Making the EU Clean of AsBestos CURRENT STATUS OF ASBESTOS MANAGEMENT STUDIES. Are there any trends identified?[if there are, list which are they ]

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1 CURRENT STATUS OF ASBESTOS MANAGEMENT COUNTRY: LITHUANIA YEAR: 2014 REQUIREMENTS FACTS ANALYSIS WHICH ARE THE MAIN REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED BY LAW FOR?[National or regional legislation] Works with exposure to asbestos[related to Companies and/or Workers] - Ensure safe already used asbestos containing products operation. - Raise workers qualification that works in environmental health and safety, pollution, asbestos survey and evaluation sectors. - Prohibit the use of asbestos by spraying or other working methods, which involve the use of low-density (less than 1 g/cm3) insulating or soundproofing materials containing asbestos. - Without prejudice to the European Community and the Republic of Lithuania provisions on trade of asbestos, activities which expose workers to asbestos fibers during the extraction of asbestos or the manufacture and processing of asbestos products or the manufacture and processing of products containing intentionally added asbestos shall be prohibited with the exception of products resulting from demolition and asbestos removal, treatment and disposal. - Companies, prior to commencement of buildings with asbestos structures demolition or asbestos removal work, prepare in advance buildings, that containing asbestos demolition or asbestos removal work plan (hereinafter - the work plan). In this work plan must be planned measures for workers from potential exposure to asbestos. Work plan with company's head order (decree) for the approval of the plan and report About asbestos related activities " are presented to the territorial office of State Labor Inspectorate. Managing asbestos as a waste[including all waste management operations: transportation, handling and disposal] - According to the country's economy extent possibility to reduce the asbestos containing products and the negative impact on the Lithuanian population health. - Ensure that asbestos waste is managed without endangering for human health and the environment. - Provide the necessary information to the residents about asbestos and its containing products effects on health. - The asbestos concentration in the waste air through the ducts does not have to exceed 0.1 mg/m3 limit values (asbestos milligrams per one cubic meter of air emissions). STUDIES Which are the main results related to the present situation of asbestos management?[only a brief description of each result ] During the last decade the approximation to EU was started with creating the national legislation on asbestos management. Now it consists of: the Government s Decision on restriction and ban of asbestos issued in 1998, amended in 2000 with Preventive Programme on restriction on use and prevention of environment contamination, Rules on Work with Asbestos which came in force in 1999 and Rules on prevention and reduction of environment contamination with asbestos - in The outdated Lithuanian Hygiene Norm HN Hazardous Substances; Maximum Allowable Concentrations in the Air of Work Area is still in power and the amount of airborne asbestos at workplaces until now is being regulated in the form of asbestos containing total dust, mg/ m3 and not in number concentration of respirable fibres. The final draft of corresponding new replacing Hygiene Norm HN [1] is being prepared according to EU Directives and the corresponding OELs for asbestos fibres are included as well for several Man made Mineral Fibres [MMMFs]. With the help of Nordic Countries, United Kingdom and Poland a number of researchers and labour inspectors were educated and trained in the asbestos management. The major part of equipment for counting of airborne asbestos fibres has been purchased from the State funds and is functioning. The analytical method issued by WHO in 1998 "Determination of airborne fibers number concentrations. Recommended method phase contrast optical microscopy (membrane filter method)" was translated into Lithuanian. Are there any trends identified?[if there are, list which are they ] Which are the most important actions proposed for improvement?[only a brief description of each proposal ] - The Government should set a programme for the phased removal of asbestos from buildings, with priority being given to buildings where asbestos is considered to be most dangerous or damaged. - Standards in asbestos training should be set and the training should be mandatory. The training should be funded. - Pro-active inspections to determine the standards of asbestos management should be reinstated, with a view to reducing future costs. - Data should be collected centrally on the extent, type and condition of asbestos in buildings and this becomes an integral part of the data collection of the condition of all buildings in Lithuania. Country Factsheet 1 / 5

