The analysis of lagging materials for asbestos: CEGB procedures

Our plain-English summary of The analysis of lagging materials for asbestos: CEGB procedures, by D.L. Ward (The Annals of Occupational Hygiene, 1979).

The study

• Author: D.L. Ward
• Journal: The Annals of Occupational Hygiene
• Published: 1979;22(3):319-23
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

In plain English

This article, by an author from the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB), described how the Board sampled and analysed thermal insulation (lagging) in its power stations for asbestos, and reviewed the analytical methods it used. It was not a study of workers' health. The article reported that a code of practice for handling asbestos-containing lagging was in general use in 1968. Its aim was fibre counts below 0.2 fibres per ml in areas where respirators were not worn. From 1969 the Board stopped buying lagging that contained asbestos, except for a small number of special applications. The article reported a survey of 537 samples from 20 power stations in which some 69% contained 1% or more of blue asbestos. The author described the difficulty of sampling large, mixed and heat-affected lagging and of taking very small sub-samples from it. Three methods were used: microscopy, infra-red and X-ray diffraction. A scheme based on X-ray diffraction was preferred, partly because it could analyse heat-affected samples. Its detection limit was given as about 0.4%. The author concluded that these methods should be brought together as a British Standard.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Descriptive account of an employer's (CEGB) procedures, with a review of analytical methods for detecting asbestos in lagging; not a health study
• Who was studied: Thermal insulation (lagging) materials in CEGB power stations in Great Britain (over 200 stations), particularly material installed before 1969
• Exposure: Asbestos in thermal insulation (lagging) purchased up to 1969. The article refers to blue and white asbestos, and its appendix to crocidolite, amosite and chrysotile.
• Main results:
  • A CEGB code of practice for handling asbestos-containing lagging was in general use in 1968. It aimed for fibre counts below 0.2 fibres per ml wherever respirators were not worn.
  • From 1969 the Board ceased buying asbestos-containing lagging, except for a small number of special applications
  • In a survey of 537 samples from 20 power stations, some 69% contained 1% or more of blue asbestos
  • Three methods were examined by the Board's analysts and all were used: microscopy, infra-red and X-ray diffraction
  • A complete X-ray diffraction scheme was favoured partly because it could be applied to heat-affected samples. Its detection limit was about 0.4%, higher than for the optical method, and it could handle 30-40 samples per day.
  • Microscopy and infra-red were used in laboratories without X-ray diffraction equipment, and doubtful samples were sent to the main laboratories
• The authors' conclusion: The author concluded that there was enough evidence and experience for the microscopy, infra-red and X-ray diffraction methods to be prepared as a British Standard setting out their agreed limitations

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Power plants and utilities.

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