Skip to main content
Quick Links
  • Contact us
  • Help
  • News
Homepage, Queensland Government Asbestos
Homepage, Queensland Government Asbestos
Asbestos
13QGOV(13 74 68)
Asbestos
Main navigation
  • Home
  • General information
    • What is asbestos?
    • How was asbestos used?
    • Are there health effects?
    • The risks of exposure
    • Health monitoring
    • Legislation and codes of practice
    • Low density asbestos fibre board
    • Asbestos contaminated dust or debris
    • Fires
    • Cleaning up after floods and storms
    • Importation prohibited
    • Government and agency roles
    • Asbestos in government assets
  • Know where asbestos is
    • Common locations of asbestos in domestic and commercial buildings
    • Naturally occurring asbestos
    • Asbestos products gallery
    • Vehicles and plant
    • Electrical switchboards and meters
    • Marblesheen pool coatings containing asbestos
    • Testing for asbestos
    • Asbestos registers for workplaces
    • Asbestos management plans
  • Removing or disturbing asbestos
    • Prohibited activities
    • Wearing protective equipment
    • Safe work procedures
    • Asbestos removal work
    • Asbestos-related work
    • Homeowner's certificate to remove asbestos
    • Air monitoring
    • Clearance inspections
    • Transport and disposal of asbestos waste
  • Practical guidance
    • Asbestos workers and removalists
    • Trades and contractors
    • Homeowners and home renovators
    • Commercial building owners (of workplaces)
    • Body corporate and apartment owner occupiers
    • Residential tenants, lessors and landlords
    • Volunteers
    • Local government environmental health officers
  • Resources
    • Asbestos alerts
    • Asbestos news
    • Codes of practice
    • Guidance
    • Films
    • Safe work procedures
    • Frequently asked questions for homeowners and the general public
    • Podcasts
    • Strategies
    • Working Safely with Asbestos Guide
    • Asbestos Awareness Week 2022
    • Induction and safety training for unlicensed work
  • Sanctions
    • Asbestos on-the-spot fines
    • Sanctions against asbestos licence holders
    • Prosecutions
  1. Home
  2. Resources
  3. Films
  4. Safe work procedure - storm and wind damage cleanup
In this section

In this section

  • Asbestos safety session 2021
  • Asbestos safety session 2020
  • Cleaning Asbestos Roofs
  • Shadow vacuuming with a H-Class vacuum cleaner
  • Use and maintenance of a H-Class vacuum cleaner
  • Identifying low density asbestos fibre board hazards and risks
  • Working safely with asbestos for the home renovator
  • How to properly wear personal protective equipment for airborne contaminants
  • Personal protective equipment
  • Dear Dad - An asbestos awareness film
  • Clear and present danger: Asbestos exposed
  • Uses and applications of asbestos - an extract from a film by Parsons Brinckerhoff
  • Asbestos health issues - an extract from a film by Parsons Brinckerhoff
  • Safe work procedure - storm and wind damage cleanup
  • Drilling into asbestos walls and ceilings
  • Asbestos - Removing switchboard panels
  • Decontamination procedure, personal decontamination and cleanup procedures
  • Asbestos awareness

Safe work procedure - storm and wind damage cleanup

Industry: All industries
Runtime: 5 mins 32 secs

It is essential to protect yourself and others when removing debris, particularly when asbestos is concerned. The following procedure will help you to safely cleanup after a storm.

Download a copy of this film (ZIP/MP4, 74MB)
Transcript

NARRATOR: After a big storm has blown through, the resulting damage could leave you wondering where to start.

Before starting be aware of the risks posed by damaged building products made with asbestos, fallen powerlines or sharp unseen objects.

Asbestos is likely to be found in houses and buildings built before 1990.

Where storms have damaged houses built in this era, you should assume that any debris will contain asbestos.

You will need:

  • A shovel
  • Plastic tarpaulins
  • Plastic bags
  • Duct tape
  • And a bucket you can fill with water, and plenty of rags.