2 PROCEDURES FOR REQUIREMENTS INSPECTION: [Regulated procedures for monitoring accomplishment with legal requirements in works with risk of exposures to asbestos: e.g. Authorities Work Inspections to companies, ] Major asbestos and products containing restriction and pollution prevention measures are: - monitoring of compliance with the Lithuanian Hygiene Standard HN 36:1999 " Banned and Restricted Substances requirements; - monitoring of compliance with Minister of Social Security and Labor and the Minister of Health Security approved Working with asbestos rules. - assess the social and residential building premises of the asbestos containing insulation and finish conditions, determine the degree of contamination by asbestos fibers inside the building; based on the condition of buildings and asbestos contamination assessment results, take appropriate measures to reduce environmental pollution by asbestos; - do not use asbestos or its containing products in reconstructed technological equipment, apply safety measures to reduce asbestos pollution from production facilities and structures; - promote asbestos substitutes ( stone wool fibers, other non-hazardous materials, etc. ) for search and organization of production; - organize information about the health effects of asbestos dissemination on media and special publications; - in education programs provide information about the health hazards of asbestos. - State Labor Inspectorate territorial office, received from the company a work plan and company s head order for approval of the plan, evaluate and, if necessary, check the company's readiness to implement buildings, containing asbestos, demolition or asbestos removal work. NEWS: [Recent news related with asbestos management: e.g. Environmental or H&S work incidents, events, conferences. legislation, technical or management improvements, etc.] [Listing news headline, main theme and year] - - References[Summary stating the most important sources of information: e.g. for studies: universities, institutes and other organizations, for news : publishing sources] GUIDELINES / RECOMMENDATIONS FOR APPLICATION OF REQUIREMENTS: [Recommendations arising from national and/or regional published guidelines referring to in force legislation] - Methodological guidelines prepared in accordance with recommended method and is applied to detect fibers concentration in air. Adapting the method to stationary control, it is necessary to make changes described in Annex 1. Reliability of the results depends on the joint requirements for the competence of testing laboratories in accordance with document LST EN ISO/IEC 17025:2003,,Research, testing and calibration laboratories' competence. General requirements". Good practice guide "Asbestos hazard reduction or prevention work, which involves (or may be related) to asbestos. For employers, employees and the labor inspectors described: - The information, that helps to determine asbestos or asbestos containing products if they are in use, maintenance, equipment and buildings, and disseminate information about where asbestos and asbestos containing products can be; - best practice examples on how to remove asbestos (inter alia, the dust control, dust suppression and dust protection equipment) and how to manage asbestos products and wastes; - encourage an approach to protective equipment and clothing, which takes into account human factors and individual variability. Country Factsheet 2 / 5

3 References[Summary stating the most important sources of information, such as laws and responsible organizations for guidelines] Responsible organization of methodological guidelines is Republic of Lithuania Ministry of Health Security and Senior Labor Inspectors Committee. IDENTIFIED ISSUES Identified STRENGHTS Country Factsheet 3 / 5

4 [Strengths identified in current legislation, guidelines, researchin this field (studies, articles), etc.; It could be considered also as strengths potential solutions in process such as proposals for current problems in the country: law and/or guidelines proposals, national projects currently in process, etc.] We could mention that in Lithuania is created full, the laws regulating activities system (about 18 documents). It includes all activities, as work environment assessment, competency assessment, waste management, execution of works: Working with asbestos regulations - practical work legislation. Working with asbestos regulations apply the activities in which workers are engaged to dust arising from asbestos or asbestos - containing materials. These regulations sufficiently precisely regulate this kind of work activities; Before starting demolition or maintenance work, employers shall take all measures necessary to identify materials that may contain asbestos. Before starting work in buildings, that containing asbestos in construction element or asbestos removal work must be informed about National Labor Inspection about the competencies in this area. No work, which may release asbestos dust, could not be put into a written work plan. Work plan shall include information regarding the scope of work, duration of work methods, equipment used characteristic and waste. Information, instruction and training employers must provide adequate information about the potential health hazards of asbestos fibers threshold concentration value, hygiene, special precautions, instruction and training for all employees who are or may be exposed to asbestos dust exposure. Safety equipment places, where workers are or may be exposed to dust arising from asbestos or asbestos - containing materials must be clearly separated and marked with warning signs, available only to those employees who are on work carried out to get to them, they shall not be allowed to smoke in these places. Asbestos fiber exposure reduction - the employer should ensure that workers are not exposed to potential asbestos exposure. If this is not possible using other than respiratory protection must be ensured that the rate of spread of asbestos fibers is minimized. If still any chance of exposure to asbestos fibers, it is necessary to take care of appropriate respiratory protection. Asbestos fiber concentrations in ambient air measurements - measurements of the concentration of asbestos fibers in the workplace has the right to perform certified or accredited by the research laboratories with equipment for fiber counting. The taken samples shall be suitably qualified personnel. Health Check - employees who are exposed or potentially exposed to asbestos dust, the state of health must be checked at least one time in 3 years. Medical care should be continued after the end of exposure to asbestos. Records of employee eligibility to work must be kept for at least 40 years after working with asbestos and (or) the asbestos -containing products. The records of the state of health information must be continuous. Identified PROBLEMS [Weaknesses about asbestos management identified in current legislation (e.g. lack or not suitability of some requirements, differences in requirements among regions, etc.), guidelines, research in this field, news, etc.] The interface between the national legislation. Employee who works in the specific field of activity is not easy to find out whether all the requirements fulfilled. Need for more exposure involving, higher level reglamentation. Specific responsibilities uncertainty. These activities have been detected associated with other violations of safety and health. It does not carry out the requirements of the prompt. Country Factsheet 4 / 5

5 Country Factsheet