Public Health Aspects of Asbestos Releases from Fires: POST-INCIDENT ASBESTOS DEBRIS CLEAN UP George Kowalczyk, Regional Toxicologist CRCE (Manchester)

Public Health Aspects of Asbestos Releases from Fires:

POST-INCIDENT ASBESTOS DEBRIS CLEAN UP

George Kowalczyk, Regional Toxicologist

CRCE (Manchester)

CIEH 5+1 PUBLIC HEALTH Melton Mowbray

24th February 2011

Where is Asbestos Containing Material Found?

Floor tiles(blue,brown)

Pipe lagging(White)

Asbestos cement Roofing (white)

Asbestos Insulation Board (AIB) Roof Tiles (brown)

Piece of AIB(brown)

Asbestos textured Coating (white)

What’s the worry?? - Public Concern

“Asbestos is scary!”

“Asbestos can cause cancer!!”

Fires in which asbestos cement roofing gets broken up and deposited can cause significant public concern:

Concerns about asbestos in smoke plume

Concerns about hazards from asbestos debris

Concerns clean up has been properly done

Concerns about long term health effects

Relevant evidence is limited

Indicates that fall-out from fires should have no long term or short term health effects

BUT ….

worryingly there are examples of health effects at low levels….

• School teacher with mesothelioma – only known exposure was removing drawing pins from asbestos board at school

• Female (died at age 30) whose only brief exposure to asbestos was in childhood when fall out from a large fire had not been cleaned up promptly.

HSE are currently reviewing evidence of risks low level exposure to asbestosCampaigns on going for Tradesmen and Schools – raised public awareness

What’s the worry?? - Public Concern

Asbestos release from Large Scale fires - Toolkit

Produced to support HPA in response to Fires involving ACM

Actions over four incident phases: - Notification- Response- Clean-up - Closure

Asbestos release from Large Scale fires:Toolkit Feedback

• HPA often called by LAs re: appropriate clean up advice

• HPA Toolkit distributed emailed to LAs

- Led to requests for a “LA version”

• CRCE produced a Questionnaire to assess current LA procedures

• Results used to develop a “LA Toolkit”detailing actions and clean-up procedures

Survey of LAs - Post-Incident Asbestos Clean up

Distribution of HPA Questionnaire to assess LA operationsfollowing large scale fire involving ACM

Aim:

- Identify variation nationally (England)

- Identify key gaps in procedures

- Identify areas of concern

- Assess the need for generic guidance

- Develop a Toolkit advising Best Practice

Recommendations from Survey of LAs

- Develop Standard procedures / guidelines for environmental clean-up e.g. Local Action Plan

- If would need to use private contractor – ensure have details prior to incident

- Need to understand clean-up procedure even when plan to employ private contractor

- If monitoring ensure accredited lab is used

- Ensure known contact with knowledge of ACM in LA

- Develop communication strategy, e.g. Pre-prepared Press statement - Need to develop toolkit for smaller fires, and alternative exposures

What next: Revision of Toolkit

“Responding to incidents involving ACMs”

To cover clean-up phase following large and small scale fires

What will the Toolkit cover?

• Flowchart supporting risk assessment- Phase 1 Initial notification and RA- Phase 2 Response and advice- Phase 3 Clean up and recovery- Phase 4 Follow up and closure

What will the Toolkit cover

• Flowchart supporting RA

• Checklists covering actions- Initial notification and RA- Response and advice - Clean up and recovery



• Checklists covering actions

• Key Points and summaries (supporting information for LA)

- Roles / responsibilities - Exposure - Health considerations - Monitoring needs- Clean up strategy- Legislation / enforcement- Joint workings




• Key Points and summaries

• Draft letters/Q&As for Residents




• Key Points and summaries (supporting information for LA)

• Draft letters and Q&As for Residents

• Example of a suggested clean-up procedure

Example of suggested clean up procedure

i) Identify furthest extent of ACM fall out from source of fire - Extend by 50m in straight line from

source.



