This Slideshare presentation is a partial preview of the full business document. To view and download the full document, please go here: http://flevy.com/browse/business-document/asbestos-safety-talk-475 Asbestos - Safety Talk Asbestos comes from the Greek term ?amiantus?, which means unquenchable. It has been used for as long as 4500 years. Finnish peasants mixed it in pottery and sealed the cracks in their log huts with it. The ancient Greeks would use it for the wicks in their lamps and the ancient Romans wove the asbestos fibres to make fabrics with which towels, nets and even head coverings for the woman were made. Until the 19th Century asbestos remained just a curiosity. This changed when the Industrial Age emerged in the 1800?s and its full potential was discovered.

1. Asbestos
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© PA Services Group - SMARTsafe 2013 Document Number: ST062
Revision 2013 1.0
This pack contains:
• 8 - Page Talk Text
• 9 - OHP Presentation Slide Pack
Using the talks (Extract “How to Present Safety Talks”):
Plan which topic you want to discuss with your team.
Read through the script before you hold the meeting to
familiarise yourself with the material.
Start the talk with a comment that makes the topic relevant to
the team. For example, if you have seen a number of people
using ladders incorrectly, use this as your opening comment.
Follow the script but don’t read straight from the page. The
script is only a prompt and it will sound better if you use your
own words.
Ask the questions as they appear in the script. It is important
you do this because they are a lead in to the next section of
your talk.
Give the team enough time to answer the questions. Safety
talks can be boring for the team if you are the only one talking.
Hand out the information sheets as they appear in the script.
Don’t hand out all the information sheets at the start of the talk
otherwise there is a temptation for the team to read ahead and
not listen to the points you are making.
Collect the information sheets at the end of the talk so they
can be used again.
Safety Talk Mini - Delivery Pack
To obtain your full Safety Talk Delivery Pack go to: www.smartsafe.com.au
The full Safety Talk pack contains MS Office
Editable documents :
• 8 - Page Talk Text
• 9 - OHP Presentation Slide Pack
• 18 - A5 talk Handout Sheets
• Assessment and Assessment Answers Sheet
• Employee Attendance Register
• A “How to Present Safety Talks Guide”
Asbestos
SAFETY AWARENESS KEPT SIMPLE
SMARTsafe Safety Talks – ST062

2. Asbestos
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© PA Services Group - SMARTsafe 2013 Document Number: ST062
Revision 2013 1.0
WHAT IS ASBESTOS?
The word asbestos refers to several types of fibrous minerals. In its natural state, asbestos is found in
two-thirds of the rocks in the earth's crust.
Fibres are released by erosion and carried by the wind and, depending on where you live, you can inhale
between 10,000 and 15,000 fibres a day.
“Do you know of anything else that contains asbestos?”
Hand out sheet 1 – Water and Asbestos
Water also contains asbestos: anywhere from 200,000 to 2 million fibres per litre. In the regions of
Quebec where the world's largest asbestos mines are located, the drinking water contains up to 170
million fibres per litre!
This is nothing to be alarmed about as asbestos is harmless in water. The problem is not in ingesting
the fibres, but in inhaling them.
Researchers have identified three diseases that are associated with the “inhalation” of the various
types of asbestos fibre:
asbestosis, which is a form of fibrosis;
lung cancer; and
mesothelioma, a very rare form of cancer.
By 1918 overseas insurance companies were already beginning to refuse life insurance policies for
workers occupationally exposed to asbestos, apparently noting their unusually short life spans.
DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN TYPES OF ASBESTOS
Asbestos is a generic term applied to some mineral silicates of the serpentine and amphibole groups,
whose characteristic feature is to crystallise in fibrous form.
“Can anybody name the common names of asbestos types?”
Hand out sheet 2 – Asbestos Types
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3. Asbestos
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© PA Services Group - SMARTsafe 2013 Document Number: ST062
Revision 2013 1.0
It will take many more years before we see the health benefits from both the banning of blue and grey
asbestos and friable asbestos products (which began in the 1970’s) and the regulations which now
impose strict factory controls.
