Asbestos testing: up in the air

Asbestos is well established as the single biggest cause of work-

related death in the UK. We now understand the management of
asbestos better than ever, but do we always get the fundamentals
right?
In July 1984 the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published an update to guidance
note EH10, Asbestos Control Limits, measurement of airborne dust concentrations
and the assessment of control measures, which introduced a limit value of 0.01
fibre/ml. The guidance stated that where this value was exceeded following asbestos
removal works, remedial action should be taken before reoccupying the location. If
there was less than this amount of asbestos in the air, then the environment was
notionally safe. So was born the clearance indicator.
- See more at: https://sm.britsafe.org/asbestos-testing-air#sthash.EuXWzKfg.dpuf
This value is still used today following asbestos removal works, albeit as part of an
in-depth post-work assessment process called the four-stage clearance procedure.
It is also used more generally, for example, to show that an asbestos enclosure is
not leaking or simply to reassure anyone who may be concerned about their
asbestos. Many employers and dutyholders will request a test to check that an area
is safe. If the test result is less than 0.01 fibre/ml, it is considered so. - See more
at: https://sm.britsafe.org/asbestos-testing-air#sthash.EuXWzKfg.dpuf

Reference:https://sm.britsafe.org/asbestos-testing-air
The value has stayed the same, although there have been modifications to the
sampling and analytical technique; this value, now nearly 30 years old, is often
misused and misunderstood. Employers and dutyholders often see it as a true
indication of safety and/or that no asbestos is present. The value has taken on a
magical significance as the holy grail of safety in asbestos, but is it really used
correctly?
While 0.01 fibre/ml certainly looks a low figure, if it is scaled to fibres per cubic metre
of air, the same value becomes 10,000 fibres/cubic metre. Tell an employer that the
level is less than 10,000 and they may sit up and take notice. It is the limit allowed by
the measurement technique, but certainly not a safe level.
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So what is the safe level? There isnt one.
However, published studies tell us that
buildings containing asbestos products in
good condition have an airborne
concentration up to about 0.0005 fibre/ml
(or 500 fibre/cubic metre). Again, not a
safe level, and such background levels
are probably falling as we remove even
the asbestos products in good condition.
However, this is a better marker of safety
than the 30-year- old clearance indicator
of 0.01 fibre/ml. - See more at:
https://sm.britsafe.org/asbestos-testing-
air#sthash.EuXWzKfg.dpuf
So why do we still use it? For asbestos removal works it is simply a matter of what is
practical. The standard method may take an hour to do, but measuring the
background levels could take you all day to achieve this level of sensitivity. In some
ways it does not matter, as a good asbestos removal project should ensure that once
the enclosure is removed, the level in that area falls to background very quickly. It
does so because the contractor (verified by the independent analyst) should have
made sure all traces of asbestos have been removed as far as reasonably
practicable. If there is no asbestos in the room, then anything left in the air (at <0.01
fibre/ml) will quickly dissipate. - See more at: https://sm.britsafe.org/asbestos-testing-
air#sthash.EuXWzKfg.dpuf
For leak testing of asbestos enclosures and for general reassurance we can do better
with well thought out sampling strategies. The analyst needs to think about the reason
for the test and how best to interpret the findings. If an employer is worried about a
location they should not simply put the pump on for an hour, but all day or night, and
do not refer to the <0.01 fibre/ml limit, but maybe <0.001 fibre/ml or even <0.0005
fibre/ml. The dutyholder may not understand the numbers but the competent analyst
should and should be looking to prove safety as far as possible. - See more at:
https://sm.britsafe.org/asbestos-testing-air#sthash.EuXWzKfg.dpuf

Reference:https://sm.britsafe.org/asbestos-testing-air
Such matters are for the competent asbestos analyst, consultant or occupational
hygienist. Furthermore, air testing is not just about the test but about proper advice
for the given situation. If an analyst passes an air test at <0.01 fibre/ml outside an
asbestos enclosure but sees suspicious-looking fibres down the microscope, then
the analyst should investigate; it is not simply about the test result.
If an employer is worried about a dusty environment, they should not do a disturbed
air test to see if it is okay. First, they should seek to understand the environment
and whether the dust could contain asbestos. If not, theres no need for a test, but if
it could contain asbestos and is likely to be contaminated, then a disturbed air test
would be foolhardy. A non-disturbed air test would be pointless: the dust still needs
to be cleaned up.
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There are 1,001 situations the competent person may come across that cannot simply
be resolved by taking a sample or switching a pump on. HSE guidance cannot answer
all the questions, but the competent person should be able to and should be able to
adapt the tests to the situation.
Why do surveyors or analysts take dust samples from surfaces and upon finding a
single asbestos fibre condemn the environment as contaminated, only to find,
following an environmental clean, that the room achieves an air test of <0.01 fibre/ml
(remember thats <10,000 fibres in every cubic metre of air)? A further dust sample may
find a further fibre, so the air test is meaningless in such a case.
Competency does not come from simply being able to switch on a pump and analyse
an air test, but it comes from being able to know how to investigate and resolve any
given situation. It comes with experience, from encountering many different situations
and learning from peers. It also comes from qualifications that set the trainee on the
road to competency.
With such qualifications, candidates can, with experience, progress to a certificate of
competency in asbestos. There are many situations that the competent person will
come across and be required to advise on, whether it is telling an employer not to
worry at all about asbestos-containing sink pads or how to investigate and understand
a contaminated environment. Where competency is not achieved, the advice can be
poor, dangerous and costly.
Some employers are told to annually inspect their asbestos-containing sink pads or
roofing felts even though no meaningful risk exists. They do so along with their high-
risk asbestos products. Why not ignore the sink pads and better inspect/manage the
really important stuff? The consequence of poor advice can be poorly focused and
costly asbestos management strategies.
A competent person risk assesses the situation and provides proper advice; those who
are not competent sometimes test and test again, following guidelines in a robotic and
uneducated way. Asbestos is a killer but we must target our understanding and
resources properly. We must risk assess and control the real risks properly.

Reference:http://asbestoswatchlogancity.com.au/asbes
tos-testing/