When
left alone, asbestos isn’t a dangerous material. However, once disturbed the
tiny asbestos fibres are released into the air which can prove lethal if
breathed in, causing lung disease and cancer. If the right precautions to
protect yourself and your employees are not taken to control asbestos dust you
are risking the health of your workers and leaving your business open to the
threat of costly compensation claims.
Tradespeople
die every week from asbestos related diseases and during their careers each
person is likely to come into contact with asbestos at work. Asbestos can be present in any house or
building built before the year 2000 and it is estimated that the deadly
material is still in millions of homes, business premises and public buildings across
Australia today.
Even
when carrying out small tasks that don’t seem to create much dust, it is
important to remember to protect yourself any your employees from the tiny
asbestos fibres.
Wetting
materials with a low pressure water spray before you start a job and continuing
to do so as you work will reduce the amount of dust created. Water
helps damps down dust clouds and stops the tiny particles being dispersed in
the air. Using a reliable spray unit such as the hand
held and backpack Inter Elite range from Rapid Spray, take the following steps
to help suppress dust whilst using appropriate PPE:
·
Wet
the materials with a mixture of eight parts water to one part washing-up liquid
·
Use
the spray unit to make damping down quick and easy
·
Keep
materials damp but not too wet
·
Do
not use a hose as this can be high-pressure
·
Where
possible, avoid using power tools that create a lot of dust
·
Use
plastic sheets to cover your work area to help stop the spread of dust
The
Inter Elite range comes in hand-held units from 1 to 6 litres, or back pack
units in 12 and 16 litres. Equipped with
a large
filter with viton seals in spray lance handle for extra filtration &
durability, wide funnel shaped filling mouth makes filling up the sprayer easy
and a pressure release safety system prevents over-pressurising, these handy
units are ideal for dampening asbestos dust.
Complete
with a fibreglass lance and attachment clips for easy transport & storage,
adjustable conical nozzle and screw on hose connections to the handle and the
tanks without clamps, this lightweight poly spray unit is an essential piece of
equipment for anyone who is serious about controlling asbestos dust. Click here
to find out more about the Inter Elite sprayer range.
To
discuss your dust control requirements, call the friendly Rapid Spray team on
1800 011 000 or email info@rapidspray.net