Asbestos Management Plan

Working with asbestos containing materials has been restricted to certified companies and laboratories/inspection companies only. The use of asbestos on board vessels is also banned according to SOLAS regulations. Since 1 July 2002, the installation of materials that contain asbestos has, under SOLAS regulation II-1/3-5, been prohibited for all ships, except for some vanes, joints and insulation. From 1 January 2011, any installation of materials that contain asbestos will, under SOLAS regulation II-1/3-5, be prohibited, for all ships without exceptions.

Asbestos can be harmful for health when fibres are airborne. Fibres will not set free from the matrix spontaneously but only after treatment of the matrix such as drilling, sawing or grinding. To prevent uncontrolled treatment of asbestos containing materials during normal maintenance (e.g. when a leak occurs), MA-Solutions can draw up an Asbestos Management Plan for your vessel as mentioned in IMO MSC/Circular 1045.