Use of a passive badge for sampling asbestos among building finishing workers

In the French construction sector, almost one million workers are potentially exposed to the risk of inhaling asbestos fibres. However, knowledge of the exposures and follow-up of these populations remain poor considering the small size of the majority of enterprises and logistical constraints linked to conventional sampling, as tasks dealing with asbestos-containing materials often lead to both random and short-term exposures. The aims of this study were to assess the performance of a passive sampler allowing asbestos fibres to be sampled and to apply it to a selected population of employees who are potentially exposed, namely plumbers-heating engineers.The first part, undertaken in the laboratory, completed the work carried out in the United Kingdom by the Health and Safety Laboratory Burdett G., Bard D. (2007), Exposure of UK Industrial plumbers to asbestos, Part I: monitoring of exposure using personal passive samplers. Ann. Occup. Hyg., 51, 2, 121-130. by estimating the equivalent flow rate of the badge as a function of the physical parameters likely to influence it and compatible with the occupational ambient conditions. This sampler was then used to evaluate the asbestos fibre concentration to which plumbers-heating engineers were exposed over a week’s activity. This second phase was undertaken with the contribution of the Confederation of Self-Employed Builders and Small Building Enterprises (CAPEB), which was responsible for recruiting volunteersCombining the wearing of the sampler for a week, an individual questionnaire and intervention sheets, these experiments identified asbestos exposure in 35% of cases. Almost half of the operators were unaware of this risk. The results of this study will serve to raise the awareness of professionals carrying out finishing work in the building industry. This work should lead to a review of the practices of the plumber heating engineer profession intended to improve their training, their knowledge of asbestos risk and, in particular, of collective and individual means of protection.