The aim is to minimise generating any dust or fibres and to avoid contaminating the work area:
- Work with asbestos-cement products in well-ventilated areas, if possible, outdoors
- You must wear a half-face particulate filter or a half-face respirator fitted with a dust/particulate cartridge appropriate for asbestos (a class P1 or P2 filter cartridge). There are also disposable class P1 and class P2 respirators. The respirators must comply with Australian Standard 1716. Wear disposable overalls to prevent contamination of any clothing. After work is complete, remove overalls and disposable mask, seal in a container and mark "Asbestos contaminated clothing" for proper disposal. Thoroughly wash hands.
Warning on dust masks: Do not use the simple disposable dust masks - these provide no protection against asbestos fibres. Disposable dust masks (also called 'nuisance' dust masks) are useless against hazardous substances and should not be used. These are not really protective devices: they perform badly and should not be used for protection against fine dusts, welding fumes, asbestos, fine sand, paint spray, gases, vapours or aerosols, and other hazardous substances.
- You must wet down the material thoroughly before you start work, and keep it wet while working. This reduces the release of dust during handling. Do not use high pressure water jets as this may increase the spread of any loose material.
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Do not use power tools, abrasive cutting or sanding discs on asbestos-cement products. Only use non-powered hand tools (eg guillotine, hand-saw) as these cause a smaller quantity of coarser dust and waste chips.
- Use plastic drop sheets to collect cut-offs and coarse dust. Clean up any remaining asbestos-cement in the work areas with a vacuum cleaner appropriate for collecting asbestos fibres (should comply with Australian Standard 3544). It is unsafe to use a domestic vacuum cleaner as the waste is not properly contained. If you have to sweep, keep the surfaces wet to keep down the dust.
The Queensland government has produced a video: Working safely with asbestos - for the home renovator which provides advice to home owners to ensure that any removal work done by non-professionals is done in a manner that does not create a risk. Remember, however, that if the work is being done by a paid worker, then that Part 4.3 (Asbestos) of the regulations must be complied with.