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Risk of Asbestos Exposure to Employees: Asbestos Chrysotile Fuse Carriers

Asbestos components have been used in various electrical fuse boxes and their carriers, (fuse). Electricians are most at risk of handling these asbestos materials when maintaining or replacing old electrical equipment. Electricians where possible have a duty not to disturb asbestos fuse guards , but if they do then they need to ensure that the asbestos fuse carrier is disposed of safely.

The employer has a duty to prove that their staff are working safely and protect the public when asbestos materials are disturbed. Although working with asbestos fuse guards / carriers is of very low risk, there must be an assessment made relating to the activities being under taken to prove that the risk is being managed appropriately.

Exposure Limits in the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 are specifically for guidance only. The purpose of the Control Limit set within the Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2012 is not to define a safe level of exposure, but to act as a trigger for additional controls. Such examples are asbestos licensing for the work, notification of the work to an enforcing authority, medical checks and records for the exposed workers and air monitoring.

Personal sampling is therefore required to gather information on occupational exposures, and thereby making an assessment of compliance with the appropriate control limit of 0.1 f/ml as a Time Weighted Average (TWA). This is taken over an 4 hour period to have a representative sample of air that would normally inhaled or exhaled, to ensure that any respiratory equipment supplied is capable of providing suitable protection against the airborne fibre concentrations emitted through their daily work.

A monitoring report would be fundamental, to be able to prove that your staff are working safely. This will involve activities to simulate the daily work carried out by the employee. The 10 minute peak exposure level is part of the means to determine whether an activity and the resultant exposure can be regarded as 'sporadic and low intensity' and therefore not required to employ additional controls on asbestos licensing, notification, medicals or air monitoring.

Below are a number of photo graphs illustrating fuse boxes that either contain asbestos or house asbestos fuse carriers. This is just a small selection of asbestos containing electrical equipment that electricians are likely to encounter within domestic properties or unused / derelict buildings.

Please refer to the Asbestos Air monitoring article on type of air testing that would be undertaken to prove that the exposure was below the control limit. Tests would include:-

• Personal testing
• Background Monitoring, and
• Reassurance Air Monitoring

We provide consultancy services to advise and develop procedures on how best to handle asbestos fuses, personal protection, safe disposal of asbestos and prepare an asbestos monitoring report.

Further Information

If you would like to know more or are interested in a quote we would be happy to help. Phone us on 07730 446 224, email us at info@survey-safe.com or fill in our enquiry form and we will be in touch as soon as possible.