Asbestos - Dealing with it.

[SafetyFirst]

I have been in the trade on/off for 10 years now, with the current economic climate i have been thinking of the possibility of going on my own as work is very inconsistant.

I haven't been looking for any work as yet as i currently have a very steady mon-fri 40hr week job but frinds and family have been really on at me in recent times and i have been carrying out the odd job here and there.

The thing is i have always been worried about the A word. Possibly i am a little bit shall we say paranoid about asbestos, it plays on my mind quite a lot whenever i am about to work on an old building. If it was possible i'd only make a living out of working on new builds all the time.

I would like to hear of peoples views on asbestos. Especially those who meet a client for a job that invloves a building from the pre 90's. Does it cross anyone's mind while inspecting the job?
Do you always ask the client if they are aware it's within the building? Do you place your trust in them if they say there's none?


Even if you go on an asbestos awareness course, asbestos is invisible to the naked eye so could be hidden in anything. Does it worry any other electricians on here?

I know we will all meet our eventual destiny, but i know of someone who sadly passed away with the desease and it's not the best way to leave the world.

Sorry that this isn't an upbeat post but i would like to hear your views.

 

[telectrix]

i've smoked 30 smokes a day for 50 years. you think i care about asbestos? it's not generally a hazard in our game. only if disturbed.

 

[Des 56]

Does it worry any other electricians on here?

Not me one little bit,the damage it can inflict didn't concern the powers to be until the compensation culture we now have, persuaded them it was financially easier for those in power to make it a workers health issue,the health and well being of the worker is a new trend

Having said that,many workers paid the ultimate price of the careles attitude of the employers and Government

I and many others have worked with it,sometimes knowingly,but more often than not unaware
Whats done is done

You can do all the courses you want and become aware and be qualified in its safe removal and disposal or just become aware

There are risks in all walks of life and all we can do is make it as safe as is economically viable
If you are a little paranoid about asbestos at work,then its the wrong trade to be in

 

[poppypiesdad]

Do an asbestos awareness course , apart from that , you might come across it , you might not even know you have , check to see if theres an asbestos register when you go onto a new job site , apart from that ......

Jamie

 

[mogga]

it is out there BUT awareness and risk assesments for dealing with it are much higher than they were years ago Undisturbed its not a problem its when you dont suspect or expect to find it that problems COULD arise personaly iv seen a fair bit of it recently in old fuse boards labled up and left closed recomended renewal of sae Still waiting for instruction

 

[Air Conditioner]

I too am parnoid about asbestos and I also know of someone who died from a related disease. I think the best way to deal with anything that you are scared of is to learn about it. The more you learn the more equipped you will be to spot it and act accordingly. Here are a couple of websites I've found, there maybe better ones.

ABOUT US | NATIONAL ASBESTOS HELPLINE
HSE: Asbestos - health and safety in the workplace

For me I think I will definitely go on an awarness course even if its just so that I have a bit more of an idea of what to look out for.
Good luck
A/C

 

[needasparks]

I lost my father to asbestos, he was a sparks also. can't say i'm paranoid about it though. Yes i;m careful but it helps to be aware on the age of a property that i'm going to work in though. common sence is all that is required.

 

[D Skelton]

I always ask a client if they're aware of asbestos being present in the building. If they are, don't do any work until they sort it out as it is their duty by law to do so. If not, I still always wear a decent respirator to FFP3 when I'm creating dust in older buildings. Better to be safe than sorry and even still, it stops your nose getting bunged up with the black gunge you'd inevitably have to pick out in the shower that evening if you weren't wearing a mask. An interesting fact that I learned from an asbestos specialist is that 9 out of every 10 of us on this forum will have asbestosis at this moment in time! It's the degree of it however and the amount in our lungs that kills which means you're still unlikely to die from it.

Best advice, go on an asbestos awareness course. Check out the HSE website as they are running free ones at the moment nationwide!

 

[needasparks]

Thanks for that happy thought. I was worried about the dribbling and messing myself when i get old, at least now I may not have to worry. cheers.

 

[nickblake]

I posted a thread its a sticky some where on asbestos its alot more common than you think its like every thing the more you see it the easier it is to spot some of it is more dangerouse than others artex to pipe lagging for instance .

 

[Air Conditioner]

I always ask a client if they're aware of asbestos being present in the building. If they are, don't do any work until they sort it out as it is their duty by law to do so. If not, I still always wear a decent respirator to FFP3 when I'm creating dust in older buildings. Better to be safe than sorry and even still, it stops your nose getting bunged up with the black gunge you'd inevitably have to pick out in the shower that evening if you weren't wearing a mask. An interesting fact that I learned from an asbestos specialist is that 9 out of every 10 of us on this forum will have asbestosis at this moment in time! It's the degree of it however and the amount in our lungs that kills which means you're still unlikely to die from it.

Best advice, go on an asbestos awareness course. Check out the HSE website as they are running free ones at the moment nationwide!

Unfortunately, free asbestos training from HSE etc ran out 25th Nov 2011. I hope that HSE do a similar thing again soon that would be really useful.

