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thunderchild  
#1 Posted : 08 January 2018 08:13:43(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
thunderchild

Morning all!

Having reviewed the last fixed wire test for my new company I can see a couple of boards not tested due to asbestos and there are a couple of boards with asbestos containing fuses (I'm not an electrician so forgive the ignorence on the technical terms). 

Do these need to be removed and replaced with new boards?

Can anyone chip in with any advice?? I manily need to know how do I find out if these boards are still safe to be in use electrical wise as well as deal with the asbestos risk????

There is a asbestos management plan in place (old building so there is lots of it) but I've yet to see it (only week 2) and we don't believe the boards are on it.

From the posts on the IET forum there stance is to leave them alone (quite rightly) as its the duty holder to sort, so where to start really.

jodieclark1510  
#2 Posted : 08 January 2018 09:00:38(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
jodieclark1510

If you don't think the boards are on there they need to be added into the plan- or would it be useful to perhaps have a new survey undertaken to include them?

georgiaredmayne  
#3 Posted : 08 January 2018 09:41:36(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
georgiaredmayne

Get a new survey undertaken to ensure that it is captured by a competent surveyor from that you can then update the AMP. If it's something that needs to be maintained (and it does), depending on survey results, I would advise for it to be removed.

RayRapp  
#4 Posted : 08 January 2018 09:44:46(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
RayRapp

It is not uncommon for older fuse boards to have asbestos flash guards. Ideally they should be labelled as such. They should be left in situ as there is no danger from exposure to asbestos fibres. If the fuse board is replaced good practice to remove the whole board as hazardous waste.

Woolf13  
#5 Posted : 08 January 2018 12:28:15(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Woolf13

As previously stated the asbestos management plan should be updated if you do not think the fuse boxes have been covered in the plan.

When was the plan last reviewed? For example if it was before 2012 when the regulations were last amended good practice would be to have a new survey carried out and the type of asbestos within the fuse boxes identified.

The following HSE guidance sheet provides advice on what to do if you are removing the asbestos from the fuse boxes (with links to other guidance sheets you may require for assistance):

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/a33.pdf

If unsure seek the advice of a competent individual/organisation.

thanks 1 user thanked Woolf13 for this useful post.
georgiaredmayne on 08/01/2018(UTC)
paul.skyrme  
#6 Posted : 08 January 2018 19:30:10(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
paul.skyrme

Another take on this.

If you have ACM's in your DB's they will be ar flash limitation, probably for semi-enclosed fuses (rewirable), there are other locations, but that plus the door seals are the most common, again to limit the potential of any electrical energy leaving the DB.

Now if the door gasket is an ACM, then really, you cannot open the board without disturbing fibres.

Ergo, in the event of a fuse "blowing", you need full ACM precautions class H vacuum cleaners etc. to open the board and replace the fuse wire/fuse.

Think of the downtime…

Next if it is a fuse carrier, then you can’t remove that to re-wire a blown fuse without full ACM precautions, so I hope that you have no mission critical systems connected to the DB’s?

If you do then I strongly suggest you review how mission critical these are, and your plans to address any circuit failures.

Next, your EICR should have indicated “unsatisfactory”, therefore something needs to be done to bring the installation into compliance.  Your business insurance may be void because of an “unsatisfactory” EICR.

The presence of ACM’s within the electrical installation has to be a C2, and a single C2 on an EICR results in the installation being unsatisfactory.

Why.

Here are the two relevant paragraphs from BS7671:

>>> 

634 PERIODIC INSPECTION AND TESTING

634.1 Following the periodic inspection and testing described in Chapter 62, an Electrical Installation Condition Report, together with schedules of inspection and schedules of test results, shall be given by the person carrying out the inspection, or a person authorized to act on their behalf, to the person ordering the inspection. These schedules shall be based on the models given in Appendix 6. The schedule of test results shall record the results of the appropriate tests required of Chapter 61.

634.2 Any damage, deterioration, defects, dangerous conditions and non-compliance with the requirements of the Regulations, which may give rise to danger, together with any significant limitations of the inspection and testing, including their reasons, shall be recorded.

<<< 

My bold.

So, is the presence of ACM’s a “dangerous condition”.

Does exposure to the ACM have the potential to kill?...

thunderchild  
#7 Posted : 10 January 2018 07:12:15(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
thunderchild

Just an update. I am going to recommend a new survey as there is no asbestos management plan that me or the FM manager can find (we are both new to the business)

chris42  
#8 Posted : 10 January 2018 09:39:40(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
chris42

I don’t deal with asbestos anywhere near as much as others on here, so I’m more than happy to be corrected. However, when I have had surveys done or inherited them, when it comes to electrical equipment / installations (switch gear, old heaters etc) the report generally just states “suspected” (due to age etc). The people that do the assessments don’t normally have the electrical skills to start investigating /dismantling the actual item! so don’t. You already know it is suspected as the electrical companies have warned you. 

I’m not saying a survey should not be done, but you are likely to still not know for sure in my view. So, you will be in exactly the same place as you are now electrical inspection wise. So, what are you going to do then, is the question you may want to ask?

Happy to be wrong, but this has been the case the last twice in different companies.

Just a thought as others have not mentioned this.

Chris

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