Asbestos Awareness Tips for Painters

There is a lot of helpful information in the public arena regarding how builders and tradespeople can keep safe when working around asbestos. However, you may not know that there is a group of lesser-known tradespeople just as at risk of exposure: painters.

If you’re a painter looking to keep yourself as safe as possible while carrying out your line of work, the following information may be helpful.

Know where asbestos might be

Painters will discover asbestos and asbestos-containing materials (ACM) in the same places as everyone else – where you least expect it. Although, the invasiveness of a painter’s job means they are potentially more at risk of coming into contact with friable and non-friable asbestos than the general public.

This is because asbestos is present in a long list of building materials – many of which may be disturbed during the home renovation process. It can be found in asbestos cement sheeting walls, architraves around doors and windows, behind wallpaper, in cornices and mouldings, eaves and gables, and more.

Essentially, if you’re preparing and painting a property built before 2000, there is a high chance you will be working with and around asbestos and ACM.

Ask if asbestos is present

Before commencing painting work at a commercial or residential property, it’s worth asking the question: does this property contain asbestos? If it’s a commercial building with asbestos, ask to see their Asbestos Management Plan. This can give you an indication of where asbestos is and how it is currently being managed. 

If you are about to start work at a residential property, there’s no harm in asking the homeowner. If they don’t know or aren’t sure, it’s in your best interests to take all necessary precautions, such as wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and refraining from disturbing or removing ACM.

Attend an asbestos awareness training

The reality is that New Zealand may never see the back of asbestos materials. As a result, they will continue to be a problem for tradespeople and the general public for many years to come. By attending an asbestos awareness training course, you can learn all about how to identify and safely handle asbestos.

Such a course can assist with helping you identify asbestos-related hazards when painting internal and external structures and learning about different asbestos types.

Keep yourself safe

Even if the use of PPE and other safety measures add a small amount of inconvenience to your working week, it’s that small amount of inconvenience that could end up saving your life.

Put a plan in place to make sure that no asbestos will be disturbed while you’re working. If you can’t stop that from happening, ensure you put steps in place to protect yourself based on recommendations from WorkSafe.

These steps can include wearing a respirator, goggles, and coveralls. When you leave your worksite, take your clothes with you to reduce the risk of them being contaminated by asbestos fibres outside.  

Keeping yourself safe can also involve being smart with power tool use. Refrain from using power tools near areas with asbestos or anything else that could create dust or release asbestos fibres into the air. Cover any exposed areas with plastic sheeting and duct tape.

Clean your worksite properly

While it’s simply good business to clean up your worksite correctly, it becomes even more critical when that worksite contains asbestos. Always clean as you go to reduce waste from building up, and wipe down all tools and surfaces with a damp cloth.

Any cloths used around asbestos should be disposed of appropriately as asbestos waste. While it can be tempting to reach for a standard vacuum cleaner to clean up after yourself, asbestos-affected homes should be treated differently.  

Always use Class H vacuum cleaners with suitable HEPA filters, and never use a broom. All worksites should be free of dust before you leave. It’s also important to ventilate your workspace properly with approved ventilation equipment.

Get rid of waste responsibly

Because you’re not actively involved in the removal of asbestos, you may not think you need to concern yourself with asbestos dumping. However, this knowledge is vital to have.

If you relied on PPE when working in a home containing asbestos, and you worked near exposed asbestos, you likely have single-use materials like coveralls, boot covers, and cloths to dispose of.

These must be double-bagged in heavy-duty plastic bags, twisted at the top into a gooseneck twist, then sealed with adhesive tape. They must also be marked on the outside with a label that says ‘asbestos waste’ or similar.

Once you’ve bagged all your waste, take it to an approved dumping location, as outlined by your local council.

Paint safely

You may not be in the business of removing asbestos, but there are still dangers associated with working near it. Consider the value of an asbestos awareness training course, and brush up on what it takes to work safely around one of the most dangerous natural materials in the world.