Asbestos as construction material

In Finland asbestos was used as construction material 1922 - 1992. Asbestos was particularly used between 1963 and 1979. Asbestos was used in construction for example in pipe insulation, injection

In Finland, asbestos was used in construction materials between 1922 and 1992. The use of asbestos was particularly common in 1963-1979. In construction, asbestos has been used in pipe insulation, spray-on insulation, fillers, powder adhesives, paints, adhesives, construction boards, ventilation ducts, plastic mats, grout, tiles, vinyl tiles, fire insulation, doors (especially fire doors), anchoring compounds, and roofing and façade materials.

The attitude towards asbestos has gradually become stricter in terms of legislation, and the use of spray-on asbestos was prohibited in Finland in 1977. The production of asbestos-containing materials was discontinued in Finland in 1988. In 1988, asbestos removal work became subject to a licence. The manufacture and import of asbestos-containing construction materials was banned at the start of 1993, and its sale and use from the beginning of 1994. Although its sale was prohibited at the start of 1994, asbestos-containing construction materials may still have been sold after this date.

Register of Asbestos Removal Licenses

Asbestos removal can be performed by natural persons, such as private individuals or entrepreneurs as well as legal persons, such as limited liability companies, cooperatives, and public bodies that have been authorised for it.

The Occupational Safety and Health Department at the Finnish Supervisory Agency maintains a register of asbestos removal licences.

Link to the Register of Asbestos Removal Licenses (Register in Finnish).

Asbestos survey

The contractor or another person guiding and supervising the construction project must ensure that an asbestos survey is carried out for asbestos removal work. The obligation applies to a person or organisation initiating a construction project, or other similar operator that directs and supervises a construction project, or, where none of the above exist, the client. In practice, all buildings erected before 1994 must be surveyed for asbestos before removing or dismantling structures.

As part of the safety planning of construction work under the Decree on the Safety of  Construction Work, the contractor/developer and the general contractor must consider during all work phases i.e. dust prevention and reduction as well as the prevention of its spread, procedures for occupational hygiene assessments, removal work, and the reconciliation of different works and work stages.

In all renovation projects, it must be determined whether the structures to be removed or repaired contain asbestos. The asbestos survey should be sufficiently systematic and reliable so that appropriate conclusions can be drawn on the nature of the work.

Usually, the basis for the survey is knowledge of the use of asbestos-containing materials in construction. If the asbestos concentration of the materials cannot be verified in any other way, the asbestos concentration is assessed through a laboratory analysis. If the results of the survey leave uncertainty on the presence of asbestos in structures that are to be demolished, handled, or removed, the work must be carried out as asbestos removal work using enclosures.

The asbestos survey aims to identify any asbestos present at the site and determine the type and amount of asbestos. During the survey, the location of asbestos is investigated and it is marked in state diagrams and construction drawings as well as work descriptions as unambiguously as possible i.e. in writing and with images.

When determining the type of asbestos, crocidolite must be distinguished from other types of asbestos. In addition, the amount of dust that will be created in the handling or removal of the asbestos-containing materials must be investigated in the asbestos survey. The survey must indicate how the asbestos concentration of the material was determined.

The asbestos survey must be carried out by a person with sufficient vocational knowledge of asbestos, its presence, and the removal of structures, who has the professional competence required for the type and scope of the survey. The qualifications of the person performing the survey may be based on e.g. building health expertise, an AHA certification, or sufficient vocational competence and knowledge of legislation.  Eurofins Expert Services maintains a directory of specialists with the aforementioned certificates in their online service at Sertifikaattihaku.fi.

The asbestos survey is documented. The asbestos survey must be given to the responsibility of the general contractor, employer initiating asbestos removal work, or self-employed person in order for them to plan and carry out the work safely. In practice, in construction work, this mainly means that the contractor includes an asbestos survey in the safety document for the planning and preparation of construction, which is regulated by the Government Decree on the Safety of Construction Work (205/2009).

The obligation also applies to employers exercising the main authority at a shared work site as referred to in section 49 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. This ensures that asbestos surveys are also carried out in such asbestos removal work which does not constitute actual construction work, such as machine demolition work and property maintenance.

Written safety plan

The starting point for planning is the identification and assessment of risks involving the work as referred to in section 10, subsection 1 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The employer must, taking the nature of the work and activities into account, systematically and adequately analyse and identify the hazards and risk factors caused by the work, the working hours, the premises where work is carried out, and other aspects of the working environment.

The asbestos survey carried out by the contractor or other supervising party provides basic information for the planning which serves as the basis of planning for the employer and the self-employed person.

