Asbestos and Sustainable Agriculture: Reducing Contamination Risks in Farming
With an estimated 220 New Zealanders dying from asbestos-related illnesses each year, WorkSafe is calling asbestos the number one work-related killer. Worst of all, these illnesses and subsequent deaths are entirely preventable.
Whether you work in the trades or any other business, including agriculture, you have a responsibility to reduce the risk of exposure to yourself and others. If you’re a farmer looking to take a more proactive approach to lower contamination risks, you might like to begin with these actions:
Identify and Assess Asbestos Risks
You can’t hope to reduce asbestos contamination risks in farming if you don’t know where the risks lie. As a result, your first step could be identifying and assessing asbestos risks on your property.
This can begin with identifying old buildings, sheds, roofing materials, and water pipes you suspect of containing asbestos. If you’re unsure, request a test to confirm its presence. Once you know what contains asbestos, you can assess its risk. For example, roofing materials that have been well maintained may be less risky than degrading asbestos sheets used as cladding.
It can also be a good idea to undertake soil testing, especially around buildings with degrading asbestos materials. A soil test can tell you:
The asbestos type
How the asbestos is formed
The condition of the asbestos
Where the asbestos is located
How deep the asbestos contamination is
The presence of contamination
When you have this information, you can make more well-informed decisions for when you start trying to reduce the contamination risk on your farm.
Explore Your Removal and Encapsulation Options
Identifying the presence of asbestos is just the first step in reducing contamination risks. You then have to think about how you’ll reduce that risk. That begins with removal or encapsulation. Encapsulation can sometimes be an option with asbestos materials in good condition that can be easy enough to seal with other materials. For example, you could place modern ceiling materials over an asbestos popcorn ceiling roof.
However, removal can often be better when asbestos materials are exposed and/or in poor condition. If you’re unsure about the best option, contact a licenced asbestos removalist in NZ. They can be a wealth of knowledge and help you make the best decision for your unique situation.
Perform Regular Inspections
If buildings, structures, or items on your property contain asbestos and are in good condition, you might decide to leave them as they are. However, this can mean that regular inspections can be necessary. These inspections can inform you of any asbestos-containing materials becoming damaged or unsafe. The sooner you know about them, the safer the occupants on your property might be.
Handle Asbestos Safely
We Kiwis have a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude. This serves us well in many parts of life, but not when it comes to asbestos handling. Never attempt to cut, sand, drill, or disturb any materials that may contain asbestos. Even something as innocent as water blasting can be dangerous.
In 2020, WorkSafe released a statement warning of the dangers of high-pressure water blasters on asbestos-clad structures. They had been made aware of farmers using high-pressure water blasters on poultry and broiler farm sheds between chick-rearing cycles.
The Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 prohibit high-pressure water spray and compressed air on asbestos. They urged all farmers, breeders, and shed owners to identify if their farm structures contained asbestos. If they did, they must record these details in an asbestos management plan.
If any of those sheds were damaged or showing signs of disrepair, they needed to use a licenced asbestos removalist to remedy the problem.
Prioritise Training and Awareness
Sometimes, there can be unsafe practices on farms regarding asbestos because farm workers and farm owners don’t know or understand the risks. You can only prioritise safety when you know what you’re trying to protect yourself from.
Fortunately, farm owners and their workers can access training materials to keep themselves safe. They can read through any WorkSafe-published guides or even enrol in official training courses. The more you know about asbestos and its dangers, the easier it can be to keep your employees and family safe on the farm.
Dispose of Asbestos Materials Responsibly
‘Dead holes’ are commonplace on farms. They are large holes where farmers dispose of everything from old farm materials to deceased stock. As tempting as it can be to put old asbestos-containing materials in these holes, it can be a contamination risk for future farm development.
Responsible disposal of asbestos can be crucial. Talk to your local council about local landfill facilities accepting asbestos waste.
Be a Responsible Farmer Today
We all have a responsibility to leave our properties safe for future generations. If asbestos is present on your property, or you suspect that it might be, contact licenced removalists without delay. They can be a great source of information for helping you decide on the best actions to take.