Remove asbestos waste materials and equipment from the area according to ARCP.

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Cleaning Up of Asbestos Cement Debris

The contractor should carry out this work wet except where not practicable. Thoroughly wet the debris with fine water spray. Shovel into asbestos waste bag. Small amounts of debris may be placed into bag, gloves being worn.

If debris is present in topsoil, remove upper layer of topsoil, such that negligible asbestos remains and dispose of this material with the asbestos cement debris. All visible debris should be removed from the contaminated area such as that any risk of fibre inhalation has been effectively eliminated.

A P2 or P3 filter with a half price respirator should be the minimum respiratory protection used for this work. Decontamination procedures should be followed at every work break during this work.

During any work in the area prior to final clearance, coveralls worn should be made from either 100% synthetic material or a mixed natural/synthetic fabric capable of providing adequate protection against fibre penetration of asbestos fibres down to a diameter of 0.5 micron and to a maximum 1% penetration of all airborne asbestos fibres. Once worn, disposable overalls are not to be reused or laundered.

The work area should be roped off and sign posted in order to restrict public access.

Where excavations are involved, all work should cease if it becomes obvious that friable asbestos waste has been buried on the site or if asbestos cement products are uncovered. Under such conditions, the area should immediately be assessed, and appropriate precautions implemented for the protection of all personnel.

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Dismantling of Removal Area

On completion of the asbestos removal job, all tools and equipment not used for cleaning should be removed from the removal area so that efficient vacuuming of the inside of the removal area can be carried out. Appropriate decontamination procedures must be observed.

By spraying the internal surfaces of the plastic containment around the removal area with polyvinyl acetate (PVA) or similar water based paint, any asbestos adhering by electrostatic attraction is effectively encapsulated. Personnel involved in this spraying operation should wear an airline respirator or a half face respirator fitted with combined organic vapour/dust cartridges.

Plastic surfaces may become very slippery while the paint is wet, so unnecessary movement within the enclosure should be avoided until the paint has dried.

The plastic enclosure surrounding the removal area may only be dismantled if a thorough inspection reveals no visible traces of asbestos contamination and air samples taken within the enclosure indicate a result below the level specified by the relevant statutory authority. The visual assessment may, in some circumstances, include analysis of settled dust within the enclosure by optical microscopy.

Air monitoring should only be undertaken once the PVA has dried, as the airborne mist will adversely affect the ability to detect fibres in the sample.

It should be stressed that visual inspection and air monitoring are complementary techniques and dismantling may only proceed after both techniques give clearances.

The sealing plastic may then be dismantled, folded, and placed in appropriate disposal bags and sealed. The sealing plastic should not be re-used but treated as asbestos waste (see section 13 of the NOHSC Guide to the Control of Asbestos Hazards in Buildings and Structures). Safety barricades and warning signs should not be removed until the complete area has been thoroughly cleaned.

Prior to resumption of normal work in the area by unprotected personnel, a comprehensive visual inspection shall be undertaken to ensure removal has been satisfactorily completed and that no source of asbestos dust remains in the area. Particular attention should be paid to the examination of ledges, tops of air-conditioning ducts, cracks in the floor, folds in plastic sheet and crevices or areas which may have been overlooked during the initial clean-up.

The asbestos removal job shall only be considered to have been completed when a visual inspection reveals no further evidence of asbestos contamination and static air samples give a clear result