandatory use of these PPE is maintained in the Legislative Decree 81/2008 art. 254, paragraph 4, "when exposure can not be reduced by other means."

Therefore, the introduction of this standard "reinforces the obligation that already exists, to use during the remediation of asbestos flocked own real or sprayed air-purifying respirators, helmets ventilated, but also to supply breathing air outside (respiratory insulating) or having cylinders (SCBA) when necessary. In confined spaces, in fact, you can reach high concentrations, even exceeding 20,000 fibers / liter, while the masks with filter P3 and FPO protect up to concentrations of 400 to 4,000 fibers / liter. "

For the purposes of supervision the document proposes:

- "To never allow the use of filtering face masks or half masks FFP1 and P1 filter;

- Enforce the use for each type of exposure, and filtering face masks and half masks with a degree of protection not less than FFP2, and according to UNI EN 149:2001;

- Enforce the use of filters P3 when there is a certain unpredictability of exposure;

- To allow the use of face masks with P3 filter only for very limited periods of time - to enforce the use of air-purifying respirators class 3, accompanied by a full face mask, for the remediation of asbestos or flocked applied to spray;

- To enforce the rest planned to ½ hour after 2 hours of work with PPE Respiratory when the physical demands of work requires it (flock asbestos removal, removal of large amounts of asbestos compact);

- To enforce the control of exposure during these operations to ensure that the concentration of the fibers does not exceed the FPO of air-purifying respirators;

- The use of force, in case of exceeding the concentration of the FPO, insulating respirators or breathing apparatus, or, alternatively, to require the reduction of exposure times. "

In addition, the Working Party considers that the assessment of risks due to airborne asbestos fibers "should always be performed with instrumental measurements that provide direct sampling of the fibers themselves. The determination of the concentration of airborne asbestos fibers must be carried out by laboratories meet the requirements of DMS of 14 May 1996, duly registered, with acceptance to the program of quality control referred to in DMS of 7 July 1997. "

The guidelines provide additional guidance on the taking of samples, the frequency with which repeat the measurements and instrumental entries in the register of complaints.

Finally, we come to what should know who intends to remove building materials, asbestos-cement or vinyl-asbestos:

- "At present, there is no requirement for property owners to proceed with the removal of asbestos in building materials, such as roofing, chimneys, water tanks, panels, etc..). The asbestos-cement, but also the vinilamianto (some types of floors), if left undisturbed, and if they are in good condition, do not represent a danger to public health;

- The law, however, regulate in a timely manner, maintenance, processing, demolition or removal, transportation, disposal, etc.., Materials containing asbestos. In the event of non-compliance are also heavy penalties for those who do, and for those who believe the works;

- Companies operating in the removal of asbestos must be entered in the National Environmental Managers for categories 10A or 10B (asbestos removal). The disposal of asbestos removed must always be in an approved landfill. First of custody of work is necessary to check the registration of the company to which you want to perform the surgery for removal;

- The company that will perform the surgery removal of asbestos (or intervention encapsulation with pretreatment or partial replacement), has the obligation to prepare a work plan, and a copy is sent to the Service Pre.SAL (Prevention and Safety at Work) of the USL responsible for the area at least 30 days before the beginning of the work. The Service may require amendments or changes to the work plan, and release operational requirements. After 30 days without that there were any requests or requirements by the service, the company can begin work according to the same plan of work submitted. Construction work will begin before the expiration of 30 days is allowed only in cases of urgency ";

- "The enterprise is obliged, at the end of the work, to verify the absence of asbestos exposure risks at the site of removal. Therefore, the buyer may require the firm to the above statement;

- The developer of the asbestos removal work in the building (building owner, administrator of the building, etc.). Entitled to the obligations laid down by the rules on temporary and mobile construction sites. In the sites of removal of asbestos-containing building materials, it is expected the presence of at least one other company besides the reclamation (although not simultaneously or in stages) is obligatory prior notification, both the appointment of coordinators for the design and for the execution of the work. The prior notification requirement is also extended in the event that operates the only undertaking remediation with a lifetime of work on more than 200 man-days. In case of private works not subject to planning permission, and in any event an amount less than € 100,000, it is not mandatory to designate the coordinator of the planning of the work. "

Finally, remember that different regions, over Lazio, have resolved their guidelines for the protection of risks related to exposure to asbestos.

The index of the document:

Procedures for the work plans

1) Countertops for removal

2) subject to notification

3) The use of the dpi of respiratory protection

4) The risk assessment and exposure control

Information note to the work plans for the removal of asbestos-cement building materials and vinyl-asbestos

What must contain the work plan

1 - General News

2 - Scope of work

3 - Technical work adopted