Update of the Carto Asbestos report with the results of 4 new work situations

Mobilized on this issue, the DGT, the OPPBTP and the INRS, representing the Health Insurance - Occupational Risks, initiated in 2014 the CARTO Asbestos project. This exceptional operation, unparalleled in Europe, makes it possible to establish a map of asbestos dust in the most common construction work processes in subsection 4 (SS4).

In this context, the partners presented in 2017, then in 2019, two series of results and recommendations resulting from a massive dust measurement campaign, concerning a total of 11 work situations.

Today, the CARTO Asbestos report has been updated to include the results of 4 new work situations. They reflect an improvement in operating methods integrating the implementation of innovative processes.

New work situations and low dust levels

The third CARTO Asbestos report is the result of an analysis of 398 dust accumulation measurements carried out on the construction sites of 168 companies. These measurements were carried out in the context of 15 different work situations, including 4 new ones (in bold):

• Drilling slabs and floor coverings,
• Covering slabs and floor coverings,
• Screwing and unscrewing on slabs and floor coverings,
• Detachment of some slabs and floor coverings,
• Drilling of interior paints and plasters,
• Application of paint or coating on paints and interior plasters,
• Installation of glass cloth or wallpaper on interior paints and plasters,
• Removal of wallpaper (scraping) on ​​paints and interior plasters,
• Manual scraping on paints and interior plasters,
• Cutting and dismantling by manual tools of external asbestos cement pipes,
• Dismantling and deconstruction of some elements of the roof,
• Roof defoaming,
• Glue drilling of earthenware tiles,
• Detachment of earthenware tiles glued with asbestos glue,
• Drilling of paints and coatings of exterior facade.

The results are very encouraging with overall low dust levels. Indeed, out of 15 usable work processes, 13 are dust level 1 (dust level less than 100 fibers / liter) and 2 are level 2 (dust level between 100 and 6 fibers / liter).

This therefore makes it possible to conclude that there are simple operational solutions in terms of prevention of the asbestos risk which, if the professional gesture of the operator is mastered and if the operating mode of each situation is respected, make it possible to obtain these encouraging results. .

A call for candidates to continue the campaign

Now, a real dynamic has settled around the CARTO Asbestos campaign. For nearly 6 years, the number of applications has steadily increased to reach, at the end of December 2020, 1717 applications, of which 656 have been selected and have been measured. On the strength of their encouraging results, the OPPBTP and the DGT are continuing the campaign and looking for work sites to carry out new measurements, financed by the OPPBTP, in real situations in SS4.

The situations currently sought are as follows:

In the building sector:

In the field of public works:

Companies are invited to apply via the dedicated platform: www.carto-amiante.fr

The latest version of the CARTO Asbestos report in its entirety is available here.