To achieve STFC’s policy of gradually removing asbestos from its buildings, all relevant building work, see SHE Code 19, will include the removal of any asbestos containing materials to the extent that is reasonable in the circumstances.
The following are examples of how this policy might be applied in practice to determine what is reasonable.
Type of building work requested
| Subsequent extent of asbestos
|
| Hanging a notice board on a wall known to contain asbestos | None – the task of hanging the noticeboard will be carried out under controlled conditions, but the majority of the asbestos would remain in situ. |
| Replacement of a damaged asbestos containing vinyl floor tile in an office | Removal under controlled conditions of all the asbestos containing tiles within the specific confines of the single office. |
| Replacement of a damaged asbestos containing ceiling tile in a corridor | Removal under controlled conditions of all the ceiling tiles within the smallest readily definable area i.e. the area between two fire doors or the whole corridor if there are no obvious section breaks. |
| Installation or modification of building services which impacts upon the fabric of the building e.g. lighting upgrade in an area with an Artex™ finish | Removal under controlled conditions of all the Artex™ within the smallest, readily definable area e.g. the laboratory, the office or section of a corridor |
| Drilling through a wall or ceiling known to contain asbestos for the purpose of passing pipe(s) or cable(s) through the wall | None - the hole or holes will be drilled under controlled conditions, by appropriately qualified and certified workers and the debris removed in the approved manner; the asbestos in the rest of the wall/ceiling will remain untouched. |
| Lab/office refurbishment requiring modification to the fabric of the building e.g. creation of a new doorway, installation of new windows or of a wall to create a larger working space. | Removal of all ACMs from those parts of the building affected by the proposed works. |
| Demolition of a building | Removal in a controlled manner of all asbestos will be mandatory. |
