Hong Kong Regulations

FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS (ASBESTOS) REGULATION - SECT 2

Interpretation

(1) In this Regulation, unless the context otherwise requires-

"action level" (措施水平) means one of the following cumulative exposures
to asbestos over a continuous 12-week period, namely-

   (a)  where the exposure is solely to chrysotile, 96 fibre-hours per
        millilitre of air; or

   (b)  where the exposure is to any other form of asbestos either alone or in
        mixtures including mixtures of chrysotile with any other form of
        asbestos, 48 fibre-hours per millilitre of air; or

   (c)  where both types of exposure occur separately during the 12-week
        period, a proportionate number of fibre-hours per millilitre of air;

"amphibole asbestos" (閃石類石棉) means any of the minerals crocidolite,
amosite, fibrous actinolite, fibrous anthophyllite, fibrous tremolite and any
mixture containing any of those minerals;

"approved respiratory protective equipment" (認可呼吸防護設備) means
any respiratory protective equipment approved by the Commissioner under
section 4;

"asbestos" (石棉) means chrysotile and amphibole asbestos and any mixture
containing any of those minerals;

"asbestos cement" (石棉水泥) means a material which is predominantly a
mixture of cement and asbestos and which when in a dry state has a density
greater than 1 tonne per cubic metre;

"asbestos coating" (石棉塗層) means a surface coating which contains
asbestos;

"asbestos insulating board" (石棉絕緣板) means any sheet, tile or
building board consisting of a mixture of asbestos and other material which
mixture when in a dry state has a density greater than 500 kilograms per cubic
metre;

"asbestos insulation" (石棉絕緣物) means any material containing asbestos
and used for thermal, acoustic or other insulation purposes (including fire
protection) except-

   (a)  asbestos cement or asbestos insulating board; or

   (b)  any article of bitumen, plastic, resin or rubber which contains
        asbestos and the thermal and acoustic properties of which are
        incidental to its main purpose;

"asbestos spraying" (石棉噴塗) means the application by spraying of any
material containing asbestos to form a continuous surface coating;

"control limit" (控制限度) means one of the following concentrations of
asbestos in the atmosphere of the industrial undertaking, namely-

   (a)  for chrysotile-

        (i)    0.5 fibres per millilitre of air averaged over any continuous
               period of 4 hours;

        (ii)   1.5 fibres per millilitre of air averaged over any continuous
               period of 10 minutes;

   (b)  for any other form of asbestos either alone or in mixtures including
        mixtures of chrysotile with any other form of asbestos-

        (i)    0.2 fibres per millilitre of air averaged over any continuous
               period of 4 hours;

        (ii)   0.6 fibres per millilitre of air averaged over any continuous
               period of 10 minutes;

"proprietor" (東主) means a proprietor of any industrial undertaking;

"protective clothing" (防護衣物) means clothing which is impervious to
asbestos dust and which when worn can protect the body and personal clothing
of the wearer from contamination by asbestos;

"work with asbestos coating or asbestos insulation"
(石棉塗層或石棉絕緣物工作) includes any work in which
asbestos coating or asbestos insulation is removed, repaired or disturbed.

(2) For the purpose of this Regulation-

   (a)  any reference to a workman being exposed to asbestos in an industrial
        undertaking shall be construed as a reference to the exposure of that
        workman to asbestos dust arising out of or in connection with any work
        with asbestos which is carried out in the industrial undertaking;

   (b)  in determining whether a workman is exposed to asbestos or whether the
        extent of exposure exceeds the action level or any control  limit, no
        account shall be taken of any respiratory protective equipment that is
        being worn by the workman; and

   (c)  the method for measuring exposure of workman to asbestos in the
        atmosphere of the industrial undertaking shall be a method approved by
        the Commissioner.

"action level" (措施水平)

"amphibole asbestos" (閃石類石棉)

"approved respiratory protective equipment" (認可呼吸防護設備)

"asbestos" (石棉)

"asbestos cement" (石棉水泥)

"asbestos coating" (石棉塗層)

"asbestos insulating board" (石棉絕緣板)

"asbestos insulation" (石棉絕緣物)

"asbestos spraying" (石棉噴塗)

"control limit" (控制限度)

"proprietor" (東主)

"protective clothing" (防護衣物)

"work with asbestos coating or asbestos insulation"
(石棉塗層或石棉絕緣物工作)