A written safety plan must be drawn up for asbestos removal work. The safety plan must include the following information:

Exposure assessment

• materials to be removed
• method of removal (does it create dust, machinery and equipment)
•  monitoring negative pressure

Delimiting the exposure area and operating therein

• description of the work site (drawing or written report)
• warning signs
• placement of an advance notice at the site
• abnormal working conditions (e.g. temperature, scaffoldings)

Selecting the personal protective equipment

• protective equipment in use

Handling the work equipment

• maintenance of equipment during work (hours of operation, coarse mesh filters)
• preventing the spread of asbestos during machine transports

Asbestos waste treatment

• packing materials
• markings
• storage and transport of waste
• the final destination of the waste

Ensuring the cleanliness of the removal site

• person taking measurements, analyst
• hand-over procedure after asbestos removal (persons in charge)

Emergency procedures

• accident
• technical failures

Monitoring and updating the plan

• person in charge
• necessary updates
• discussing the plan at the site

Workers performing asbestos removal work must be informed of the safety plan. At a shared worksite, the general contractor must be informed of the safety plan. The general contractor must present the plan to the contractor. The employer undertaking asbestos removal work at a shared work site must ensure that all operators at the work site and their workers are informed of the plan.

Specific instruction and guidance regarding asbestos work

Workers involved in asbestos work must be given sufficient training regarding the legislation on asbestos exposure, taking into account their tasks and working methods. A certificate of the completed training must be given to the worker.

Training and guidance must be supplemented when necessary. Instruction and guidance must be repeated at least once every three years and a certificate on it must be issued each time. The certificate must include the content, duration and language of the instruction and guidance as well as the name, qualifications and contact details of the training provider.

Teaching and guidance must be provided on the following topics:

• characteristics and health effects of asbestos; 
• Section 3a, subsection 1 of the Government Decree on the Safety of Asbestos Work 798/2015 states the limit value for exposure to asbestos and how exposure must be monitored and measuring instruments used; 
• types of products and materials that are likely to contain asbestos; 
• works with the risk of exposure to asbestos and the importance of preventative measures to reduce exposure;
• safe working practices, procedures and protective equipment; 
• protective clothing, its use and the decontamination of the worker; 
• selecting the correct respirators, and their use, cleaning, and fit testing;
• use of machinery and other technical equipment to prevent the release and spread of asbestos dust;
• treatment of asbestos waste;
• emergency procedures;
• health examinations.

Management and supervision of asbestos removal work

The employer must designate a site manager for the asbestos removal work. The site manager of the asbestos removal work must continuously monitor and make sure that the asbestos removal work is carried out in accordance with the safety plan.

The site manager must have sufficient authority to make the decisions required for the safe performance of the asbestos removal work.

The site manager must have completed a relevant vocational qualification or a suitable part thereof, as must other workers participating in asbestos removal.

Working methods for asbestos removal work

The safety plan must present the working methods, which include: 

1. enclosure method
2. glove bag method 
3. removal in one piece
4. immersion in water
5. wetting
6. or using any other method enabled by technological development that guarantees the same safety level.

Limit values and measurement of exposure

The maximum asbestos fibre concentration allowed in breathing air during asbestos work is 0.01 fibres / cm³ as a time weighted average over a period of eight hours.

The employer must make sure that the used working methods and protective measures in place prevent exposure. Protective measures include dust control and personal protective clothing. The adequacy of dust control must be assessed on the basis of the measurement results. The employer is obliged to take the measures necessary to reduce the level of asbestos fibre to ensure that workers are not exposed to it.

The employer must have measurement data on asbestos fibre concentrations in different removal and other works where it is possible that asbestos fibres could be released. The measurement data is used to determine how frequently new measurements should be taken. At the same time, the necessary measures to reduce the amount of fibre are evaluated.

The closer to the limit value the results are, the more frequently should measurements be taken. No absolute minimum requirement has been set for the frequency of measurements. Factors that must be taken into account when determining the appropriate test frequency include newly introduced working methods and their impact on the risk of exposure.

The measurements must be taken from the workplace air in the exposure area and, if necessary, outside it. Measurements should be taken from other work areas if there is a justified reason for this, such as when there is a suspicion that asbestos has spread due to equipment failure, a power outage, damaged protective equipment, or other valid reason.

The assessment of the necessary frequency of measurements, which is determined on the basis of the test results, must be prepared also for work that is not carried out in isolated atmospheres. When assessing exposure, the ratio between the results of the measurement and the performance of the fit tested respirator is taken into account.

