[Catalist] Gauze mats

[John Clarke]

Hi All,
Please note the 4 mains points:

Although your mats have a certificate stating that they are asbestos free the testing is incomplete and does not pick up Tremolite.

All rooms and cupboards containing the  suspect mats are to be closed/ sealed.

The mats should not be handled by any members of staff, or students.

A certified professional needs to deal with this issue according to required legislative processes.

Hi All,

With the article in today’s West Australian and on the Channel 7 news this morning I am sure most of you are aware that there are issues with the ceramic centre gauze mats used in school laboratories (as well as in many other work places). The issues that have arisen are not new, they have been known in England and New Zealand for some time and those countries have put actions in place to deal with the problem.

It is highly likely the mats you have in your school contain Tremolite, a carcinogenic fibrous compound in the asbestos family. Several schools have had some mats tested and they have returned positive results to Tremolite. Certificates that have been issued by suppliers state the mats are free from asbestos. The testing conducted is incomplete as it is done using only polarised light which does not pick up Tremolite. To determine the presence of this, analysis must be done using a scanning electron microscope.

Best practice is to now consider that the mats in your school are contaminated and to take the necessary action to dispose of them appropriately and remove the problem. Given several positive test results have been obtained, procedures must be put in place that comply with the appropriate legislative requirements. The mats should not be handled by any members of staff, or students. If the mats are stored in cupboards these should be closed and sealed and all of the rooms they are used in are to be closed. A professional company needs to be employed to package and remove the mats and to clean and test all of the laboratories and storage areas according to required legislative processes.

If you have any further questions or want the details of environmental companies to deal with please contact Malcolm Johnson on 92911528 or Geoff Lewis on 0499801117 or 0410331645.


Regards
John Clarke
CEO STAWA
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