Document bBvw2komLj9zRZYG9dXYEj4qo

FILE NAME: ICI (ICI) DATE: 1967 Jan 17 DOC#: ICI015 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Industry Report ASrESTCS HAZARDS r r . s r r i c r i o : ; i .tto the u s e c ? a s b e s t o s - t r e e u c g x s g s y s t e m s A J3 VACUUM C L E A N S FOB RBISOVITO AS3EST OS DUSTS A2.J FIBRES. iy ??.c^ jcT io:r A t a m e e tin g on D ecem ber $ th 1966 D r . P ip e r o u tlin e d the h az a rd u con nected w ith th a u e o o f aab esto a and reccnaended c e r ta in oenctirea to m inim ise these hazards. A=or.g the a c t io n s agreed e r a in v e s t i g a t i o n s to ha c a r r ie d o u t by tha r i to r in to the im p lic a tio n s o f e lim in a tin g a sb e sto s from fu tu re therm al I n s u la t io n BystemH and th a _e s ta b lis h m e n t o f p r in c ip le s f o r th e e p e c lf ic a t io n o f new th e rm a l i n s u l a t i o n s y s t e m s . 35C0i2^:3ATT0^5 F o r re a so n s o u tlin e d h a lo I t la recommended th a t a l l fu tu r e la g g in g l a carrie d out in accordanco w ith the fo llo w in g p r in o ip le o i- 2 .1 S la g wool or g la s s fib r e w il l be u sed , n o rm ally so preform ed, canvashacked sectio n s or m attresses. 2 .2 P r o te c tio n from m e ch a n ica l damage 111 be provided o n ly h ere e s s e n tia l and i l l be c a r r ie d out In g a lv a n is e d s t e e l or alum inium . . 2 .3 P r o te c tio n from ap illa g e o f liq u id s i l l be p rovided b aza n e ce ssa ry by sheet m etal w ith generous la p designed to shed the liq u id . 2 .4 W ea th erp ro o fin g l a t o ,, K c a r r ie d out by c o v e r in g outd oor work w ith t o -p ly r o o fin g f e l t and w ire n e ttin g u n le s s ther i s an exce p tio n a l f i r s hazard n e c e s s ita tin g th i: e x c lu sio n o f flam m able m a te r ia ls . In such cases a t a l c la d d in g , i s t o W 'lin e d ^ '.h?> 2 .5 A s b e s t o s --f r o e m a g n e sia and c a lc iu m s i l i c a t e w i l l he c o n e ld e r e d ban th e y become r e a d ily a v a ila b le , a s 111 a ls o the asbesto s f^qe ceiC B t fln lfill which l a b ein g d e v e lo p s , 2 .6 Vacuum c le a n e r s a re t o b a p ro v id e d a t a l l m a jo r fa o t o x ie a f o r d e a lin g w ith a sb e sto s duat produced d u rin g m aintenance o p e ra tio n s. These must have a f i l t e r on th a exhaust w ith a perform ance a t le a s t ae good aa 98^ e f f i c i e n c y a t 2 m ic r o n s . L e g i s l a t i o n a t p r e s e n t b e in g p repared cay i n s i s t th a t th ea e vacuum cle a n e ra d is c h a rg e by hoae to exhaust d u ctin g or to tha o u tsid e atm osphere. IS S U U T I C T SYSTEMS IK HOPTAL USE TITHTB TKZ D IV IS IO N U n til r o c e n tly tha v a s t c s j o r lt y o f la g g in g ap p lied in the D iv is io n co n sisted o f 8^ M agnesia in s e c tio n a l and p la s t ic fo r a covered 1th hard s e ttin g c o m p o s it io n . R e c e n t ly 855" K a g n e s ia haB been r e p la c e d w ith C a lc iu m S i l i c a t e , a naw m a t e r ia l w hich i s s l i g h t l y c h e a p e r th a n L fa g n e sia and haa s i m i l a r p r o p e r t i e s . B o th 65? lla g r .e s ia and C a lc iu m S i l i c a t e l a g g i n g c o n t a in a b o u t 125 A s b e s to s as reinforcem ent. The h ard s o t t i n g c o m p o s itio n , w hich c o n s is t e d o f p i a s t e r , m a g n e sia , a sh e o io a and perhaps j u t e , has been re p la ce d by aab eatos cem ent, w