Handling asbestos
Why must I know where asbestos is?
Do I need to wear protective clothing
if I handle asbestos?
I'm not sure if my home contains asbestos
- do I need to wear protective clothing if I'm doing a simple
DIY job?
How should asbestos be removed?
What do I do with asbestos once it has
been dismantled from structures?
Can I take any removed asbestos to the
local dump?
Answers
Why must I know where asbestos is?
Asbestos becomes a risk to health if quantities of fibres
of a certain size become airborne and are subsequently inhaled.
While fibres are only released from most asbestos products
when they are disturbed or worked incorrectly, some products
are friable (crumbly and easily pulverised) and asbestos fibres
can be released easily.
If it is known where asbestos is located and what type it
is, proper precautions can be taken and maintenance staff
advised of the risks prior to any work commencing. Labels
should also be fixed at strategic places to warn workers
of the presence of asbestos materials.
Building owners and managers will also be able to determine
appropriate remedial action should asbestos be an immediate
threat to health.
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Do I need to wear protective clothing if I handle asbestos?
You must wear a half-face particulate filter(with two straps)
or a half-face respirator fitted with a dust/particulate cartridge
appropriate for asbestos (a class P1 or P2 filter cartridge)
when handling asbestos. There are class P1 and class P2 respirators,
which are disposable. The respirators must comply with Australian
Standard 1716.
Wear disposable overalls to prevent contamination of clothing.
After work is complete, remove overalls and mask, seal in
a container and mark "Asbestos contaminated clothing"
for proper disposal. Wash hands thoroughly.
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I'm not sure if my home has asbestos materials - do I need
to wear a mask and protective clothing if I'm doing a simple
DIY job?
The simple answer is yes. If you are hanging a picture on
an asbestos cement wall (or a wall suspected of containing
asbestos) you should, as a minimum, wear a class P1 or P2
half face respirator.
Remember, the key is to minimise generating dust from asbestos
cement sheeting.
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How should asbestos be removed?
The National
Code of Practice for the Safe Removal of Asbestos (1988)
has been adopted in the Northern Territory (and other States)
and sets out the practices that people working with asbestos
should follow.
In the Northern Territory anyone removing greater than 10
square metres of asbestos cement material or any amount of
other asbestos materials (such as lagging, sprayed on insulation,
etc) must have Asbestos Removal Licence issued by NT WorkSafe.
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What do I do with asbestos once it has been dismantled?
Thoroughly wet all the asbestos and maintain in a wet condition
until packaged for transport. Place the asbestos on two
layers of polythene sheeting (approximately 0.2mm thick)
and completely wrap the asbestos. Seal all plastic edges
with ducting tape.
Label the packages with a warning sign about 75mm x 90mm,
stating: Caution: asbestos. Do not open or damage bag, do
not inhale dust.
Asbestos bags already labeled may be purchased from a supplier
of safety equipment.
It is illegal to dispose of it with your weekly rubbish
collection. Asbestos waste can be disposed of through an
authorised local council tip. Contact your local council
or the Office of Environment and Heritage – 8924 4139 in
Darwin, 8951 9201 in Alice Springs – for further information.
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Can I take any removed asbestos to the local dump?
The law requires that all asbestos cement sheeting and off-cuts,
pipes, insulation, collected dust, and protective clothing
must be wrapped, labeled and disposed of only at a site
licensed by the Office of Environment and Heritage (phone
Darwin, 08 8924 4139 or Alice Springs, 08 8951 9201). It
is illegal to dispose of asbestos with your weekly rubbish
collection. Asbestos waste can be disposed of through an
authorised local council tip (contact your local council
for further information).
Asbestos bags already labeled may be purchased from a supplier
of safety equipment.
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Other FAQ Categories
General asbestos questions
Health risks
Testing for asbestos
Asbestos in schools including answers
for parents
Asbestos in remote communities
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