You'll want to protect yourself too, with:

  • disposable overalls
  • a disposable P2 respirator, and
  • gumboots or old boots that you can dispose of later.

If you don't have disposable overalls, use some old clothes that can be thrown away afterwards. Don't consider washing or re-using them, as fibres become caught in the material and can be spread elsewhere.

Right now you've got to deal with this big mess to get your yard safe and clean, so let's get started.

Assuming the sun has started to dry everything out, you will need to dampen it all down again to help suppress any fibres.

So, lightly spray the debris with a garden hose.

Now it's time to gear up.

Take off any jewellery and watches.

Put on your disposable overalls over your clothes.

Now step into the shoes or gumboots you will use for use during the clean-up, then fit your P2 respirator.

Make sure the respirator has a tight fit to your face and creates a good seal.

Take the time to do this correctly.

Lastly, pull the hood up and over your head. This will protect your hair from collecting asbestos fibres.

Ok, now you're ready to begin work.

Small pieces of debris can be placed into thick plastic bags. But if you only have thin plastic shopping bags, then use these, but make sure you only fill them to one-quarter full and double or triple bag them, and tie off each bag.

Use the bag over your hand to pick up the pieces.

After you have a handful, tie the bag up.

Check that nothing is tearing the bags open, or tape the tears closed if any appear.

Tiny pieces of fibro on the ground can be picked up by hand or by using a shovel. Don't try and separate dirt and asbestos pieces, place both the debris and soil into the bag together and assume it is all waste material.

Again, don't overfill the bags and double or triple bag the waste materials and tie off.

Remember, the final aim is to have a neatly sealed package, ready for pick-up by truck or ute.

To allow for easy pickup place some dunnage timber as runners on your driveway, then put down your first tarp to form the base of your package, and then the second tarp over that.

Now that you have an area in which to place your waste debris, pick a large sheet of debris and lay it across the dunnage and tarps to form a sturdy base for the entire package that you'll seal later.

Gently place it down onto the sheet, without breaking it or accidently abrading it.

Now it's just a matter of stacking other large pieces on top of this sheet followed by the waste bags of smaller debris.

If at any time you see anything drying out, dampen it down again with a light spray from the hose.

Back in the area of damage, it's best to ‘wet wipe' any flat surfaces around the debris to ensure all asbestos fibres have been safely captured.

Use a wet rag once, and then fold in half to use it a second time only.

Do not wash out rags and re-use them as this will spread fibres, rather than contain them.

Dispose of wet rags in a waste bag and seal it.

Once everything is stacked on the tarp, place all the collected individual waste bags on top.

Fold over the first layer of tarpaulin and tape it closed.

Now you need take off your PPE carefully.

If possible stand on a clean piece of tarp or plastic to capture any asbestos fibres that may fall off during this process so they can be captured and disposed of as well.

Wet yourself down to dampen any loose fibres that may be stuck to the overalls or clothes that you're wearing.

Take off the damp overalls, by rolling them inside out as you remove them and then dispose of them into a waste bag.

Step out of your gumboots and into your other shoes.

Now wash and clean down your gumboots.

Pick up the tarp or plastic you were standing on and fold it together and also put it into a waste bag.

Lastly, after everything has been disposed of, you can take off your P2 respirator and dispose of it in the waste bag as well.

Double bag the contents and add it to the waste package pile.

Now that everything is safely contained in the package, you can finally seal it closed with duct tape.

Look for any sharp edges that may tear through the tarp and reinforce them with tape.

Now thoroughly wash your hands, and shower off, washing your hair to remove any possible residue from the cleaning up activity.

Congratulations you have now safely secured the scattered debris into one or more neat packages ready for removal by yourself, local council team or licensed asbestos waste carrier.

Refer to the Queensland Government asbestos website for more information about safe work procedures and your local council for more information about waste tips.

Good luck with the rest of your clean up and repairs to your home.

