Asbestos respirator zone

Designated asbestos areas should be marked out to prevent or reduce exposure and the spread of contamination, by making sure that workers do not enter areas where they may be unknowingly exposed to significant concentrations of asbestos (i.e. such that the action level would be exceeded if the workers spent their normal work time exposed to that concentration of asbestos). Where potential exposure is such that control limits are liable to be exceeded, respirator zones should be marked out to ensure that RPE is worn. 

Any area, where an empioyee may be exposed to asbestos to a ievei which may exceed a controi iimit, must be designated as a respirator zone. Respirator zones, whether enciosed or not, must be demarcated and identified by suitabie warning notices. Notices that RPE must be worn are aiso necessary. 

Oniy empioyees who need to do so for their work can enter and remain in asbestos areas and respirator zones. 

Empioyers shouid ensure the provision of suitable faciiities for empioyees to eat and drink outside the working area and where appropriate as close as is reasonably practicable to the hygiene facilities. No one should eat, drink or smoke in the enclosure or work area, in the hygiene facilities or in any areas which have been marked as asbestos areas or respirator zones. 

Where hygiene facilities are not being used, personnel should wash and decontaminate themselves whenever they leave an asbestos area or respirator zone. 

The intention of marking asbestos areas (Regulation 17) is to make sure workers do not enter them unknowingly. A work area can be designated as an asbestos area (because the workers may exceed the action level) or a respirator zone (because either of the control limits may be exceeded), or both. 

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