Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No. 85 of 1993)RegulationsAsbestos Abatement Regulations, 202019. Personal protective equipment and facilities |
| (1) | An employer or self-employed person must— |
| (a) | provide respiratory protective equipment and protective clothing suitable for protection against regulated asbestos fibres to all persons who may be exposed to asbestos; |
| (b) | ensure that the respiratory protective equipment provides the appropriate level of protection for the type of asbestos work to be undertaken; and |
| (c) | ensure that a person's exposure is adequately controlled as contemplated in regulation 9. |
| (2) | Where respiratory protective equipment is provided, the employer or self-employed person must ensure that— |
| (a) | the relevant equipment is capable of keeping the exposure level below the OEL for asbestos; |
| (b) | the relevant equipment is correctly and properly used, stored and maintained; |
| (c) | information, instruction, training and supervision that are necessary with regard to the use of the equipment are provided to the persons; and |
| (d) | the equipment is kept in good, condition and efficient working order. |
| (3) | An employer or self-employed person must, as far as is reasonably practicable— |
| (a) | issue no personal protective equipment to a person unless such equipment is cleaned, decontaminated and, where appropriate, sterilised; |
| (b) | provide separate containers or storage facilities for personal protective equipment not in use; and |
| (c) | ensure that all personal protective equipment not in use is stored only in the place provided. |
| (4) | An employer or self-employed person must, as far as is reasonably practicable, ensure that all personal protective equipment contaminated with asbestos dust is thoroughly cleaned and handled in accordance with the following procedures— |
| (a) | Where personal protective equipment is cleaned on the premises of the asbestos client, care must be taken to prevent contamination during handling, transport and cleaning; and |
| (b) | water that is used for decontamination or cleaning of equipment must be filtered in accordance with regulation 9(3) before being released into any water system. |
| (5) | Subject to sub-regulation (3)(a), an employer or self-employed person must ensure that no person removes dirty or contaminated personal protective equipment from the work place: Provided that where personal protective equipment contaminated with asbestos dust has to be disposed of, it must be treated as asbestos waste as contemplated in regulation 21. |
| (6) | Subject to the Facilities Regulations, 2004, published as Government Notice R.924 in Gazette No. 26636 of 3 August 2004, the employer must— |
| (a) | provide employees involved in type 1 and type 2 asbestos work with adequate washing facilities, which are readily accessible and located in an area where the facilities will not become contaminated, to enable employees to meet a standard of personal hygiene consistent with the adequate control of exposure, and to avoid the spread of asbestos dust; |
| (b) | provide employees involved in type 3 asbestos work with a decontamination facility , in accordance with HSG 248, Chapter 9, which facility is readily accessible and located in an area where it will not become contaminated, to enable employees to meet a standard of personal hygiene consistent with the adequate control of exposure, and to avoid the spread of asbestos dust. |