UKATA Emergency Procedures 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Who is responsible for ensuring an emergency plan for asbestos incidents exists?
- Individual workers
- The dutyholder or employer (Correct answer)
- The fire brigade
- The local council
Correct answer: The dutyholder or employer
The dutyholder or employer is responsible for ensuring emergency procedures are in place for potential asbestos incidents. This includes having plans for accidental disturbance, fibre release, and ensuring all relevant workers know the procedures.
Question 2: During an asbestos emergency, should you turn on the building's HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system?
- Yes, to ventilate the area
- No — the HVAC system could spread asbestos fibres throughout the building (Correct answer)
- Only if it has a HEPA filter
- It makes no difference
Correct answer: No — the HVAC system could spread asbestos fibres throughout the building
The HVAC system should be turned off during an asbestos emergency. The ventilation system could pick up airborne asbestos fibres and distribute them throughout the building via ductwork, dramatically increasing the contamination area.
Question 3: What type of professional should be called to clean up after a significant asbestos release?
- A regular commercial cleaning company
- An HSE-licensed asbestos removal contractor (Correct answer)
- The building caretaker
- Any available construction worker
Correct answer: An HSE-licensed asbestos removal contractor
A significant asbestos release must be cleaned up by an HSE-licensed asbestos removal contractor with appropriate equipment, training, and disposal capabilities. Regular cleaning staff do not have the necessary equipment or training.
Question 4: Following an asbestos exposure incident, what health monitoring may be recommended?
- No monitoring is needed
- Regular lung function tests and chest X-rays, recorded in the individual's health record (Correct answer)
- A one-time blood test
- Weekly temperature checks for a month
Correct answer: Regular lung function tests and chest X-rays, recorded in the individual's health record
Following significant asbestos exposure, health monitoring including lung function tests and chest X-rays may be recommended. These should be recorded in the individual's health record and continued over the long term due to the long latency period of asbestos diseases.
Question 5: What is the correct method to dampen down an area after an accidental asbestos release?
- Use a pressure washer to blast the area clean
- Gently mist the area with water using a spray bottle to suppress airborne fibres (Correct answer)
- Pour buckets of water over the contamination
- Use compressed air to blow fibres into one corner
Correct answer: Gently mist the area with water using a spray bottle to suppress airborne fibres
Gently misting the area with water using a fine spray helps to suppress airborne fibres and prevent further spread. Aggressive methods like pressure washing or compressed air would create more airborne fibres and worsen the contamination.
Question 6: After an asbestos emergency has been resolved, when can workers return to the affected area?
- Immediately after visible dust settles
- Only after air monitoring confirms fibre levels are below the workplace exposure limit (Correct answer)
- After 24 hours regardless of conditions
- Whenever the employer decides
Correct answer: Only after air monitoring confirms fibre levels are below the workplace exposure limit
Workers can only return to the affected area after professional air monitoring confirms that airborne asbestos fibre levels are below the workplace exposure limit (0.1 fibres per ml). A 4-stage clearance process is typically followed for licensed work areas.
UKATA Emergency Procedures 2
Who is responsible for ensuring an emergency plan for asbestos incidents exists?