source.

ii) Map area of contamination (GIS/CHEMET) - draw exposure triangle



source.

ii) Map area of contamination(GIS/CHEMET) - draw exposure triangle

iii) Divide triangle into clean-up grid units (maximum of 50mx50m)



source.


iii) Divide triangle into clean-up grid units

iv) Assess extent of contamination through walk over survey In each grid: Assess contamination extent

Sensitivity of locationsLevel of contamination



source.


iii) Divide triangle into clean-up grid units

iv) Assess extent of contamination through walk over survey

v) Use 3 x 3 matrix to prioritise clean up operationshigh contamination high risk areas first

MITIGATING FACTORS – EXPOSURE ; KEY MESSAGES

• Likely public exposure will be very low

•Unless the building is severely affected by fire, not all ACM will necessarily be involved

•Unless ACM is friable and/or weathered fibres are unlikely to be readily released

•Respirable fibres - small fraction of total particulates released

• Atmospheric dispersion and dilution will further reduce concentration of airborne fibres released to air.

KEY HEALTH POINTS FROM TOOLKIT

What next: Extend Toolkit Format to cover

Low level exposure to asbestos including:

• Indoor exposure - including incidents in schools and public places

• Fly-Tipping

• Asbestos in Gardens (contaminated land)

• Activity related exposure e.g. drilling into ACM board /garage break-up

• Bystander exposure e.g. following demolition of buildings

• Water contamination (AC pipes)

HEALTH RISKS• Main health effect likely to be anxiety about potential health effects / contamination

• No evidence of direct health effects of asbestos particles released in fires (data limited).

• Epidemiological evidence shows long term health effects are negligible

• Majority of asbestos involved likely to be chrysotile (white asbestos), considered to pose a lower hazard that other forms of asbestos

• Risks from short term inhalation contributes only very slightly to total lifetime risk

• ACM debris , in good condition, dampened down to suppress potential release of fibres, does not present a hazard to human if handled carefully.



MONITORING

• Air sampling carried out after a fire has not shown any significant levels of asbestos fibres in the air. Observed levels have been around or below 0.01 fibres/ ml (usual limit of detection) - in most cases it is not necessary to monitor the air after a fire

• May be considered for public reassurance in some incidents

• Optical microscopy (LOD 0.01 fibres/ml) adequate for reassurance monitoring

Conclusions

• Incidents involving ACM can cause significant public concern

• Survey of LA response following fires involving ACM has shown wide variation nationally and led to requests for standard guidance

• HPA have developed a Toolkit “Responding to incidents involving ACMs” – Clean up guidance for LAs - In process of consultation with LAs

• Aim is to post Toolkit on HPA website

• Toolkit will be extended to cover other low level exposure to asbestos containing materials

Case Study (Incident February 2011)

The landlord had asked a neighbour to remove asbestos sheeting from a boiler-room cupboard.

The neighbour was doing this job at the same time the HSE were investigating other properties in the block.

The HSE spotted the workers carrying the asbestos out of the flat, down the stairs and into a private car.

The HSE stepped in ………

If you were at the scene what would you have done?

Case Study - HSE actions

ordered the worker to hand over his car keys.

evacuated all the flats in the block.

told tenants of the flat and the workers remove their clothes and put on white overalls.

HSE brought in Envirosafe – monitored ; flat, stairs, communal areas and car grossly contaminated.

6 days to clean flat – Communal area furnishings carpets destroyed

What about the car????.........

Case Study - the car!

Owner tried to get it cleaned by valetting company – no joy

LA went to court and under S149 of Highways Act possessed car and sent it off to specialist crushing company.

Lessons ….

Thanks for listening – any questions??

Documents

Public Health Aspects of Asbestos Releases from Fires: POST-INCIDENT ASBESTOS DEBRIS CLEAN UP George Kowalczyk, Regional Toxicologist CRCE (Manchester)