DIRECTIVES FOR SAFE REMOVAL OF ASBESTOS CEMENT ROOFS FROM

BUILDINGS
When the asbestos cement roof is in bad shape, it can release asbestos fibers in the ambient indoor and
outdoor air. These asbestos fibers are very light and can float a long time in the indoor air. The occupants
and the workers in the building can inhale these asbestos fibers for a long period of time and can develop
the professional asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.
The removal of asbestos cement roofs without adequate precaution can break the surfaces of the asbestos
panels and thus release fibers into the ambient air. The removal workers can inhale the fibers and develop
long term life threatening diseases. The occupants can also inhale these fibers and also develop the
diseases.
The removal of asbestos cement roofs should be done by technical personnel that are
properly trained to do the work in a safe and secure manner. The following instructions should be
observed in order to protect the inhabitants from harmful effects mentioned above:
proper training of the technical personnel during one-day session about the safe procedures
to remove asbestos cement roofs;
evacuation the building occupants before and during the removal of asbestos cement roofs;
Placement of posters at the entrances to forbid access to the building;
protection of the furniture and the surfaces under the roofs to be removed;
The workers must wear protective clothes and throw away mask;
The workers must only use manual tools or equipment;
The workers must not throw the asbestos cement roofs and break them;
The workers must manipulate the roofs so that they will not break into pieces;
cleaning of the work sites with a HEPA vacuum cleaner or with a wet process;
removal the work clothes and to throw them away as asbestos wastes;
put all the asbestos wastes in a tight bag and to secure all the wastes in a closed area;
disposal of all the asbestos wastes at designated sites or to incinerate them.
The attached is a list of instruments and individual protective equipment that should be used for a safe
removal of asbestos containing materials.
ENCAPSULATION OF ASBESTOS CEMENT ROOFS
If the asbestos cement roofs are in good shape, ie they are not friable and do not have
visible damages or holes, they can be preserved and do not need to be replaced.
In order to keep the roofs in a good shape and to make them last longer, we recommend to
encapsulate them with a sealant. A first layer of sealant will glue the asbestos fibers on the
surfaces of the roofs and a second layer will protect the roofs from the weather (rains, winds,
erosion and sun).
Here is an example of a safe encapsulation of asbestos cement roofs:
To properly train the technical personnel during one-day session about the safe procedures
to encapsulate asbestos cement roofs;
To evacuate the building occupants before and during the encapsulation of asbestos cement
roofs;
To put posters at the entrances to forbid access to the building;
To protect the furniture and the surfaces under the roofs to be encapsulated;
To verify the friability of the asbestos cement roofs with an adhesive tape;
The workers must wear protective clothes and throw away mask;
The workers must clean the roof surfaces with a brush in order to remove debris and dirt
accumulation;
The workers must apply a first layer of sealant with an atomizer or a brush;
To let the first layer dry during a 24-hour period;
The workers must apply a second layer of sealant with an atomizer or a brush;
To clean the work sites with a HEPA vacuum cleaner or with a wet process;
To remove the work clothes and to throw them away as asbestos wastes;
To put all the asbestos wastes in a tight bag and to secure all the wastes in a closed area;
To dispose all the asbestos wastes at designated sites or to incinerate them.