UKATA Emergency Procedures — Questions and Answers
Question 1: If you accidentally drill into a material that starts releasing fibrous dust in a pre-2000 building, what is the FIRST thing you should do?
- Finish the hole quickly to minimise disruption
- Stop work immediately and put down the drill (Correct answer)
- Blow the dust away from your face
- Continue but put on a dust mask
Correct answer: Stop work immediately and put down the drill
The first action is to stop work immediately. Continuing to drill would release more fibres. After stopping, you should leave the area, warn others, restrict access, and report the incident.
Question 2: After an accidental asbestos release, who should be notified?
- Only the building cleaner
- Your supervisor, the dutyholder, and potentially the HSE (Correct answer)
- The local newspaper
- Only co-workers in the immediate area
Correct answer: Your supervisor, the dutyholder, and potentially the HSE
Following an accidental release, you must notify your supervisor and the dutyholder immediately. Depending on the scale of the release, the HSE may also need to be notified. This ensures proper remediation and assessment of exposure.
Question 3: What should you do with your work clothes if you have been exposed to asbestos fibres?
- Shake them off outside and continue wearing them
- Bag them as potentially contaminated waste — do not take them home (Correct answer)
- Wash them with your regular laundry
- Hang them up to air out overnight
Correct answer: Bag them as potentially contaminated waste — do not take them home
Contaminated work clothes must be bagged as potentially contaminated waste and should never be taken home, as this could expose family members to asbestos fibres. This secondary exposure is known to have caused mesothelioma in family members historically.
Question 4: In an asbestos emergency, why is it important to restrict access to the affected area?
- To prevent theft of building materials
- To prevent other people from being exposed to airborne asbestos fibres (Correct answer)
- To stop the work from falling behind schedule
- To protect the asbestos from further damage
Correct answer: To prevent other people from being exposed to airborne asbestos fibres
Restricting access prevents other people from entering the contaminated area and being exposed to airborne asbestos fibres. The area must be sealed off until it has been professionally assessed and decontaminated.
Question 5: What record should be made following an accidental asbestos exposure incident?
- No record is necessary if exposure was brief
- A detailed record including names of exposed persons, duration, and circumstances (Correct answer)
- Only a verbal report to a colleague
- A social media post to warn others
Correct answer: A detailed record including names of exposed persons, duration, and circumstances
A detailed written record must be made including the names of all exposed persons, the estimated duration and level of exposure, and the circumstances. This record must be kept for 40 years and is essential for any future health claims.
Question 6: If an asbestos fire breaks out in a building containing ACMs, what additional hazard does this create?
- No additional hazard — fire destroys asbestos
- The fire can release large quantities of asbestos fibres into the smoke and surrounding area (Correct answer)
- Asbestos puts out the fire
- The asbestos melts and becomes safe
Correct answer: The fire can release large quantities of asbestos fibres into the smoke and surrounding area
Fire can damage and break down ACMs, releasing large quantities of asbestos fibres into the smoke and surrounding area. This is why firefighters and building occupants must be warned about the presence of asbestos, and the post-fire contamination zone can be extensive.
UKATA Emergency Procedures
If you accidentally drill into a material that starts releasing fibrous dust in a pre-2000 building, what is the FIRST thing you should do?