The Importance of Training (Part4)

Welcome to part 4 of the Importance of Training. This month I am covering two major high-risk topics. Lead Paint and Asbestos. In the last painting and decorating training package update it was recognised that both Lead Paint and Asbestos were such major concerns within the painting that they created a unit for each where previously they had a combined unit.

We should all be aware of the dangers and the high number of people that have or are suffered and died due to the exposure of both lead paint and asbestos.

When I first started in the trade, we weren’t aware of the dangers and the potential health problems that both lead and asbestos could cause. I can remember dry sanding both in the 90’s with no idea what I was doing and with little to no precautions being taken or even taught to be taken. For those old enough they will remember drinking milk to get rid of the taste and toughen us up against it.

I have had lead poisoning and have little to no doubt that I have been exposed to asbestos as a child and adult through renovations my family did and old houses I had exposure to in my early years in the trade.

Since the early 2000’s I have advocated for lead paint awareness and have been involved in assisting Government in awareness campaigns as well as being a major contributor to the Governments Lead Paint publications. Over the years I have seen 110’s if not 1000’s of houses being stripped with no precautions in any form and families being poisoned because contractors either not being properly informed on the dangers or lead and asbestos or painters just needing the work and taking absolutely no precautions and families getting poisoned.

Even in the last 12 months I have been contacted by apprentices asking what to do when their employers are doing the wrong thing. On a couple of separate occasions, I have been contacted when people are power washing asbestos roofs and grinding lead paint with no precautions.

As previously mentioned, these things KILL!!

The most important thing is education today, so that people don’t make the same uneducated mistakes that we did 30+ years ago. This is the reason there are now two specific units.

1. Work safely to encapsulate non-friable asbestos in the painting industry.

As with any unit, there is a Performance and Knowledge Evidence required. How we do this is through theory system, whether online or paper based. This is the workbooks etc of years gone by.

Then there is a practical component ensuring that if the apprentice ever comes across asbestos they are aware how to work with it. How think coatings need to be applied etc. This is done in simulation training.

2. Work safely with lead-painted surfaces in the painting industry

As previously mentioned, Performance and Knowledge Evidence is required.

For the practical components, we simulate through overcoating, chemical stripping, non-chemical stripping methods. There are specific area requirements that need to be done for each process.

Here are the links to each of the two units discussed that the people being trained must do. This is also the requirements of the RTO to follow when conducting training and assessment.

Asbestos. CLICK HERE

Lead Paint CLICK HERE

If your apprentice or staff aren’t being training and doing the practical tasks, contact me for assistance on what you can do.

Good luck and stay safe.

Nigel Gorman nigel@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au 07 3555 8010