Footer top links
  • Subscriptions
  • Government and agency roles
  • Make an enquiry or register a complaint
  • Connect with us
Footer bottom links
  • Copyright
  • Disclaimers
  • Privacy
  • Right to information
  • Accessibility
  • Jobs in Queensland Government
  • Other languages

© The State of Queensland 2018-2023
Queensland Government

  • Home
  • General information
    • What is asbestos?
    • How was asbestos used?
    • Are there health effects?
    • The risks of exposure
    • Health monitoring
    • Legislation and codes of practice
    • Low density asbestos fibre board
      • Low density board photo gallery
    • Asbestos contaminated dust or debris
    • Fires
    • Cleaning up after floods and storms
    • Importation prohibited
    • Government and agency roles
    • Asbestos in government assets
  • Know where asbestos is
    • Common locations of asbestos in domestic and commercial buildings
    • Naturally occurring asbestos
    • Asbestos products gallery
    • Vehicles and plant
    • Electrical switchboards and meters
    • Marblesheen pool coatings containing asbestos
    • Testing for asbestos
    • Asbestos registers for workplaces
    • Asbestos management plans
  • Removing or disturbing asbestos
    • Prohibited activities
    • Wearing protective equipment
    • Safe work procedures
    • Asbestos removal work
    • Asbestos-related work
      • Induction and safety training for unlicensed work
    • Homeowner's certificate to remove asbestos
    • Air monitoring
    • Clearance inspections
    • Transport and disposal of asbestos waste
      • Important disposal information and illegal dumping
      • Requirements for transporting asbestos
      • Asbestos disposal information
  • Practical guidance
    • Asbestos workers and removalists
    • Trades and contractors
    • Homeowners and home renovators
      • Tips when home renovating
        • Homeowners: Look, check and prepare
      • Tips when hiring a contractor
    • Commercial building owners (of workplaces)
    • Body corporate and apartment owner occupiers
      • Is my body corporate a PCBU
      • Asbestos in body corporate common areas
    • Residential tenants, lessors and landlords
      • Add a warning sticker to your home
    • Volunteers
      • Is my volunteer association a PCBU?
      • Businesses and volunteers
    • Local government environmental health officers
      • Frequently asked questions from local government authorised persons
  • Resources
    • Asbestos alerts
    • Asbestos news
    • Codes of practice
    • Guidance
    • Films
      • Asbestos safety session 2021
      • Asbestos safety session 2020
      • Cleaning Asbestos Roofs
      • Shadow vacuuming with a H-Class vacuum cleaner
      • Use and maintenance of a H-Class vacuum cleaner
      • Identifying low density asbestos fibre board hazards and risks
      • Working safely with asbestos for the home renovator
      • How to properly wear personal protective equipment for airborne contaminants
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Dear Dad - An asbestos awareness film
      • Clear and present danger: Asbestos exposed
      • Uses and applications of asbestos - an extract from a film by Parsons Brinckerhoff
      • Asbestos health issues - an extract from a film by Parsons Brinckerhoff
      • Safe work procedure - storm and wind damage cleanup
      • Drilling into asbestos walls and ceilings
      • Asbestos - Removing switchboard panels
      • Decontamination procedure, personal decontamination and cleanup procedures
      • Asbestos awareness
    • Safe work procedures
      • Preparation before commencing the task
      • Preparing and painting corrugated asbestos cement roof and fences
      • Drilling into non-friable asbestos using a thickened substance to control airborne fibres and dust
      • Drilling into non-friable ACM using an H rated industrial HEPA filter vacuum to control airborne fibres and dust
      • Removing a small package electrical switchboard
      • Cleanup and disposal
      • Safe cleanup of storm damaged materials that may contain asbestos
    • Frequently asked questions for homeowners and the general public
    • Podcasts
    • Strategies
    • Working Safely with Asbestos Guide
    • Asbestos Awareness Week 2022
    • Induction and safety training for unlicensed work
  • Sanctions
    • Asbestos on-the-spot fines
    • Sanctions against asbestos licence holders
    • Prosecutions