The Asbestos Network Technical Working Group met for the first time since Christmas, with leak testing guidance firmly at the top of our agenda. The document itself is now close to completion, but the current focus is on refinement rather than substance: simplifying the language, making it more direct, and ensuring it concentrates on what you actually need to know when deciding what to do, and where. Fingers crossed a final version will be ready at April’s meeting.

Alongside this, we’ve been asked to prioritise which other guidance documents should be progressed this year. There are currently nine draft appendices at varying stages of development, some entirely new and others revisions of existing material. The current proposed list includes:

• Restricted (space) enclosures – i.e. the challenges when you don’t have a lot of space to build your enclosure
• Licensed removal with no enclosure – how to decide when it might be appropriate to remove asbestos without an enclosure
• ‘Outside man’ requirements – when are they needed, and what are their duties
• NPU connection and disconnection
• Abrasive blasting removal systems – a look again at this thorny issue, but updating it to include the new low-vibration needle gun alternatives 
• Calculating negative pressure unit (NPU) airflow – a look again, and update of the hand anemometer guidance
• Equipment to measure differential pressure – rather than the visual approximation (250mm flap deflection), how do you measure five Pascals of negative pressure?
• Independence of analysts
• Selection and use of encapsulants

Some of these are quick wins and might be produced relatively quickly. Others could be merged – here I’m particularly thinking of calculating NPU airflow and differential pressure measurement. Both of these are circling around Paragraph 395 of the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP), which states:

“Before starting work in the enclosure, a thorough visual inspection and smoke test must be conducted to check the enclosure’s integrity. The filtered air extraction equipment must be tested to ensure it is achieving negative pressure and the required air change rate.”

If you have any strong opinions as to which areas need guidance, please do speak to your trade association: they’re all represented on the Technical Working Group, and their regional meetings are happening around now. If you’ve missed the boat, or you wanted to speak to me directly, by all means get in touch to let me know your thoughts.

To find all the guidance produced by the Asbestos Network Technical Working Group, go to the CONIAC website.