Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No. 85 of 1993)RegulationsAsbestos Abatement Regulations, 20208. Duties of persons who may be exposed |
| (1) | Employees who may be exposed to asbestos in place must— |
| (a) | obey any lawful instruction pertaining to occupational health and safety given by or on behalf of the employer; |
| (b) | attend asbestos awareness training in the inventory of asbestos in place for the building; and |
| (c) | report any asbestos-containing material that has been damaged to the employer or health and safety representative of the workplace, as the case may be, who must report it to the employer. |
| (2) | Persons involved in non-asbestos-related maintenance, who may be exposed to asbestos, must— |
| (a) | obtain a copy of the relevant part of the inventory of asbestos in place for the applicable workplace where non-asbestos-related maintenance will be carried out; |
| (b) | prevent damage to or disturbance of asbestos in place; and |
| (c) | if damage or disturbance occurs, stop work immediately and report such damage or disturbance to the employer or to the health and safety representative of the workplace, who must report it to the employer. |
| (3) | Persons involved in type 1 asbestos work must obey any lawful instruction pertaining to occupational health and safety given by or on behalf of the employer, as applicable, regarding— |
| (a) | the acquisition of a copy of the relevant part of the inventory of asbestos in place for the workplace; |
| (b) | the demarcat ion of the regulated asbestos area, as required in regulation 18, to prevent unauthorised entry, using signage as per Annexure 1; |
| (c) | as far as is reasonably practicable, the use of non-destructive wet methods during removal procedures; |
| (d) | the use of appropriate tools and equipment to limit, as far as is reasonably practicable, the release of asbestos dust; |
| (e) | the appropriate type and use of personal protective equipment and clothing; |
| (f) | the thorough decontamination of equipment; |
| (g) | the containment, and labelling in terms of regulation 20, and disposal of asbestos waste in terms of regulation 21; and |
| (h) | the disposal of used disposable overalls and respiratory protective equipment, where applicable, as asbestos waste . |
| (4) | Any person involved in type 2 or type 3 asbestos work, who may be exposed to asbestos at the workplace, must obey any lawful instruction pertaining to occupational health and safety, given by or on behalf of the employer or a self-employed person, regarding— |
| (a) | compliance with requirements of the asbestos plan of work that was approved for that site-specific asbestos work in terms of regulation 15; |
| (b) | as far as is reasonably practicable, the use of non-destructive wet methods during asbestos removal work; |
| (c) | the prevention of asbestos dust becoming airborne; |
| (d) | the appropriate type and use of personal protective equipment and clothing; |
| (e) | wearing of monitoring equipment to measure personal exposure to asbestos; |
| (f) | reporting for medical surveillance as required by regulation 17; |
| (g) | the cleaning up and disposal of any asbestos waste; |
| (h) | decontamination of the structure of a workplace, building or plant, of any visible dust residue where asbestos removal work has been undertaken; |
| (i) | housekeeping at the workplace, personal hygiene and good environmental and health practices, including eating, drinking and smoking in designated places, as provided; |
| (j) | information and training received as contemplated in regulation 7; and |
| (k) | the correct decontamination procedures that must be followed as given in the approved plan of work. |