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A CAFM enabled handheld computer |
Each year building services professionals seem to face a number of major changes in the way they work or how their roles are regulated. One of the most recent‘causes celebre’is how to discover,manage and dispose of the asbestos in buildings.
Although recent legislation prohibits the use of asbestos(with the exception of a few specialist engineering uses)we are still left with the legacy of the extensive use of asbestos in buildings dating back to the early and middle part of the 20th Century that will take some time to resolve,regardless of legislative deadlines.The major issue is that so much of the UK’s asbestos is either forgotten, ignored or hidden as a number of recent cases demonstrate.
It is the legacy of this material that is still responsible for some 3,600 deaths in the UK each year from asbestos related illnesses including lung cancer,asbestosis and mesothelioma.This death toll was the underlying factor for the introduction of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002 which came into force in May 2004. Such is the seriousness of this hidden legacy that there we are now in a second phase of deaths related to asbestos where the majority of victims are those who have accidentally or incidentally come into contact with the material.Tellingly,two of the groups most at risk to exposure,according to HSE statistics,are electricians and electrical engineers.It is also interesting to note that there were just 153 deaths attributable to similar causes in 1968.
This issue has become so important on a national level that it was even discussed in the House of Commons,unheard of for Health and Safety legislation.In the debate on the subject in the run up to the new legislation,the minister responsible for health and safety,Nick Brown,said that he expected there to be an additional 5,000 deaths over the next 50 years due to exposure to asbestos.
Under the regulations,managers have a duty to assess whether buildings contain asbestos containing material(ACM),to generate risk assessments and develop a process to manage ACM to minimise the risk of exposure.The onus is very much on the duty holders to prove they have taken a proactive approach or face prosecution if they fail to demonstrate that they have complied with the approved code of practice.
Yet,one year on there is still an enormous lag in the widescale implementation of the legislation.In the first six months following its introduction there were just 70 enforcement notices issued for breaches of the regulations.This is in spite of the fact that fines have been increasing steadily,with one demolition firm in the Midlands fined £245,000 and a director from another organisation disqualified last year for using unprotected workers to move materials at onsite.
Some commentators have also raised the relatively low level of awareness among building occupiers of their obligations.According to John Richards,Laboratory Head with Thames Laboratories:"It is very rare for us to be offered a management plan when signing into a property.Less than ten percent of the surveys we undertake result in the production of a management plan and,at times,we feel the reports we prepare are simply not read by occupiers and just filed so that a box on the compliance form can be ticked or produced when the next inspector calls.”
So how can building services engineers ensure a more enlightened level of compliance? For a start,the most relevant part of the new regulations is Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos at Work 2002 which lays out the following duties:
• Take reasonable steps to find ACMs and check their condition.
• Presume materials contain asbestos unless there is strong evidence they do not.
• Make a written record of the location and condition and keep it up to date.
• Assess the risk of exposure.
• Prepare a plan to manage that risk.
Advice on compliance with the regulations is evolving all the time. In February,the HSE announced the publication of the new guidance document for asbestos analysts:‘Asbestos:The analysts guide for sampling,analysis and clearance procedures,’which replaces previous guidance.
In a handbook published by WorkplaceLaw,Mick Dawson of the hazardous materials consultancy Casella offers three possible routes to compliance with the new regulations.
The first is a thorough survey and total removal programme,which would guarantee compliance but would be expensive and is not recommended by the HSE.
The second is to do nothing in the short term but assume that all unidentified material contains asbestos and carry out surveys and removal programmes as they arise.This does protect people from asbestos but may be more costly in the long run and makes it difficult to prove compliance with the code of practice.
The final (and preferred) option is the introduction of a management system that reviews the property stock and identifies where asbestos is likely to be present.Surveys would then be carried out in those buildings/areas where ACMs are most likely to be present and an assessment made of the risk.If the material is in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed it can be left in place.An asbestos management system should be maintained and updated when action is taken.This ensures that all information is made available to those who could come into contact with asbestos.
The features of such a management programme are perfectly suited to implementation with a CAFM(Computer Aided Facilities Management) system.Doubtless there are other systems available on the market but Service Works’ own QFM software now includes an option that will create a survey to assess risk,set priorities and create scheduled risk assessment programmes for in-house staff and asbestos contractors.
Whenever asbestos is discovered,the integrated system will highlight related areas that also present a risk.One of the great beauties of this feature is its ability to work across an entire estate or portfolio and tie in with wider FM systems to create comprehensive work programmes based on intelligent and informed risk assessments. It also makes sure that all available information,including photographs and AutoCAD drawings,are easily shared between interested parties.It ensures full compliance with legal requirements including the production of worksheets for contractors and the generation of risk assessments and priorities.
And,of course,it creates a full register of work carried out to ensure compliance with the code of practice and an audit trail to prove it.
This not an issue that is going away and new legislation is emerging all the time.Later this year the UK will introduce new Hazardous Waste Regulations in response to the EU landfill directive that will oblige employers to be able to describe what is present in their waste and what steps they are taking to manage and dispose of it. Next year will see an update to the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations.
It is essential that we strive to comply with these regulations.Not only because of the threat of litigation but,more importantly, because it will help to work towards cutting the number of people, most of whom work in building construction and maintenance,who fall victim to asbestos related illnesses each year.
