Removing asbestos containing floor tiles and mastic
Preparing the work area
Restrict access - minimise the number of people present.
Close doors. Use tape and notices to warn others.
Ensure adequate lighting.
Equipment
Warning tape and notices, Class H vacuum cleaner for large areas, sharp knife, hammer; scraper, shovel, garden-type sprayer containing wetting agent, bucket of water and rags, asbestos waste container, eg labelled polythene sack and
clear polythene sack.
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Provide: disposable overalls fitted with a hood, boots without laces (laced boots are hard to decontaminate), and-respiratory protective equipment.
Procedure
Can you avoid removal, eg by overlaying with non-asbestos material? Warn the building owner about the presence of asbestos material, so it can be managed properly.
Removal
Place the scraper in the joint between the tiles. Lift the tile gently - try to avoid breakage.
For firmly-fixed tiles, tap the scraper with the hammer.
For a large tiled area, lift tiles using a shovel. This speeds up the job and avoids kneeling close to the tiles.
Spray water under the tiles as they are lifted, to suppress dust and wet any asbestos paper that may be present.
Wet any asbestos paper tile backing as the tiles are lifted.
Gently scrape up adhering mastic. You can soften mastic with solvent, by warming with an infra-red lamp, or embrittle it with dry ice.
Place debris in the waste container.
Caution: Never sand the floor.
Cleaning and disposal
Where you have removed only a few tiles, use damp rags to clean the floor. Clean larger areas with the Class H vacuum cleaner. Clean the equipment with damp rags.
Put debris, used rags and other waste in the asbestos waste container and tape it closed.
Put the asbestos waste container in a clear polythene sack and tape it closed.
Disposal
Double-wrap and label asbestos waste. Standard practice is to use a red inner bag with asbestos warnings, and a clear outer bag with the CDG sign.
If you carry waste, use a sealed skip, or a vehicle with the following: -segregated compartment for asbestos; -easily cleanable; and -lockable.
Otherwise, arrange for transport by a registered waste carrier.
Safe disposal - at a licensed disposal site.
Complete a Waste Consignment Note. Keep copies of these documents for three years.
Personal decontamination
Clean your boots with damp rags - see sheet em7.
Where available, clean your overalls with the brush attachment on a Class H vacuum cleaner. Vacuum off the brush
Otherwise, use damp rags by a patting' action. Rubbing can disturb fibres.
Where there are two workers, they can help to clean each other.
Peel off disposable overalls. They should be inside out. Put them in a suitable asbestos waste container.
Bag up re-usable overalls for a specialist laundry.
Finally, remove your disposable respirator and place it in the asbestos waste container.
Tape the container closed.
Can you use site washing facilities? If so, they must be for your use only.
Keep other people out during personal decontamination, and until you have cleaned the facilities.
Wash every time you leave the work area.
Clearance and checking off
Visually inspect the area to make sure that it has been cleaned properly. Clearance air sampling is not normally required Get the premises owner, duty-holder or client to check off the job.
Removing asbestos containing floor tiles and mastic
By: Keith Kelly
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