The measurement obligation also applies to the removal of friable asbestos, although separate requirements for their removal are also in place. In these types of works, the measured test results can be used to assess the need for improved dust control measures or to determine appropriate break intervals in the use of respirators, among other applications.

When assessing exposure, the ratio between the results of the measurement and the performance of the fit tested respirator is taken into account. The respirator must prevent the worker’s exposure at all times during work. The exposure is calculated as an average concentration of asbestos fibre in the air during ongoing work over a period of eight hours. Work must not continue or be repeated in conditions where the fibre concentration is high and the protective factor of the respirator is insufficient to prevent exposure even if breaks are taken during work.

The measurements must be taken from the air in the work area while the work that releases asbestos fibres is ongoing in a manner that the measurement represents the exposure to asbestos of an individual worker. The measurement is used to determine the amount of asbestos fibres released into the air in the work. It represents the asbestos exposure of a worker in work where the same materials are removed using the same methods. The individual exposure to asbestos is determined by the fibre concentration of the air in the work area and the protection factor of the worker’s respirator.

The qualifications of the person taking the measurements may be based on e.g. an AHA certification (asbestos and hazardous substance competence in Finland) or sufficient vocational competence and knowledge of legislation. The documentation of the measurements consists of the measurement’s analysis statement. The analysis statement must include at least the following information: results of the measurement (type of asbestos), measurement method, measurement location, measuring area/point, time of the measurement, stage of work, structures being removed, contact details of the person taking the measurements, and proof of the competence of the person taking the measurement.

Measuring asbestos exposure throughout work

The fit of the respirator used in asbestos removal must be checked before use and at least once a year after that. The fit must also be checked whenever the operating conditions change. The test results must be documented. Monitoring the workers’ personal exposure to asbestos using measurements must start as soon as the workers first begin work that exposes them to asbestos. The workers’ exposure to asbestos must be checked by measurements whenever changes that could affect exposure take place, e.g. after replacing or repairing the respirators.

If the measurement results show that the fibre concentration in the worker’s breathing air exceeds the limit value of 0.01 fibre / cm³, the deficiencies that could lead to exposure must be rectified without delay and before the worker starts asbestos removal. The protection factor must always be checked with new measurements after the issue has been fixed. Fixes and air quality measurements should continue until the worker’s exposure is prevented.

When it comes to temporary agency workers, the user company is responsible for making sure that the monitoring of the agency worker’s personal exposure to asbestos is carried out in the same way as for other workers involved in asbestos removal. Employers leading asbestos removal work must make sure that the temporary agency worker’s personal exposure to asbestos is monitored in any work supervised and guided by them.

An analysis statement on the measurement results must always be prepared. The statement must also include the test results of the fibre concentrations in the air at the work site. The statement must be kept in a manner that allows its inspection at least 2 years after the measurements were taken.

Monitoring the operation of air handling equipment

The air handling equipment used in asbestos work must be able to decontaminate the air it processes without leaks. The employer must monitor the operation of the air handling  equipment by measuring its performance.

The filtration performance of air handling units must be tested using ambient particle counting before the air handling equipment is used in the work, in connection with any changes affecting the filtration performance (replacing the fine mesh filter), and at least once a year after this. The maintenance log of the air handling equipment must include entries on the maintenance and other servicing aimed at ensuring its correct operation and a statement on the filtration performance test.

The tools must be safe to use, ensured through regular maintenance and cleaning after use and before using them again.

The operation of a new air treatment device must be checked by measurements before it is first used in asbestos removal work. When renting air handling equipment, the employer must make sure that operational testing has been carried out or the employer must agree on testing with the owner of the equipment.

The fibre concentration of exhaust air must not exceed 0.01 fibres / cm³. If the fibre concentration of exhaust air exceeds 0.01 fibres / cm³, the equipment needs maintenance or repairs. The post-repair protection factor must be checked by testing. Repairs and tests must be made until the fibre concentration of exhaust air does not exceed 0.01 fibres / cm³. Air handling equipment must be itemised in the tests through device identification. The results must be stored for at least 2 years in the equipment’s maintenance log.

The tools must be serviced and cleaned frequently enough during the work and always before taking them to a new removal site. The air handling machine may not be moved directly from the asbestos removal site to another asbestos removal site. The operating hours of the equipment must be monitored and the filters must be replaced in accordance with the manufacturer's minimum recommendations, more frequently if necessary. Measurements, maintenance, cleaning, filter changes, and hours of operation must be recorded in the equipment-specific maintenance log.