Asbestos removal

[liddley]

Hi Guys,
Has anyone ever witnessed asbestos removal from a textured (artex) ceiling.
Currently installing extract fans in social housing where the ceilings are known to have asbestos present in the artex (Chrysotile).
An asbestos removal crew come and scrape the ceilings where we need to drill or make holes ect ect...
but my question is , should they be doing this with the tenants wondering around in the dwelling and not using respirator masks , sheeting the area in plastic or even vacuuming the area when finished.
Is it just me making something out of nothing or am I right to be concerned? I know there are different grades of asbestos and Chrysotile is not the worst but still surly some precautions should be taken ??

 

[snowhead]

http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/meetings/iacs/acts/watch/010206/paper1.pdf

20. A conservative estimate, reached by HSL on the basis of the available data, is that the average level of asbestos fibres in the air when removing textured coatings using controlled removal is 0.08 f/ml.
The evidence available suggests that uncontrolled dry hand-scraping of chrysotile-containing textured coatings is less than twice the conservative average used for the controlled removal.
This is below the current control limit of 0.3 f/ml for chrysotile and the proposed new limit of 0.1 f/ml for all types of asbestos.
The exposure level of 0.08 f/ml has been used in the subsequent risk assessment undertaken by HSL(Annex 4a&b).

 

[liddley]

Thanks snowhead,
Explains why they don't seem to fussed about messing with the stuff.

 

[Midwest]

snowhead, I can't see any info on how such plasterboard covered with 'Artex', or the scrapping off of 'Artex' peaks from plasterboard can be safely removed by a non licensed contractor. I only ask because my son regular does the later, when refurbishing bathrooms, in preparation for the ceilings to be skimmed. Do you have a link to the site where you found this pdf?

 

[snowhead]

Do you have a link to the site where you found this pdf?

Yes 1st line of my post!!
http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/meetings/iacs/acts/watch/010206/paper1.pdf

 

[Midwest]

Thanks I did see and read that link, I'll look elsewhere myself.

 

[snowhead]

snowhead, I can't see any info on how such plasterboard covered with 'Artex', or the scrapping off of 'Artex' peaks from plasterboard can be safely removed by a non licensed contractor.

Try this, from here; Notifiable Non-Licensed Work (NNLW) - http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/licensing/notifiable-non-licensed-work.htm

Examples of notifiable non-licensed work (NNLW) with asbestos

• large-scale removal of textured decorative coatings using steaming or gelling methods (eg beyond that required for maintenance activities such as installation/replacement of smoke alarms and fittings)

The relevant question is, Does scraping Peaks on a complete ceiling equate to Large-Scale.

1 Ceiling maybe not, but a whole house probably would be.
And if the same employee was doing 1 ceiling per house but doing it all day in different houses then it should be notifiable.

 

[Midwest]

Thanks I'll have a read.