Waste treatment channels and asbestos risk: worker exposure confirmed, but partially controlled
L’INRS and the CRAMIF just published the result of a study on exposure to the asbestos risk of workers in construction waste treatment systems.
Case study
INRS and CRAMIF conducted the study, notably through a inhalable dust and asbestos measurement campaign between 2018 and 2020 with the support of the FNADE and some FEDEREC-BTP.
A l’issue, un Document synthesis was published with the following objectives:
- D’informing the ordering parties of building works, construction companies and SPS coordinators, as well as professionals in the waste management sector, on the risks of emission and inhalation of inhalable dust and asbestos fiberse.
- To encourage them to implement collective and individual organizational and preventive measures to reduce worker exposure of this sector.
The result of the study
The measurement campaign made it possible to “note that the gestion implemented for this waste does not expose workers to concentrations greater than OELs in the absence of an accident situation“.
On the other hand, it confirms that “sites not authorized to receive asbestos waste are subject to accidental inputs“.
The causes of these fortuitous contributions are many :
- a failure identification of asbestos before work by contractors and a lack of knowledge of asbestos-containing materials by construction companies and individuals
- a lack of (re) knowledge of asbestos-bearing materials during asbestos identification before work
- a insufficient number of authorized outlets to receive asbestos waste near the work site.
On suitable sites, techniques can significantly reduce the risk (presence of bully for example).
INRS and CRAMIF recommend for sites not authorized to receive asbestos waste from, in particular provide staff with training to visually identify suspicious materials and to know and know how to implement routinely the instructions for managing accidental situations specific to each type of site.
They also state that “l’obligation to identify asbestos before work at the expense of the principals and the setting up information campaigns among depositors should ultimately help reduce the risk of accidental intake of asbestos waste“.
Finally, they point out that a complete network of the territory in suitable outlets accepting asbestos waste from individuals would help reduce the risk for workers.
More information in the Document synthesis.
To find out more and benefit from our day before regulatory, technical and normative, we to consult.
–
