Workers may be exposed to asbestos. Prove your workplace is safe.
Workers in older buildings, industrial facilities, and construction sites face potential asbestos exposure during routine maintenance, repair, and renovation activities. As an employer or safety professional, you must be able to demonstrate that exposure is controlled.
Air monitoring (fibre counting) measures the concentration of asbestos fibres in the workplace atmosphere. This data, combined with a documented risk assessment, is your evidence of compliance and your defence in case of future claims.
Exposure monitoring must be performed by accredited professionals using approved methods, and results must be documented and retained for the legally required period, typically 40 years due to the latency period of asbestos-related diseases.
The Problem
Infrastructure maintenance workers, those servicing water treatment plants, electrical substations, telecommunications installations, and utility networks, regularly encounter asbestos in pipe insulation, switchgear panels, cable trays, and building materials of utility structures.
Many infrastructure maintenance tasks are performed in confined or semi-enclosed spaces where fibre concentrations can quickly reach dangerous levels. Workers often lack the training to identify asbestos materials in these non-standard building environments.
What You Need
Frequently Asked Questions
Which two occupations are most at risk from asbestos?
Construction workers and building maintenance staff are historically the most at-risk occupations for asbestos exposure. Plumbers, electricians, and carpenters working in pre-2000 buildings also face significant risk.
Is it bad to touch asbestos pipes?
Touching intact asbestos pipe insulation briefly is unlikely to release significant fibres. However, damaged, friable, or deteriorating lagging should not be handled and requires professional assessment and removal.
What happens when water touches asbestos?
Water contact with asbestos cement materials generally does not release fibres. However, prolonged water damage can cause deterioration of the cement matrix, eventually leading to fibre release.
How to tell if a pipe has asbestos?
Pipe insulation installed before 2000, particularly white or grey fibrous lagging, may contain asbestos. The only definitive way to confirm is laboratory analysis of a sample taken by a trained professional.
What jobs cause asbestos exposure?
Occupations most at risk include construction workers, plumbers, electricians, roofers, shipyard workers, and building maintenance staff. Any trade that involves working in pre-2000 buildings may encounter asbestos-containing materials.
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