Protective clothing for working with asbestos
Personal Protective Equipment to use when working with asbestos (Information sheet)
— filed under: Hazard - Chemicals, Document type - Fact Sheet, Hazard - Asbestos, Guidance - Clean air
Personal protective equipment is an essential line of defence for minimising an asbestos risk when elimination is not practicable.
What is personal protective equipment (PPE)?
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is any clothing or equipment that provides protection to the wearer from a potential risk.
What PPE must be worn when asbestos is or may be present?
If asbestos is or may be present, PPE must include:
- respiratory protective equipment (RPE) – to avoid inhaling asbestos fibres (see our fact sheet on health risks from asbestos)
- overalls which are impervious to asbestos dust (either disposable or able to be washed*) – to avoid the risk of carrying asbestos fibres away from the worksite on clothing
- footwear – appropriate for the work being undertaken (footwear should be non-laced as laced footwear is difficult to clean – alternatively wear disposable boot covers).
* Washing must only be done in laundries specifically set up for handling asbestos- contaminated clothing. It must not be done at home or a public laundromat.
Why is PPE required?
Although controls must be in place to prevent or reduce exposure to asbestos fibres when working with asbestos-containing material (ACM), the asbestos risks must be minimised even more by using appropriate PPE.
Respirators
When should a respirator be worn?
A respirator or RPE should be worn at all times by workers in any environment where asbestos is or suspected to be present to minimise the risk of breathing in asbestos.