Assure 360

The gel cut method to remove asbestos-insulated pipe

Adoption of a New Method

As with all novel methods, whilst benchmark industry figures can be used as a starting point, extensive air testing (personals) must be conducted by any LARC that chooses to adopt a new approach.

Planning

The gel packs should be selected based on the total diameter of the pipe including insulation. An additional contingency factor of 10% should be added, therefore a diameter of 180mm (pipe with insulation) should be assumed to be 198mm. 

Reciprocating blades should be of high quality and of sufficient length to make the cut safely. Note as the footplate will be adrift from the cut point, lateral movement will be evident (leading to more blade breakage). In addition, as the reciprocating saw will be ~30mm away from the insulation to avoid crushing the gel pack, this additional length should be factored in.

Measures should be taken to ensure that the pipes remain supported throughout and do not drop unexpectedly. This is especially important for vertical pipes

Removal

    1. Wrap the full length of the pipe in double-thickness 1000-gauge polythene and seal with poly-cloth tape. Note that the wrapping of pipe insulation carries its own risks, and additional precautions as detailed in HSG247 should be considered
    2. Select the cut points based on the manual handling assessment for the resulting sections. Note that ALL cut points (including ostensibly clean or bare metal points) should use the gel pack to avoid accidental exposure
    3. Wrap the gel pack around the cut point, and loosely secure with the integral cable ties. Readjust so that the gel is evenly distributed. Tightly secure the gel pack using the integral cable ties (see video demonstration)

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    4. Position a red waste sack below the cut point to collect any drips of gel
    5. Making sure not to crush the gel pack with the footplate, the operative should make a slow, steady cut. The ideal cut is one where the blade tip remains within the gel pack (see video demonstration)

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    6. As soon as the cut has been made, spray the cut end(s) with surfactant and seal with a red waste sack.

     Associated Hazards 

    As reciprocating saws are being used, HAVS and noise remain significant hazards both for this method and with Wrap and Cut. Arrangements should be made to monitor and mitigate both hazards. Use of chain clamp systems for industrial-style reciprocating saws should be considered to maximise control and eliminate the HAVS hazard.

    The testing supporting this method was conducted by FAAM on BCL Invent’s EasyGel Protect product EGP180DECIS for pipe cutting. The observations and data obtained confirm that the removal of pipe insulation using the EasyGel Protect Gel Pack method remains a licensed activity. The decision whether to remove the asbestos within an enclosure is also not affected by the selection of the Gel Pack method. The default position remains, that removal of all such material should be within a full enclosure.