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Asbestos from soil - air modelling and fibre release tests

This event will examine air modelling and fibre release testing for asbestos from soil.
   
Ticket information
This event is free to attend for LACL and BRMF members
This event costs £250 + VAT to attend for non-members

When?
25 November 2015, 10am - 4.30pm (Registration from 9.30)

Background

CIRIA is delighted to bring an unique programme of 5 advanced courses on asbestos in soil.  The events are intended for those who want to deepen their working knowledge of the investigation, assessment and remediation of asbestos in soil and made ground.

Each day is self contained but the whole package would also be relevant so there is no overlap between the days.

Asbestos is toxic and a class 1 carcinogen known to cause serious illnesses such as lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis and yet for many decades was widely used in concrete, roofs etc in the UK.  Currently in the UK, 2000-3000 people die of asbestos related disease every year.  Previous focus of asbestos research and practice has dealt with the management of asbestos contamination within buildings. However results from thousands of investigations at contaminated sites across the UK have found that asbestos is frequently identified in made ground and there has been ambiguity in the approach to assessing the risk it poses.

This event, the third in the series will explore fibre release tests and air modelling. The topic will be delivered by LQM and HSL.

This event will explore:
  • limitations of the current fibre release tests including their latest developments
  • how to use the data from the tests
  • how the different air models could be applied and data needed
  • how to select the appropriate models
  • what are the uncertainties and limitations of the models

Who should attend?

  • Clients / developers
  • Consultants
  • Contractors.
  • Laboratories
  • Waste management organsiations
  • Regulators
  • Local authorities
    
CPD
This course has a value of 5 hours towards your CPD. Certificates will be sent to delegates following completion.
 

Programme:


9:30         Registration and Coffee   
 
10:00       Welcome and Introduction 
  
10:30       Laboratory methods for evaluation of asbestos in soils and air
  • Polarised light microscopy (PLM)
  • Phase-contrast optical microscopy (PCOM)
  • Transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM/SEM)
  • Detection limits
  • Fibre discrimination
 11:30      Tea/Coffee   
 
12:00      The role of hazard characterisation in risk assessments
  • How do we estimate the likely airborne exposure to asbestos from soils
  • Bench scale methods for estimating the release of fibres to air
  • Field methods for estimating the release of fibres to air    
13:00      Lunch   
 
14:00      Principles and demonstration of rotating drum soil testing for estimating airborne asbestos release to air 
 
15:00      Tea/Coffee   
 
15:30      Practical guidelines for assessing and characterising asbestos in soil
 
16:00      Q&A Session and Debrief  
 
16:30      Close    

The risks from asbestos-containing soils almost entirely relate to the potential inhalation of asbestos fibres released from the soil.  The day will explore the current uncertainties regarding the likelihood and extent of any release of airborne fibres from soils and the difficulties encountered in trying to quantify such releases.  The day will include discussion of:
  • The various sources of soil asbestos – airborne fibre relationships
  • Mitigating and confounding factors in the use of such relationships to estimate air concentrations from soil concentrations
  • The interpretation of the existing data
  • How to deal with “normalised fibre concentrations”
  • International interest developing laboratory tests that directly measure the potential for airborne fibres to be released (i.e. risk) rather than simply the total amount of asbestos in a soil sample (i.e. hazard), and the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches
The detailed method description will be complemented by a tour of an asbestos analysis laboratory.

Where?
Health and Safety Laboratory,
Harpur Hill, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 9JN

   
This event is supported by:
 

Booking
If you are unable to book online, please contact Patrick Williams on 0207 549 33080207 549 3308 or return the booking form by post or fax.
When
11/25/2015
Where
Health & Safety Laboratory Harpur Hill BUXTON Derbyshire SK17 9JN
This event is full.
 
 

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