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Posted By halesowen Baggie
Good morning all,
The warehouse I am responsible for is approx 100,000 square feet in size.
The roof is asbestos cement externally with lagging and boards making the roof up internally. Dotted equally around the roof is approx 100 corrugated plastic skylights.
My problem is that the roof is old and has a number of leaks and will cost over £100,000 to replace.
Some of the internal panels have over time had rainwater leak into them causing them to bow and fall from the roof onto the warehouse floor below. (I do not want one of these panels falling onto somebodies nut)
I have consulted a roofing firm that will quote for the leaks and they also told me that it should be visible that an internal panel is beginning to bow and hence maybe fall from the roof. I have been here 6 months and a panel has not fell since I have been here!
I am now in the process of risk assessing this problem, with the first recommendation being a visual maintenance routine being carried out weekly.
What are IOSH members thoughts on this with regard to the risk assessment I am about to carry out? I have been around the warehouse and counted 24 panels missing so the issue of panels falling is quite clearly 'foreseeable'.
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Posted By Steve Cartwright
Does your company own the warehouse or rent/lease it. If rented/leased check the lease agreement, you may find that it is the landlords responsibility.
As for the risk assessment, you will have to take into account likelihood of event happening, who's at risk, and severity. Not just being hit on the head/body, but also if Asbestos sheet breaks/shatters when hitting the floor the risk of releasing asbestos fibres into the atmospher. Also cleaning up and disposing of asbestos once its in bits on the floor. It might not release many fibres, but it does not take a lot to kill.
Steve
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Posted By CFT
Is it feasible for you to temporarily net the underside to prevent panels falling to the floor?
CFT
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Posted By Jeff Manion
Consider the weather, winds will affect the stability of any roof, if in your case there are loose panels the wind may further add to your problems.
Consider what happens if the doors are open and wind enters and moves through and up to the roof space and out of any gaps causing potential areas of concern and falling to adjacent persons / passers-by etc.
Consider how much the personal injury / against cost of compensation claim.
Consider how much the insurance company may or may not think about the knowledge that the potential was foreseeable.
Had a similar problem in the past - cost to repair small and achievable cost of full replacement big and achievable. Then wind hot and problem solved - we had to replace, cost only partially met by insurance as there was a foreseeable element.
JM
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Posted By alec scanlin All good comments above for a common problem with asbestos roofed buildings but don’t forget the new building regs which come into effect last April, in particular part L2B, the conservation of fuel and power in existing buildings other than dwellings. Your foreseeable incident may be the start of a long term assessment program and involve periodic review and maintenance/repair but by solving one problem you may create another. Our dealings with roofing and cladding refurbishment and repairs has led us down this path many times yet none of the building control people we have spoken to fully understand the regulations let alone how to enforce them. This link will take you to the free internet download http://www.planningporta...br/BR_PDF_ADL2B_2006.pdfI hope this will help but should you require any help please do not hesitate to get in touch, We will be glad to assist in any way we can. Alec.spanclad@btconnect.com
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Posted By andrew morris
Hi,
Sorry for the very late response - you may have sorted the problem already...
You need to be very wary of your risk assessment - if the panneling and lagging is asbestos then you have a major issue - especially as it is foreseeable that it may fall. Leaving it in situ and managing it is unlikely to be justifiable if parts have started falling. Should a panel fall you may be in a position that means portions of, if not the whole warehouse, may have to be environmentally cleaned. You may think this is unlikely, but I can guarantee this has happened to warehouses with similar floorplans - they were shut for 6 weeks whilst they cleaned... If the cement is the only asbesots then it can probably be managed.
I would be looking to remove the (presumed) asbestos lagging and panels and manage the cement
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Posted By Glyn Atkinson
As a start point - What is within the recommendations content of the Asbestos register latest survey done by licenced, bonded Asbestos registered contractors?
I am presuming this has been independently completed already, along with any required laboratory sampling /testing of affected areas?
This would be a starting point for any risk assessment on specialist materials.
If any Asbestos panel or skylight panel making up the roof can be loose and wind affected by banging up and down onto its' fastenings, surely there would then be a risk of some dust being released into the warehouse to some extent?
Netting would stop a panel fall, but fine dust can still filter down between the size of the netting mesh to reach the floor where workers are within the warehouse area?
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Posted By Gerard Keane Go to www.aranovus.co.uk who specialise in cleaning, sealing and coating asbestos cement roofs. They claim they can extend the roof life by 15 years. You could then get someone in to sort out your skylights and other needs.
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