“Do asbestos insulation materials pose a threat to public
health?”
Hand out sheet 7 - Studies
Numerous studies of buildings containing friable asbestos insulation materials demonstrate that air-
borne dust levels within these buildings are not significantly different to outside levels (0.1 to 1
fibres/litre).
As a result, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the government authorities of several
countries have concluded that, if they are in good condition, these materials do not pose a health
problem to the occupants.
However, management programs that include inspections and corrective measures, whenever
necessary, are recommended for buildings containing asbestos insulation materials.
All maintenance workers must have access to adequate safety equipment, training and information
programs to ensure correct work practices are followed when handling these materials.
Removal of asbestos insulation should only be undertaken if the material is beyond repair or when major
renovation work or building demolition is needed.
THE DANGER OF REMOVING ASBESTOS
Asbestos removal is a very costly operation and must be conducted by highly specialized contractors.
Hasty removal of asbestos insulation considerably increases the probability that controls will not be
adequately enforced, therefore presenting a source of risk not only for the workers, but for building
occupants as well.
“Do you know of any dangers with replacement products?”
Hand out sheet 8 – Replacement Products
Some products used to replace asbestos contain natural or synthetic fibres that can be hazardous as
well. Unlike white asbestos, few countries have introduced appropriate regulations for these substitute
materials.
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4. Asbestos
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© PA Services Group - SMARTsafe 2013 Document Number: ST062
Revision 2013 1.0
SUMMARY
To protect employees, it is essential that dust emissions be controlled at all stages of the product
lifecycle, from extraction to product manufacturing, work on construction sites and even waste disposal.
By applying these control measures, exposures can be kept at levels that present no detectable risks to
the workers.
Asbestos should only be removed if it is damaged or deteriorating and therefore causing a health
problem. Removing asbestos without consulting an expert could result in health problems and
unnecessary costs.
Management programs for buildings insulated with asbestos must be developed on a priority basis and
applied to protect employees, maintenance and removal workers and the public.
Banning modern asbestos products, like chrysotile-cement, has done nothing to solve exposure
problems related to the presence of old insulation materials in buildings.
FURTHER REFERENCES FOR THE SUPERVISOR
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestos
http://safety.uchicago.edu/tools/faqs/asbestos.shtml
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5. Asbestos – ST062 © PA Services Group - SMARTsafe 2013
Water also contains asbestos, anywhere from
200,000 to 2,000,000 fibres per litre. In the
regions of Québec where the world's largest
asbestos mines are located, the drinking water
contains up to 170 million fibres per litre.
However, this is nothing to be alarmed
about, asbestos is harmless in water, as the
problem is not in ingesting the fibres, but
inhaling them.
Sheet 1 – Water and Asbestos
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6. Asbestos – ST062 © PA Services Group - SMARTsafe 2013
Because of its unique properties –
flexibility, strength under tension,
insulation (from heat and electricity) and
it’s chemical inertness.
asbestos is one of the most useful and
versatile minerals known to man. It is
the only natural mineral that can be
spun like cotton or wool into useful
fibres and fabrics.
Some companies still import asbestos
into Australia to make things such as
gaskets, brake pads and brake linings.
Sheet 4 – Properties of Asbestos
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7. Asbestos – ST062 © PA Services Group - SMARTsafe 2013
Numerous studies of buildings containing
friable asbestos insulation materials
demonstrate that air-borne dust levels within
these buildings are not significantly different
than the air outside (0.1 to 1 fibres/litre).
All maintenance workers must have access
to adequate safety equipment, training and
information programs to ensure correct work
practices are followed when handling these
materials.
Only remove asbestos insulation as a last
resort, if the material is beyond repair when
performing major renovation work or building
demolition.
Sheet 7 - Studies
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8. 1
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