Guidance Manual for Asbestos Eradication in Rwanda (Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA)) Version 01 July 15, 2011
Table of Contents 1. Asbestos and their risks 2. National Action Plan 3. Eradication technics (a) Protection gears and equipment (b) Before asbestos removal (c) During asbestos removal (d) After asbestos removal 4. Check points of eradication implementers
1. Asbestos and their risks <Asbestos> - Asbestos are a natural mineral - Durable and fire resistant mixed into many construction materials - Thinness of 1/5000 of human hairs (you cannot see them by naked eyes) <Asbestos risks> - Only discovered after 1980s - Sever diseases by inhaling the fibers - Incubation period of the diseases: 20 to 50 years - High death and no treatment available Examples: a) Asbestosis (death rate of 50%) b) Lung cancer (100%) c) Mesothelioma (100%) - Only fibers in human lungs cause problems Low risks of groundwater and soil contaminations e.g. Drinking water standard by the US Environment Protection Agency 7 M fibers per liter for many years
2. National Action Plan - Approved at the high-level consultative meeting chaired by the Right Honorable Prime Minister(18/04/2011) - Point: Public& Private sectors involvement for proper eradication led by RHA
3. Eradication technics (a) Protection gears and equipment <Protection gears (one set per worker per site work)> - Mask P100(US NIOSH) or P3(European EN143) equivalent (proved by the implementer) Filters at least 99.95% of airborne particles - Work clothes Water proof (made of Tyvek(non-woven fabrics) or equivalent quality) Cover all body including a head by a hood - Boots Water proof - Gloves Water proof - Goggles With the level of swimming goggles (no air penetration) <Equipment> - Any tool to carry water (e.g. buckets) - Plastic bags Water proof quality For triple covers of removed asbestos - Duck tape To close each plastic bag - Signboard One per entrance of the work site Message: Danger: asbestos removal work is ongoing. Only authorized people are allowed to entre both in Kinyarwanda and English
3. Eradication technics (b) Before asbestos removal <Identification by building owners> - Just by color and shape by building owners - Check a condition of the material more dangerous if it is broken or damaged <Who pays for the work?> - Principle: building owners - Exception: by checking eradication priority (e.g. children/residential/severely damaged roof) + funds availability <Reporting by building owners> - First reporting: identification to RHA (cf. hotline) - Current contact: 0785056556 Coordinator of Asbestos Removal Project - Second reporting: inventory (e.g. how many m 2 of asbestos roof?) False ceiling consultation to RHA <Eradication planning mainly by the building owners> - Inspection and priority setting by RHA - Recommendations of a qualified eradication implementer by RHA direct implementation by the building owner or by independent implementer - Eradication work and funds arrangements instructed by RHA - Focal point setting (both for the building owner + eradication implementer)
3. Eradication technics (c) During asbestos removal <Technics> - Danger sign as illustrated at the equipment section - Entrance restriction (minimum 5 m from the work site for non-authorized people) - Pre-announcement to surrounding communities Within 50 m of radius from the work site Messages: 1) Basic danger of asbestos 2) Don t get closer than 5m 3) Don t reuse/recycle the removed material - Keep the roof/ceiling always wet by spraying water - Try not to demolish as much as possible (minimum dust emission) 50m - Removed roofs/ceilings must be covered by three plastic bags and each bag must be closed completely by the duck tape - Groundwater/soil contamination risks are limited (cf. the risk section above) - At least once par day, the work progress must be reported to RHA - Field manager has a responsibility to keep all the workers to wear all the protection gears during the work <Masks + Work clothes + Boots + Gloves + Goggles> - It is allowed to use the same masks, clothes, boots and gloves until the end of the work at the same site - Keep the clothes on-site until the end of the whole work (at off: keep them in a secure storage space on-site) - At the end of the daily work + before taking the breaks Spray water on the work clothes, booths, gloves and goggles or wipe them with wet towels/tissues before taking them off Any body parts exposed to the air must be washed before leaving the site or taking breaks - Field manager has a responsibility to keep all the workers to conduct the above cleaning processes - At the end of the final work dispose all gears with three-plastic bag covers (each bag must be closed by the duck tape)
3. Eradication technics (d) After asbestos removal Removal <Wrapping> - Both removed asbestos and used protection gears must be disposed Triple plastic bag covers + closure of each bag by the duck tape - Other used equipment (e.g. screw driver and saw) must be washed - Try not to break the plastic bags Once broken bags are identified, additional wrapping by plastic bags is needed <Transportation> - Any transportation way is fine as long as wrapping is secured <Disposal> - Until establishment of burial sites/incinerators by RHA, the plastic bags containing asbestos must be kept at tentative storage spaces Building owners must prepare the space with consultation by RHA The space condition: a) It must be secure enough to avoid entrance of strangers b) It must have a roof - When the burial sites ready, dumping must be conducted with supervision by RHA (10 cm of tentative soil coverage or 2m of final soil coverage) - Incineration measures will be instructed by RHA later once they become ready <Reporting> - Implementers must report daily progress to RHA during the disposal period at least once per day
4. Check points of eradication implementers <Gears & equipment> Check points Satisfied or not 1. Mask - P100 or P3 equivalent - One per worker 2. Work clothe - Tyvek or equivalent - Water proof - Cover all body (with hood) - One per worker 3. Boots - Water proof - A pair per worker 4. Gloves - Water proof - A pair per worker 5. Goggles - Quality of no air penetration - A pair per worker 6. Water carrying tool - Buckets, etc. 7. Plastic bags - Water proof - Sufficient to conduct triple covers 8. Duck tape - Enough to close all plastic bags 9. Signboard - One per work site entrance - Message: Danger: asbestos removal work is ongoing. Only authorized people are allowed to entre both in Kinyarwanda and English <Before removal> - Focal point announcement RHA Note: If the entity misses one or more checking points of the above, the entity will be disqualified from a proper asbestos eradication member.
4. Check points of eradication implementers <During removal> Check points Satisfied or not 1. Signboard - Installed - Restriction of 5m from the site 2.Pre-announcement - Surroundingcommunities within 50m of radius from the work site - Distribution of three messages 3. Watering - Keep the targetmaterials always wet by spraying water 4. Covering - Tripleplastic bag covers with the duck tape 5. Reporting - Once per day to RHA 6. Protectiongears treatment <After removal> - Same gearsonly at the same work site - Cleaning gears after the daily work and before breaks - Disposal in triple plastic bags after the site work 1.Transportation 2.Tentative storage - No damage to the bags or additional covers - Storage arrangement and keeping asbestos materials safe 3. Burial - Instructed by RHA 4. Reporting - Once per day to RHA Note: If the entity misses one or more checking points of the above, the entity will be disqualified from a proper asbestos eradication member.