FIRST: Asbestos Identification, Testing,

Inspection and Management

1- Identify the Asbestos in Products and Materials

Asbestos has been identified in more than 3000 products and materials. The most common form of
Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) that people readily identify is fibro. In many instances people are
unaware of other common materials that may contain asbestos such as the black pad underneath your
sink, vinyl tiles or sealants. The physical identification of asbestos includes the type of asbestos and the
whether the material is bonded or friable. Asbestos identification is conducting by viewing fibres within
the material under a microscope. This will lead to the potential identification of Chrysotile (white
asbestos), Amosite (brown asbestos) or Crocidolite (blue asbestos). An asbestos inspection will also
identify whether the material is bonded or friable. Friable asbestos is a material containing asbestos that
can be crushed or pulverized into a powder by hand. Friable material can be broken up into the air more
easily which then allows the fibers to be more readily inhaled into the lungs. Thus being a higher
potential for fiber release and subsequently inhaled.

Accurate Asbestos Identification for Better Asbestos

Management
Listed below are products identified during asbestos inspection

 Membranes  Air conditioning

 Millboard  Bitumous products
 Paper  Concrete
 Pit linings  Compressed sheeting
 Pipe lagging  Corrugated asbestos
 Pointing work  Ceilings
 Sealant  Electrical backing boards
 Sound dampeners  Fibro sheet
 Spandrel panels  Fire doors
 Spray applied coatings  Gaskets
 Spark arresters  Heaters
 Water pipes  Insulation
 Window putty  Mastics
 Vinyl floor tiles

24 East Autostrad Buildings, Sakr Korish, Maadi, Cairo, Egypt

Tel: :(+2)(02)27491365 Fax: :(+2)(02)27491406 Mobile: 01221732510
Website: www.first-env.com E-mail: info@first-env.com
 2- Asbestos Inspections
An asbestos inspection by a qualified asbestos consultant is recommended to ensure that the most
accurate results are obtained. The biggest risk in undertaking asbestos sampling by yourself is not
knowing exactly what materials may contain asbestos. In the process they will take samples and analyze
if the material contains asbestos and most importantly to conduct a risk assessment of the material based
on the likelihood of the material to liberate fibers under the current conditions.

The three main types of asbestos inspections include:

 Management inspections;
 Refurbishment & demolition inspections; and
 Clearance Inspections

Management Inspections
The primary focus on an asbestos management inspection is to identify Asbestos Constraining Materials
(ACM) within the building and provide a risk assessment of those suspected materials. The inspection is
conducted by an asbestos consultant who will walk through and identify as much as can be reasonably
practicable the building element that may contain asbestos. The materials are placed into the asbestos
register with a risk assessment, location and photos to depict what the ACM look like. Management
asbestos inspections include the following:

 Presumptive asbestos inspections; or

 Sampling asbestos inspections

Presumptive asbestos inspections presume that the material contains asbestos whereas sampling asbestos
inspections require that the asbestos consultant samples suspected asbestos materials. The samples are
analyzed at the laboratory to determine if asbestos is detected and the type of asbestos that it may
contain.

Not all suspected materials will contain asbestos. This may depend on the building age, type and method
of construction. In most instances there commonly is between 40 - 80 % of the suspected building
elements containing asbestos.

Asbestos Inspections during Refurbishment and Demolition

Refurbishment and demolition inspections are carried out to identify and remove asbestos materials to
eliminate the risk of exposure to workers and the surrounding environment. Sampling is conducted
to determine if the building material or element contains asbestos. The inspection involves partial
destruction of the finishes whilst people are not in the building, prior to the actual demolition or
refurbishment. Refurbishment and demolition inspections are required even if a management inspection
have been carried out. This is due to the refurbishment and demolition inspections being a more
intrusive inspection of the building. The cavities of walls and ceilings not normally able to be accessed
will be looking into where possible to identify these hidden materials.

If the refurbishment & demolition inspections aren’t conducted, there is the risk that builders or trades
could cut through and disturb these hidden materials until it’s too late during a renovation.
Clearance Inspections
A clearance inspection is conducted after asbestos has been removed and a competent person deems that
the area is safe to re-occupy. There are two main types of asbestos inspections to determine whether the
area is clear of asbestos. This is depending on whether the material is considered:

 Non-Friable (NF) asbestos; or

 Friable Asbestos (FA).

Non-friable asbestos is also commonly called bonded asbestos and is a relatively stable form of material.
Clearance inspections after the removal of non-friable (bonded) asbestos generally includes a visual
inspection to ensure that there is negligible ACM remaining. The asbestos clearance inspection of
friable material requires air monitoring to be undertaken as well as the visual examination. In the
majority of friable removal work, an enclosure or bubble is required to minimize the release of asbestos
fibers in to the air. Prior to the enclosure being dismantled, an inspection and air monitoring must also
be undertaken before allowing people to re-occupy the area.

