Cutting Away and Asbestos Training

[Messyshaw]

With firefighters routinely having to lift floors and open up walls to cut away, damp down and other reasons, there is obviously a risk of coming into contact with asbestos 

With no chance of pre planning, (ie risk assessment & method statement) I assume this work comes under dynamic risk assessment (DRA)

I recently attended a course aimed at staff who are also required to carry out similar unplanned construction work with a risk of asbestos, live cables and the like. They also adopt a DRA approach 

The course information provided and procedures in place were extraordinary. They assume asbestos  contamination every time use a lightweight decon process at every job. It was a country mile from what I was taught many years ago - which was nothing. 

 

So what training is given now to ops crews, especially in identifying asbestos and other risks when cutting away?

Its alright saying a DRA is required,  but unless you have the competence, how would you know?

For example, I had no idea that an office with raised floors built in 1995 may have asbestos in the adhesives used to stick the raised floor pylons to the sub floor. I thought the mid 90s was far too late for asbestos 

There were lots of other surprising examples 

[Becile]

@Messyshawbefore cutting away and during a gas detector is deployed to ensure that any harmful gases are not present - then ful rpe is employed.

Tricky to actually identify all the harmful(respiratory) elements including asbestos as it could be literrally every where - so any cutting away should have personal issue face fitted rpe (half mask).Filtters changed after use if asbestos suspected , PPE bagged up at scene (after an initial wet decon damp down) and sent away for cleaning. Definatetely no dirty kit in cab. If pump is off the run so be it !

All part of the wider contaminants peice which hopefully is gaining momentum in most services.