What will we do today to prevent an incident?
Asbestos is a strong, fire-resistant mineral fibre. In the
past, asbestos was used as insulation against heat
or noise, and for fire
protection. It was also added to
materials such as cement and plaster to give them
more structural strength.
What’s the hazard?
Asbestos fibres are extremely hazardous to people’s
health. The fibres are extremely fine and once
disturbed, can stay in the air for hours. Breathing
asbestos fibres may cause serious health problems,
including lung disease and cancer.
Asbestosis is the name given to scarring and
stiffening of the lungs caused by inhaling asbestos
dust/fibres. Asbestosis makes breathing difficult and
may lead to fatal diseases such as pneumonia and
heart disease. Exposure to asbestos can also cause
lung cancer and mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining
of the lungs and abdomen.
Asbestos-related diseases usually develop many
years after a person has been exposed to asbestos.
The risk of developing these diseases increases with
the amount of asbestos in the air you inhale and the
length of time you are exposed. Smokers are at an
increased risk.
What can happen?
Mike works for a construction company that
performs building demolition and renovation of both
residential and commercial properties. There is a high
exposure to dust and scraps, and particles tend to
fly around the air during active work. Mike is unaware
if an asbestos inventory has been performed at his
worksite, but others have told him that asbestos
doesn’t look like the material he’s working with. He
feels that the area is safe enough to continue working
in. Once the job is finished, a fellow worker indicates
to Mike that samples were collected and tested by
a certified laboratory, and asbestos was found to be
present in the building. Mike was possibly exposed to
asbestos fibres.
Based on the scenario above, here are four
questions that could be used to spark discussion
with your team:
Prior to starting the renovation or demolition work,
has an asbestos inventory been performed on the
building by a competent consultant/contractor
using a certified laboratory to confirm or deny the
presence of asbestos in suspect materials?
If asbestos was identified, has an asbestos control
plan been developed?
Will the asbestos be removed or disposed of by
competent professionals before renovation or
demolition work begins?
What asbestos training has been provided to
workers that will be working with or near asbestos
containing material?
What precautions can be taken to
prevent asbestos exposures?
Before any work begins, here are some of the things
that must be performed by a competent consultant/contractor:
Conduct an asbestos inventory - it’s up to the
employer or building owner to hire a qualified
company to conduct the inventory. The asbestos
inventory is a living document that contains the
location, condition and type of asbestos present.
Laboratory analysis is the only way to confirm
the presence of asbestos. Visual identification of
asbestos is not an acceptable practice.
Materials suspected to contain asbestos are
considered asbestos containing until its presence
can be determined by laboratory analysis.
If asbestos is present, an asbestos control plan
must be developed and include elements such
as safe work procedures and emergency contact
information.
Notify Workplace Safety and Health about
the asbestos abatement project at
www.gov.mb.ca/labour/safety/permits.html.
Any workers working with asbestos must be trained
to handle it and always wear the appropriate
personal protective equipment for the job.
Prior to putting on a respirator, a worker must be fit
tested and trained to use it.
Other resources:
Check out our Asbestos Safety Topic for a variety of
resources, including 10 Simple Steps to Complying with Asbestos Abatement and Asbestos - What You Need To Know.
Share your ideas!
If you have an idea for Shop Talk that you think others
would benefit from, we’d like to hear about it. Email
us: information@safeworkmanitoba.ca.
For more information:
Call 204-957-SAFE (7233)
or toll-free 1-855-957-SAFE (7233).
Adapted from the 52 Tool Box Talks series developed by CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training based on NIOSH research. Adapted from resources from WorkSafeBC.