3- Asbestos Testing
The only way to tell whether building material contains asbestos is to undertake asbestos testing.

Testing is conducted using two types a stereo microscope to identify fibers and then a Polarizing Light
Microscope (PLM). The testing confirms that the fibers are composed of structured crystal lattice that
exhibits a refractive index within a specified range.

The reported results will identify whether the material may contain Chrysotile, Amosite or Crocidolite,
or whether the testing does not detect any Asbestos Containing Material (ACM).

Air testing can be conducted which measures the concentration of fibers within the air. This testing is
conducted to determine any exposure and also assesses whether control measures are effective during
removal work.

The air testing uses pumps which draw air through filter and the filter is then viewed under a Phase
Contrast Microscope (PCM). The test protocol requires that only fibers that are greater than five microns
long and less than three microns thick are assessed.

A sample is collected by drawing a measured quantity of air through a membrane filter by means of a
sampling pump. The filter is later transformed from an opaque membrane into a transparent, optically
homogeneous specimen. The respirable fibres are then sized and counted in accordance with defined
geometric criteria, using a phase contrast microscope and calibrated eyepiece graticule. The result is
expressed as fibres per millilitre of air, calculated from the number of fibres observed on a known area
of the filter and the volume of air sampled.

4- Asbestos Air Monitoring

FIRST Company provides asbestos air monitoring services for:

24 East Autostrad Buildings, Sakr Korish, Maadi, Cairo, Egypt

Tel: :(+2)(02)27491365 Fax: :(+2)(02)27491406 Mobile: 01221732510
Website: www.first-env.com E-mail: info@first-env.com
  Asbestos removal air monitoring to ensure that there isn’t significant asbestos fibers in the air
while asbestos containing material is being removed;
 Air monitoring for asbestos fibers in the air within asbestos removal enclosures to ensure that the
Respiratory Protective Equipment is adequate;
 Clearance air monitoring, to ensure that the level of asbestos in the air is less than the detectable
limit after the removal of asbestos containing materials;
 Reassurance testing if you are concerned about the level of potential asbestos fibers in the air;

Asbestos air monitoring is conducted to the Guidance Note on the Membrane Filter Method
for estimating Airborne Asbestos Fibers, 2nd Edition [NOHSC: 3003(2005)].

5- Asbestos Management Plan

An Asbestos Management Plan (AMP) outlines the roles and responsibilities who have control in the
workplace to ensure that the risks of asbestos exposures are eliminated or reduced to a negligible risk.
The first step in assessing the organizations exposure to asbestos to undertake an asbestos inspection of
buildings, structures and grounds to identify where the Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) may be
present.

This information is presented within an Asbestos Register so that people who are likely to come into
contact can identify where the ACM is located and understand the risk of the hazard when it was
inspected. Other risks than just building materials that may also need to be assessed within an Asbestos
Management Plan. This may include situations where ACM may be handled. For instance during
asbestos removal work where a Removal Control Plan is required or the handling of rubbish if it is
illegally dump on the streets or in waste disposal tips.

Construction companies and trades should have an asbestos management plan in place which outlines
how they may deal with suspected ACM before conducting work on a building.

Effective Asbestos Management Plan to Reduce Asbestos Related

Risks
The process in which the way in which ACM is dealt with will be dependent on the system of work
which is conducted. A consultant or occupational hygienist will assist you to

 Identify ACM in the workplace

 Assess the risk
 Control the risk

The aim of the Asbestos Management Plan is to provide awareness and prevent exposure to fibers in the
workplace. Guidelines will also include the roles of people within the organization so that there is clear
identification as to who is responsible in controlling and communicating the risks.

If workers are likely to be exposed to fibers then health surveillance may also be required through the
consultation with an occupational physician. The asbestos management along with health surveillance
will help to assist the likely risk based on medical assessments of employees. These high risk jobs tend

24 East Autostrad Buildings, Sakr Korish, Maadi, Cairo, Egypt

Tel: :(+2)(02)27491365 Fax: :(+2)(02)27491406 Mobile: 01221732510
Website: www.first-env.com E-mail: info@first-env.com
to be those such as ACM removal work. The AMP will include how often that people may need to be
referred to a medical practitioner.

Legal Requirements
According to Environmental Protection Law No. 4 of 1994, Modified by Law No. 9 of 2009 and its
executive board:

ASBESTOS :
Asbestos dusts with fibers lengths of more than 5 micrions.
AMOSITE 0.5 of fibers per cm3 of air
CROCIDOLITE 0.2 of fibers per cm3 of air
OTHER KINDS 0.2 of fibers per cm3 of air

24 East Autostrad Buildings, Sakr Korish, Maadi, Cairo, Egypt

Tel: :(+2)(02)27491365 Fax: :(+2)(02)27491406 Mobile: 01221732510
Website: www.first-env.com E-mail: info@first-env.com