 

[D Skelton]

Ah, my bad

 

[Andy 7671]

it is out there BUT awareness and risk assesments for dealing with it are much higher than they were years ago Undisturbed its not a problem its when you dont suspect or expect to find it that problems COULD arise personaly iv seen a fair bit of it recently in old fuse boards labled up and left closed recomended renewal of sae Still waiting for instruction

On a rip out of old Otter Mill switchgear which contained aspestos the main Shield chargehand looked at it and said it was not harmful, being cementitious based.

I am not commenting myself, merely relaying what a trained competent person said.

 

[nickblake]

On a rip out of old Otter Mill switchgear which contained aspestos the main Shield chargehand looked at it and said it was not harmful, being cementitious based.

I am not commenting myself, merely relaying what a trained competent person said.

Sorry mate you cannot just look at it an say its safe all asbestos is harmful to a degree it only takes one fibre to lodge its self in you lung only way to tell is by getting it analized ,

 

[poppypiesdad]

Unfortunately, free asbestos training from HSE etc ran out 25th Nov 2011. I hope that HSE do a similar thing again soon that would be really useful.

Sorry m8 they didn't run out November is asbestos awareness month for H&SE and they offer free training that is given away by the training provides for free

Did one this year 15 spaces and only 8 people bothered there bums to turn up ,Personally i think it should be free unless you DONT turn up thats 7 people thats didnt get there training becasue of the selfish actions of others

Jamie

 

[Air Conditioner]

Hi Jamie,
I hate to sound thick but all the info which I have found about free training is from Sept-Oct. Do you have a link?
Thanks for your help.
A/C

 

[supasparxs]

Hmm
I did an asbestos awareness course last week
I feel I can list it with the Training I was given for using a step ladder and a percussion drill.
It is a way to move responsibly from the supervision/management from then to the man on the tools.

 

[SafetyFirst]

Hmm
I did an asbestos awareness course last week
I feel I can list it with the Training I was given for using a step ladder and a percussion drill.
It is a way to move responsibly from the supervision/management from then to the man on the tools.

I agree, i mean you see more and more elec job adverts saying, must hold asbestos awareness certificate.......like everything else, all folk are bothered about is covering there backs.
These job advertises/agencey's should take the best sparks that fit the bill and put them through these courses at there own cost. Not just take on someone fresh from college who can wave a asbestos awareness certificate about.

 

[SafetyFirst]

i've smoked 30 smokes a day for 50 years. you think i care about asbestos? it's not generally a hazard in our game. only if disturbed.

Though our game can involve lots of mess, ie drilling for cable routes through walls and ceilings. Does anyone think twice before drilling for instance an artex ceiling that may/may not have asbestos in?

I already know that asbestos is only breathable when it's disturbed. Many places regularly treat known areas of asbestos with a few regular coats of gloss to prevent it from ever escaping through age and depreciation.

 

[poppypiesdad]

Hi Jamie,
I hate to sound thick but all the info which I have found about free training is from Sept-Oct. Do you have a link?
Thanks for your help.
A/C

Asbestos Training Pledge

 

[Air Conditioner]

I still couldn't find present day free asbestos awareness training. But I did find a free online course. The link is below for anyone else who is after training.

HSE Free Asbestos Training

I haven't done it yet so don't blame me if its useless or boring.
A/C

 

[domestic spark]

Though our game can involve lots of mess, ie drilling for cable routes through walls and ceilings. Does anyone think twice before drilling for instance an artex ceiling that may/may not have asbestos in?

I already know that asbestos is only breathable when it's disturbed. Many places regularly treat known areas of asbestos with a few regular coats of gloss to prevent it from ever escaping through age and depreciation.

From this quote i take it you mus have? chances are it did have it in. either way there is no point in worrying about it because if you have got it now you have got it. your best bet if your worried about it is to re-train in something else, where your not always getting dirty, dusty, breathing in toot and azzy. jobs have all gone ****e now anyway, wages arent worth the dangers.

 

[poppypiesdad]

As your asbestos trainer said , right now , everybody in everyday working circumstances has about 6000-7000 asbestos fibers in there body .....RIGHT NOW , you you you you and you

It only starts getting to be a problem when there are MILLIONS of fibres (10 million +) that theres a serious enough problem .
Think about it you were born in a NHS hospital , went to PUBLIC SCHOOLS , COLLEGES , MIGHT WORK FOR THE COUNCIL , all these buildings were built at the asbestos peak , itwas a remarkable material that possesses characteristics valuable in manufacturing and industry. This one material does not burn and transmits heat poorly. These qualities make it a good insulator against heat. It is a poor conductor of electricity and therefore it is useful as an insulator against electricity. It resists corrosion and can be used in exterior applications. It is durable.Asbestos is a strong material and yet flexible. It has the soft and pliable qualities of cloth making it useful in protective clothing. Asbestos can be applied to a product by spraying painting it on or it can be added to a product such as concrete. These are qualities made it an attractive and ideal choice for many products.

And can be found everywhere in public buildings , even in the crematorium, where you'll end up

Dont panic about asbestos , learn about it and take precaustions

Jamie (yes bits stolen from elswhere)