GREENROCK VENTURES LTD POLICY AND GOOD PRACTICES FOR ASBESTOS MANAGEMENT

  • Workers will not eat, drink, chew or smoke within any work area containing asbestos.
  • Drop sheets and barriers used in the work area will be wet-wiped or vacuumed with a HEPA-filtered vacuum.
  • Drop cloths will not be re-used.
  • Barriers and portable enclosures will not be reused unless they are rigid and can be thoroughly cleaned.
  • Compressed air will not be used to clean up and remove dust from any surface.
  • Clean the work area frequently and at regular intervals during the work and immediately on completion of the work.
  • Dust and waste will be cleaned up and removed using a vacuum equipped with a HEPA filter, or by damp mopping or wet sweeping, and placed in a container. The container will be:
  • Dust tight and suitable for the type of waste,
  • Impervious to asbestos,
  • Labelled as containing asbestos waste with a warning that the dust from the contents should not be inhaled,
  • Cleaned with a damp cloth or a vacuum equipped with a HEPA filter immediately before being removed from the work area, and
  • Removed from the workplace frequently and at regular intervals.
  • Before leaving the work area, workers will decontaminate their protective clothing by using a vacuum equipped with a HEPA filter, or by damp wiping, before removing the protective clothing. If the protective clothing will not be reused, the clothing should be placed in a container as described above. Workers will wash their hands and face before leaving the work area. Greenrock Ventures Ltd will provide adequate wash facilities.
  • A double locker facility is often used to assist workers with cleaning up after working with asbestos, particularly after medium- to high-risk operations. A “double locker” requires two locker rooms with showers between. Using double locker rooms allows workers remove asbestos contaminated clothes in one locker room, then shower off asbestos contaminants, then use the second locker area to keep their street clothes. Double locker rooms are required in certain jurisdictions.

Controlling the spread of dust beyond the work area is critically important so that people outside of the work area are not exposed to asbestos fibres. The specific controls to achieve this vary from using polyethylene sheeting barriers for low-risk operations, to setting up a separate ventilation system, maintained under a negative pressure for high-risk work areas.