HS&E Operatives practice question: Asbestos awareness (1 of 7)
B. Occupational health A free question from our original HS&E Operatives practice exam. Try it, then open the answer to see why each option is right or wrong.
You are drilling fixings into the ceiling of an office built in 1985. Above the ceiling tiles you find old grey boards that look like insulation.
What should you do?
Choose one answer.
AA. Break off a piece and take it to the office to check
BB. Carry on, as asbestos was banned long before 1985
CC. Stop work and tell your supervisor before going on
DD. Carry on, but open a window to let the dust out
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: C
A. Wrong: Wrong. Breaking it releases fibres into the air. Only a trained person should take a sample.
B. Wrong: Wrong. Asbestos was still used in buildings until 1999. Any building built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
C. Right: Right. A building put up before 2000 may contain asbestos. Stop work and ask your employer to check the asbestos survey. Don't carry on until you know it is safe.
D. Wrong: Wrong. Opening a window does not make asbestos safe. You can't see, smell or feel the fibres, and breathing them in can cause cancer decades later.
Explanation
If a building was built or refurbished before 2000 and you find something that might be asbestos, stop work and tell your supervisor. Don't carry on until the asbestos survey has been checked.