hich has su p o rio r p h y s i c a l p r o p e r t i e s at r o u g h ly th a Bams c o s t . A t Orb 1H11 tho 1fig g in g o f p ip e w o rk , e x c e p t i n th e b a i l o r house * ad c a r r ie d ou t in G la g w ool h ecau ce th e ap p earan ce and s t r e n g t h o f lla g n e e i a la g g in g was n ot considered to be worth th e e x tr a co st o f about 3 Q i. S lo g t o o l and g ln a a fib r e have a le * been uaed in other p la ce s such as d ep ots and o f f i c e b lo c k s . * _ . . . ___________ - _______ - ----:--- .v s -- * ~ y r \%k --S ' erv-` I n L \ 3- Cor.tdi A b so rp tio n o f l i q u i d s has seen a p a r t ic u la r problem -boro s p i l l a g e fla m r a b le liq u id s can o c c u r . V e ta l c la d d in g has n o n t a lly been unod in c a e c a , w ith Gonoroua ovorlaps arranged to shod tho l i q u id . of ouch thcrproofing o f la g g in g w ithin th ie D iv isio n ia m ainly carrie d out w ith two p ly r o o fin g f e l t h e ld on w ith b in d in g w ire and w ire n e t t i n g , but c c c c n t ocboazoo fin is h e s have been introduced re ce n tly at Slough because o f t h e ir cu p o rio r appearance end ease o f p a in tin g . 4. alter:?/.?:vs AS5Ss?os-raEz systems. The main a s b e s to s -fr e e in s u la t io n m a te r ia ls com m ercially a v a ila b le are s l a g wool T.rA g la n s f i b r e . Those a re r e a d i ly a v a ila b le in s e c t i o n a l fo r a w ith oanvas b a c k in g . O v e ra lz e s e c t io n s can be need f o r the la g g in g o f f l a n g e s and v alv es. The fin ish ed appearance o f canvas backed s la g wool or glaos fib r e la g g in g , thou gh I n fe r io r to cement fln le h e d calciu m s i l i c a t e and s im ila r m a te r ia ls , la ad eq u ate and has been q u it s s a t i s f a c t o r y a t Orb K i l l . W eathorproofirg can bo achieved u sin g 2 p ly ro o fin g f e l t w ith generous la p s arranged to shod l i q u i d , a l l p r o p a r ly w ired on and p a in te d . In a r e a s o f e x c e p tio n a l f i r e r i s k , where flam m able m a te r ia ls must be e x clu d e d , m etal c la d d in g can be u sed . 'j&X* The mechanical strength o f s la g wool or g la s c fib r e la ggin g is adequate e x c e p t where i t 1 l i a b le to be h i t by p o rta b le c o n ta in e rs , to o ls e t c . L aggin g h ig h le v e l pipes t i t a oystoxa which w ill allow ladders to be supported ag ain st them on rare o c c a s io n s i s not e c o n o m ic a lly j u s t i f i a b l e . Where n e c e s e n ry theao oftor systems can be p rotected w ith m etal c la d d in g , but t h is ia veTy expen sive on c cmp i ox p ip in g and must he r e s t r i c t e d t o e a n e n t i a l lo c a t i o n s . TTnors s p i l l ago o f f l osmabl ^ liq u i d n 1*] l a b i s ' t o o c c u r , m etal c lo d d in g ishoul-i be used, w ith gen ero u s l a p j a r r a u g v a t Led l i q u i d . V - ---- r High temperature a p p lic a tio n s , over about' 200*C (400*?) req u ire s p e c ia l a tte n tio n becauee aoas o f the b in d in g m a te ria ls norm ally used begin to f a l l a t th e s e tem p eratures. H igh tem perature re al a t e n t 's l a g wool and g la s s f i b r e must th erefo re be used above these tem peratures. * 5. COSTS. Too coot o f canv&e backed a la g wool or g la s s fib r e ap p lied as above i s about }( le a s than the coat o f Calcium S i lic a t e or Uagneela la g g in g w ith cecei asbestos fin ish . - e t a l c la d d in