Document y1nXQzL9E3oL6re5peyVBk73

FILE NAME: Sprayed Asbestos (SPRA) DATE: 1978 Sept 15 DOC#: SPRA035 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Letter to Parliament RE Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Asbestos - House of Commons From the Of/ice of the Director Safety xecutive Koj.in.t 1ions-,' J!/)C)i(J Maiyk ltone k o m ' London N W 1 5RR Telephone 01 -723 12G2 ext TO', (after b.30 pm 01 -723 4bG3,, Telex 2b683 1 5 September 1978 Dear Member of Parliament HEALTH AND SAFETY AT FORK ETC ACT 1974 1. Following discussions with the SerJeant-at-Arms Office, I am writing to let you know of the action being taken to deal with asbestos present in the House of Commons building. 2. There are two main problems, namely (a) The sprayed insulation in the roof space of the House of Commons Chamber. , (b) The internal linings of the ventilation ducts supply! air to most parts of the House of Commons complex. The removal of white asbestos insulation from pipe-work which i being modified as part of the conversions to the central heatin system is of a wholly conventional nature. It does not presen! the contractors or others with a problem, and no further reference is made to this matter in the remainder of this lette SPRAYED INSULATION IN THE COMMONS CHAMBER ROOF SPACE 3. This insulation contains a high percentage of crocidolite (blue asbestos). On inspection it was found that the existing sealing treatment was incomplete and that this sealing had beer subsequently damaged by the activities (e.g. maintenance/ alterations) of persons entering the roof space. The floor and other surfaces of the roof space were thus contaminated with crocidolite dust. A. This roof space acts as a plenum duct for extracting air fr the House of Commons Chamber itself. Whilst the House is sitti and the ventilation plant is running, forced air movement is upwards from the Commons Chamber into the roof space. It is th extremely unlikely that persons in the Chamber during sessions of the House have been exposed to crocidolite dust, although nr air samples had been taken before remedial work started. Accei - 2- LO maintenance staff.ltself has been restricted to PSA At HSE' s reau est Mv. , - ?r* f o r ^ d S S g " ^ ^ Wre banedenrerseps tirraictoterdy ptor opteecrtisvoen esq^uwipC^nnt?r?y1^to 1th*ePrroo otef cstipvaec ec^loatsh^im ^ ^ ^ n--r-0l_space Insul^-in.. space insulationLdadecontam? sfrted re-sealing the roof surfaces of the r" ? space S ? 11?6 the floor arid othe? remove any immediate hazards TM S ^ eatmert will sffectivelv maintenance personnel are c l i s e l v ^ n ^ activities of Y PSA however that the crocidollfp7^ ' ? r? P ed* HSE has advised completely as soon as n^art?;1^ lnsulation should be removed consultati^ b e t w ^ ^ ^ 2 ^ * be <*se tor this removal work t +c +f V' n the Precautions n e r p c ^ ^ o " ^ Wl11 o ^ o u s w be i n ^ r ^ hT e VENTILATTDtj nTtP^c b Parts of the , areas of the House of l ^ fcion ducts which supply air to a'othT ??oslte (one o f t h e ^ C r m s ^ f ^ s h &f e lined internally iasorwhaipteersaosnbeswtoorsk)i.ng HSE reaulrPQ in a cSJtTM? asbestos P^^on generically known s to be provided f?oerr,ttpnsyCttrn thE?e Eltoewm hl eavde blleseveneo? s ^w i tfc h V oo ff ffatmoarof,srPa,hboervee-f oA^fStehrotuhres afoirr PinSAthsehodwuecdts a s fo llo w s ! a" 0 5 it e conta n in astiaomnpleosf tthaekTMen ^0,01 0 readins)' leSE thTM 0-01 0 2 - readi"n6gs^) ifppoCCc 'PHd 1Vhrrr- .. . , , ^ p v e S i l S I 0^ t ^ to the ducts or in the rooms sup, v/as operating. Further air a a ^ L ? 116 Jhe ventilation system Oh residual contamination of th roomsBconJerae?6" tC heck Areas^ofjjullain,, involved l u p p l L V a i ^ t f ^ ?yf h m,wlth amosite-lined duct R(> - 3- complex House of Commons Chamber itself n4,.j , Writing rooms, MPs' secretaries! ? J Sl"" i?bbles> offices, Hansard and Times o f f i c e s R e r a r t ^ 8* TM ' C00 ^ : offices. ' om ce St 0fflce and Clerk of the House lowSconcentrations ofS^ o s i t + v ? e ?een e x P osed to these the House l l V o Z o n s f ^ T e c ^ r t e s ^ t * ? ' Sta f 0f Cook staff, Post Office staff ^ ? epo^ters Thomas general public. * Metropolitan Police and the Agreed action on duct linings amosite d u ^ l l ^ s T e ^ e ? 88 bee,\ shut down ^ the system is re-started &rf belnS completely removed. When the woJkTM |n?hehI o n " l r t o r H f ^^of^he^em edial acMon!" S e S 3 B^ r ? E 18 alS Pcriodic^nspectlons o? PSA' ClfflRENT ASBESTOS LEVELS IN COMMONS CHAMBER remediairactionenaliasi0niSyStem had been shut doTM for Commons Chamber'at HSE^stequest'6 Leve?sn th8 P oor of the Commons Chamber before the publii werl ^ t t ^ w e r e : 1" 0.04 (3 readings), 0.03 (3 readings), 0.02 (2 readJnp-O 0 . 0 1 (6 readings) and less than ofoi ( 2 reading!) fpfc o r o M e l ^ d i n S f f p c f ^ T n 11 52mf dayE lat ^ ^ r e less than c?ocid o?fte0nb u f S S L S " ? 5 f -P -an tlfyS g8^ 1^ ; of 5 l" awTMacTth" ^ ^ S S to r d 1 l o!I 'Sc!?**""**" *8 INFORMATION TO EMPLOYEES AMD EMPLOYERS representative^0 ?he information in this letter to Th!!! iSc1ndrf+Q?? ^ ^ i 0118 cateSrles of employees. aff of the House of Commons, Metropolitan Police, / - 4- Post Office, Thomas Cook, MPs` secretaries working in the House and Reporters. 11. Should you wish to discuss this matter further, please' get in touch with Mr R J Seymour, Area Director for London North West Area, at Chancel House, Neasden Lane, London NW10 telephone 01 459 8844 - Extn. 369. Yours faithfully JOHN LOCKE Director General HSE PS: Since drafting this letter I have been informed by PSA that the work of re-sealing the roof space insulation, mentioned in paragraph 5 above, has now been completed.