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Guidance on Asbestos Waste

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a natural mineral made up of many small fibres. Asbestos was commonly used as an acoustic insulator and in thermal insulation, fire proofing and other building materials and many products in use today contain asbestos.

There are three main types of Asbestos:

• Blue Asbestos - Crocidolite
• Brown Asbestos - Amosite
• White Asbestos - Chrysotile

Asbestos Risks?

Asbestos can be harmful if dust containing the fibre is inhaled. Accordingly, bound asbestos where such fibres are not loose (e.g. asbestos cement) presents significantly less risk than fibrous asbestos (e.g. in crumbly or loose-fill asbestos type products). However, all asbestos products, as potential sources of fibrous dust, should be treated with caution and handled carefully. 

Where can Asbestos Products be found?

Asbestos has been used about the home in building materials and consumer goods, particularly to resist heat and to give fire protection.

Asbestos was most commonly used:

• as insulation lagging in buildings and factories, on pipe work and for boilers and ducts;
• as asbestos insulating board, such as Asbestolux and Marinite, used as wall partitions, fire doors, ceiling tiles, etc;
• as asbestos cement products such as sheeting on walls and roofs, tiles, cold water tanks, gutters, pipe and in decorative plaster finishes; and
• as a spray coating on steel work, concrete walls and ceilings, for fire protection and insulation.

Asbestos material can be inadvertently disturbed during maintenance, repair or refurbishment work on building. Drilling, cutting or other disturbance of existing asbestos materials can release asbestos fibres into the air. Accordingly, aasbestos products should always be handled carefully

If there is uncertainly about whether material contains asbestos, expert advice can be sought from asbestos monitoring/surveying companies, which are listed in the Classified Telephone Directory.

http://www.goldenpages.ie/Results.asp?origin=NEW&rubric=select&what=Asbestos&where=

If you need to remove Asbestos there are a number of stages in the process.

1. Removal or dismantling of the asbestos containing material from a building.
2. Preparation of the Asbestos for transport.
3. Transport of the Asbestos to a authorised transfer station or disposal facility
4. The actual disposal of the Asbestos.

This guidance document will highlight some of the issues associated with these different stages.

Handling of Asbestos

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is the appropriate body to contact with regard to the handling of asbestos. Significant information relating to the handling of asbestos is freely available from the HSA website at http://www.hsa.ie/eng/  Any queries concerning working with asbestos should be directed to the Workplace Contact Unit at the Health and Safety Authority.

Telephone  1890 289 389
Fax  (01) 6147020

A specialist contractor should be engaged to carry out work on asbestos products or to demolish asbestos products, particularly where significant amounts of asbestos are present or where asbestos products are worn or damaged.

In the case of asbestos products where the asbestos fibres are tightly bound, (e.g., asbestos cement roofs) and the material is in good condition, specialist asbestos removal contractors may not always be necessary.  Nonetheless, stringent precautions (available from the HSA) must be taken in such instances.

Disposal of Asbestos Waste

Asbestos waste is a hazardous waste, which must be disposed of properly. Waste disposal comes under the remit of the provisions of the Waste Management Acts 1996 to 2008.  Asbestos cement waste is classified as hazardous waste under European waste legislation, and a specific code applies to waste construction material containing asbestos (EWC 17-06-05*).

Once the asbestos cement is removed safely, it should be wrapped in heavy gauge polythene (labelled for asbestos). Again, reference should be made to the Health and Safety Authority regarding such work with asbestos. There must be strict adherence to any instructions given by a Local Authority or waste collection permit holder regarding the packaging of asbestos waste for removal.

Asbestos cement waste must only be surrendered to a waste collection permit holder authorised under the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007, to collect this type of waste.  Therefore Sligo County Council advise that the public ask to see and note the contractors waste collection permit number. The validity of any permit may be checked with Sligo County Council. A list of permitted Waste Collectors is attached for your information.

Within the State, asbestos cement waste can only be disposed of at a waste facility licensed by the Environmental Protection Agency. Asbestos cement waste can also be accepted at a hazardous waste transfer station licensed by the Environmental Protection Agency.  Hazardous waste transfer stations accept asbestos waste and then arrange to have the waste disposed at an appropriate facility either inIrelandor abroad.

As a hazardous waste, the movement of asbestos cement waste within the State is subject to a notification procedure, involving the provision of consignment notes to the Local Authorities of despatch and destination. This can be organised by the authorised waste collector.

Hazardous Waste Transfer Station

Licensed to accept asbestos cement waste 

Waste Licence Register Number W010-0192
Telephone: 01 - 401 8000

The export of waste from the country is also subject to control procedures under EU and national legislation, Waste Management (Shipment of Waste) Regulations 2007.

Authorised Asbestos Waste Collectors

Companies who test material to see if it contains Asbestos

1. Phoenix Environmental, Kilkenny      Telephone Number 056-8832414
2. OHSS, Balbriggan                             Telephone Number 01-6905907

For further information contact:

Matthew Byrne
Waste Enforcement Officer
Environmental Services Section
Sligo County Council
Unit 9 Cleveragh Business Park
Sligo

071 9111 906
mbyrne@sligococo.ie

Pete Murtagh
Waste Enforcement Officer
Environmental Services Section
Sligo County Council
Unit 9 Cleveragh Business Park
Sligo

071 9111 915
pmurtagh@sligococo.ie