g co sta about th e soma a s th e s l a g wool or g la s s f i b r e under i t , d ep en d in g on the c o m p le x ity o f th e J o b . The o v erall costs o f la g g in g systems using asbestos free m aterials sh o u ld be somewhat low er than th o se o f com parable la g g in g system s u s in g Calcium S ilic a t e or agnosia w ith coment asbestos fin is h , provided th a t m e ta l c la d d in g i s k e p t t o a minimum. as above the 6. GTICCS V arious su p p lie rs are making g ro a t e f fo r t s to produce acceptable asb esto s f r e e magnesia or c a lciu m c l l i c a t e l a g g i n g m a t e r i a l s , but oo f a r o n ly one appoarB t o h a v e succeeded end he i a n o t i n f u l l p r o d u c t i o n . The m a t e r i a l i s a f i b r e r e i n f o r c e d c a g r .o o ia , b u t tho n a t u r e o f t h e f i b r e i s n o t y e t d i o c l o a e d . Tho same s u p p lie r i s Bald to be producing an asb esto s fre e cement f i n i s h . Thoro is l i t t l e doubt that b e fo re long these uaboEtoa free m a te ria ls w ill be a v a ila b le and t h a t tho p rice a w i l l be olo ae t o th o se o f th e m a te r ia ls which -3 - 6 . Ccr.U they replace. I t i s p rc o a b le , however, th a ,, s l a g wool and g l a s s f i b r e m a t e r ia ls - o r o e c o n o m ic a l, and i n c a k i n g the s e l e c t i o n t h e e a s e arx l^ cle n , a p p lic a tio n o f these m a te ria ls should he considered A ^ ^ S^ ftSS^ iip p e Sra ScS stren gth o f the o th e r s . - 7 . VACUUM APPARATUS AcheEton d u s t , su ch as as formed when d is tu r b in g and r e p la c in g e x i s t in g la g g in g d u rin g m aintenance o p eratio n e, should he reooved b y vacuum clean e rs bavin 211t o r s s u f f i c i e n t l y f i n e to p rev en t th e cm lseion o f ash esto a d u s ts and f i b r e s . ! I.'o v e ry firm in fo r m a tio n i s a v a il a h l o on th e a g re e o f f i l t r a t i o n re q u ire d , but the S r i t i c h Vacuum C le a n e r Co. can s u p p ly I n d u s t r i a l vacuum c le a n e r s com p lete ^ it h 'a b s o l u t e ' f i l t e r s on t h e i r e x h a u s ts , g iv in g e fficie n cy at 2 m icron s. They ad vise that th is ia adequate. Tho c o s t o f such a m achine, f i t t e d w ith fla m e p ro o f motor and s t a r t e r and w ith an 'a b s o lu t e 1 f i l t e r would bo about ^>00, In c lu d in g a l l the n e c e s sa ry attachm ents. The c o s t o f a d d in g an a b s o lu te f i l t e r t o an e x i s t in g machine would ho about 100 There aro other le s s c o s tly machines a v a ila b le , such as the Je t-V a c machine a t Stow aarket which c o sto about 200, and i a claim ed by the makers to be ad e q u a te , but a c a r e f u l ch eck would have t o be made o f th a f i l t r a t i o n e ffic ie n c y in each case* ' C le a r e r g u id an ce s h o u ld be a v a i l a b l e when l e g i s l a t i o n , a t p re s e n t b e in g prepared,1a published* . . I t i s q u it e p o e a ib le t h a t t h i s l e g i s l a t i o n w i l l i n s i s t on d is c h a r g e t o outside atooephere o r to m eohanical e x tra ctio n v e n tila tio n d u c ts. In any c a s e , r e s p ir a t o r s must be worn even when u a in g a vacuum c le a n e r to c l e a r up d u s ts c o n t a in in g a s h e s to a , b ecau se some d u s t w i l l i n e v i t a b l y ha d is tu r b e d w ithout b e in g caught b y the vacuum c le a n e r . JAC/fcSS 17th Ja n u a r y , 19^7 A-- > 1