Class A and Class B Asbestos- All You Need To Know - 0 views
started by anjalinzrs on 20 Feb 20
started by anjalinzrs on 20 Feb 20
started by anjalinzrs on 20 Feb 20
started by anjalinzrs on 20 Feb 20
Thousands of New Zealanders and millions of people around the world get affected by asbestos. Asbestos is the term used to refer six naturally occurring silicate minerals, all composed of long fibres so thin that about 150,000 asbestos fibres are the size of a rice grain or one strand of your hair.
The history of asbestos is 4,500 years old when it was used in ceramic pots but it’s large –scale mining began in late 18thcentury for its fibres which were soft and flexible yet resistant to heat and electricity.
How does asbestos affect our health?
The problem is that these tiny fibres if inhaled, can get deposited in airspaces in the lungs and is the cause of 3 main illnesses asbestosis (scarring of lungs), mesothelioma and lung cancer.
The greater the exposure, and the longer the time of exposure, the greater the risk of developing an asbestos-related disease. However, there is no “safe” lower limit of exposure that has been identified. All exposure is thought to add to the overall risk of disease development
As per the Ministry of Health NZ, the possible health risks from asbestos depends on the below factors:
But why should you know about the classifications of asbestos?
The type of license required to remove asbestos is dependent on the category it falls into- that is Class A or Class B. In case you find asbestos in your property this information can help you analyse if the removalist has the right type of license for the nature of work or not. Asbestos licence system is to ensure that people conducting any asbestos-related job possess the necessary skills and experience to keep themselves and others safe.
Find out what to do if you find asbestos in your property
As per the approved code of practice for asbestos removal by the Health and Safety Work Act, 2016 the level of training is directly associated with:
What is Class A Asbestos?
Class A Asbestos also known as “friable asbestos” is the most dangerous types of asbestos and can be removed only by a licensed Class A removalist. If asbestos in a dry state and can easily be crushed to powder by hand pressure or can crumble easily since the fibres are loosely bonded, this is “friable asbestos”. Due to this nature, it is considered to be most dangerous because the fibres can easily be released into air increasing the risk of high exposure. The primary exposure to asbestos is from breathing the asbestos fibres that are released in the atmosphere.
Any asbestos removal jobs that involve this type, is always performed in a fully contained area with sealed airlocks and certified filtration devices.
Where is Friable Asbestos found?
What is Class B Asbestos?
Class B asbestos is considered as “non-friable”, the reason being that the asbestos fibres are bonded. This type of asbestos is usually mixed and sealed into building materials like cement and tar, bitumen products to make the material stronger (usually contain less than 15% of asbestos). The fibres in this type of asbestos are bonded tight enough that it cannot easily crumble, therefore the risk of exposure is reduced if it is not damaged or disturbed.
What to do if the Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) is damaged?
To carry out any job related to this type of asbestos a technician should possess Worksafe Class B license.
Where can it be found?
Can a Class B licensed removalist perform a Class A job or vice-versa?
A Class A asbestos removal company can perform both friable and non-friable removal but must have a Class B trained and certified technician. However, a Class B certified firm can only remove non-friable asbestos.
All removal work requires to be performed with extreme care and risk can be minimised by ensuring all the safety procedures are in place. Like using correct Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE), safe working method, decontamination facilities and approved code of practice for safe packing and disposal of all asbestos waste.
Also, a Class A job will always have air monitoring to undertake to ensure that the site is asbestos free and is safe to occupy.
How to know whether its asbestos or not?
A sample tested in an approved laboratory is the easiest way to find out if a material contains asbestos and what type of asbestos is it. The best way is to contact a licensed asbestos removalist and they can Take care of the job from start to finish
How to know whether the asbestos is friable or non-friable?
The DIY technique to remove your walls, roof and tiles is probably not the best way to determine the classification of asbestos. Contact NZRS to help you with all your asbestos enquiries.
Click here to contact a WorkSafe licensed Class A asbestos removal firm.