Asbestos

CONTEXT

Asbestos is a term applied to various minerals composed of fibrous crystals, which have notable thermal and acoustic insulation capacities, in addition to presenting significant fire, chemical and mechanical resistance.

For many years, due to its fireproof and insulating properties, asbestos was widely used in construction and general industry for the insulation of steam pipes, boiler seals and the valves of pipes carrying hot fluids, and for the protection of steel profiles to delay the possible collapse of structures in the event of fire. However, its commonest use was in the composition of fibre cement roofs.

Since 2002, however, a ministerial order has prohibited the use of all varieties of asbestos in Spain, in addition to the sale and distribution of any product that may contain it. Its prohibition is due to the verified risk that it poses to human health from the inhalation of its microfibres, which may cause a number of different carcinogenic pulmonary diseases.

The attention placed on asbestos, following its prohibition, is due to the procedures for the identification, maintenance, removal and/or demolition of structures that in the past were constructed with this material in order to control its impact on the users of the buildings and the professionals involved in its handling.

OBJECTIVE

Avoid accidental and ongoing exposure to asbestos fibres of users of installations where this material can be found.
Provide incentives for the replacement, through certified companies, of all installations that are still composed of this material and as such run the risk of human exposure to its microfibres.

PROPOSALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Assess the possibility of there being suspicious materials and conditions in the building, in accordance with its construction date and subsequent intervention timeline; consider the type of uses in spaces in which the possible presence of asbestos has been detected; verify its conservation and carry out maintenance; and analyse the environmental factors of its surrounding area.
Always use certified companies inscribed in the Asbestos Risk Companies Register (RERA) of the corresponding autonomous community, which employ specialist technicians with suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) and draw up a specific work plan for each condition of the asbestos in the building. The responsibilities of the contracted company will be to:
- Take samples and analyse them in specialist laboratories to confirm or rule out the presence of asbestos in the material.
- Assess, if asbestos content is detected, the risk that the presence of the material poses in the corresponding area. The following factors should be considered in this regard: the quantity and composition of the type of fibre (amphibole fibres are more hazardous than serpentine ones); the friability of the material, which is defined as the capacity of its fibres to break into smaller pieces; its condition, which will affect the extent to which its microfibres are friable; and the internal or external location of the material, which will determine its degree of conservation, the friability of its microfibres and the potential risk of inhaling them.
- Make a decision about the material and possible responses to its condition. If the material presents high exposure to inhalation (high risk), it is necessary to remove it; if the material presents a possible inhalation exposure (medium risk), it is advisable to isolate it with a physical barrier or stabilise it with a sealing product; if the material presents low exposure to inhalation (low risk), it is advisable to indicate its presence and design a maintenance plan.
- If the asbestos materials are to be maintained, regularly assess and check the work environment with the aim of preventing the exposure of the material to medium or high levels of risk.

REFERENCE EXPERIENCES

Information only available in Catalan

Experiència en el municipi de Portugalete. En aquest municipi es disposa d'una experiència a nivell local d'inventari, diagnòstic i retirada d'elements d'amiant, tant de l'espai públic, com dels equipaments. Van presentar el seu treball en la Jornada de 2011, organitzada per SEMATEC "Com abordar avui el risc d'exposició a l'amiant i evitar malalties futures? Antecedents, bones pràctiques i experiències recents. "En aquesta Jornada es van tractar també altres experiències amb l'amiant.
Pla d'acció per al tractament i eradicació de l'amiant en l'àmbit metropolità de Barcelona, aprovat el 30 d'abril de 2019. Conté un conjunt de mesures a aplicar de forma progressiva per a l'eliminació o substitució de l'amiant, amb una perspectiva fins a l'any 2028.

LEGISLATION

Reial Decret 396/2006, de 31 de març, pel qual s'estableixen les disposicions mínimes de seguretat i salut aplicables als treballs amb risc d'exposició a l'amiant.
Reglament (CE) núm. 1907/2006 del Parlament Europeu i del Consell, de 18 de desembre de 2006, relatiu al registre, l'avaluació, l'autorització i la restricció de les substàncies i preparats químics (REACH), pel qual es crea l'Agència Europea de Substàncies i Preparats Químics. (A.XVII (Restricció), Apen.7 (Etiq.))
RD 105/2008, d'1 de febrer, pel qual es regula la producció i gestió dels residus de construcció i demolició.
Norma UNE 171.370-1: 2014 amiant. Part 1: Qualificació d'empreses que treballen amb materials amb amiant.
Norma UNE 81.752: 2006 Atmosferes en el lloc de Treball. Determinació de fibres d'amiant i altres fibres en aire. Mètode del filtre de membrana / Microscòpia Òptica de contrast de fases.