Asbestos Hazards Analysis in Construction Projects With the Fault Tree Analysis and the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis

Abstract

The Italian construction sector suffered more than the other industrial sector the negative effects of the world economic crisis. A consequence has been a change in its organization concerning labour and managent on the health and safety issues. Evidence of this can be found in an increase of fatal accidents and occupational diseases. In particular occupational diseases became a health concern in construction.

The aim of the presented research work is to assess the hazard of asbestos fibres inhalation due to decommissing of old industrial promises with roofing of asbestos. The developed approach starts from a probabilistic assessment of the risk, using the Risk Analysis tools, the Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) and the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA). Risk assessment through the FTA is based on a backward approach: it starts from the malfunction of the system, called Top Event, in order to look for the triggering causes (events); on the contrary, the FMEA analysis is based on a forward approach: they start from a set of events and go on in order to analyse what kind of malfunctioning these can generate in the system. Both the FTA and the FMEA are applied to three approved decontamination techniques (encapsulation, confinement and removal), and for each of them operational phases, equipment, building products and PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) are evaluated highlighting the procedures needed to operate in complete safety.

With this approach the main factors that contribute to the increase of the risk of asbestos fibres inhalation are detected: preliminary analysis and assessment of the state of building decay, the use and maintence of PPE and machinery, and the supervision during main working phases.