Part IV
Health and Safety Considerations

If proper precautions are taken, retrofitting should pose no threat to the health and safety of the occupants or to those doing the work.

Almost all building materials are potentially hazardous, but, if they are handled and installed with care, the work can be done easily and safely.

Safety reminders for each type of retrofit job are noted in the chapters that follow. This section provides general construction-safety tips and guidelines for working with different types of retrofit materials.

General Construction Safety

• Common tools such as hammers, utility knives, staple guns, ladders, rakes and power tools must be handled with care. More complicated equipment such as blowers, foamers and sprayers require special instruction and practice.
  
  
• Have a first-aid kit and a fire extinguisher handy and know how to use them.
  
  
• Protect your back when lifting heavy objects; do not lift and reach at the same time.
  
  
• Take special care when handling heavy or bulky objects, especially when going up and down stairs and ladders.
  
  
• Smoking is especially hazardous. Do not take smoke breaks near insulation or fumes.
  
  
• Keep your work site well organized with tools out of the way of traffic, and give yourself plenty of clear space to manoeuvre.
  
  
• Make sure that the work space is well lighted and ventilated.
  
  
• Ensure proper electrical supply for power tools.
  
  
• Wear appropriate protective clothing for the job at hand.
  
  
• Do not work in an attic on a hot day. Heat stress can cause accidents and serious illness.

Protecting Yourself and Your Family

Many of today’s materials give off particles, fibres or vapours that can be harmful to the installer and anyone in the immediate area. Even natural materials such as sawdust and plaster dust can be harmful. Often, the hazard is not from the primary material but from binders, solvents, stabilizers or other additives of which you may not be aware.

Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to ensure that your retrofit job is done safely and effectively. Maintaining a clean work area and separating it from the rest of the house will minimize exposure to materials.

• Keep fibrous materials and materials that generate vapours well sealed until they are needed, and close them in containers at the end of the work day.
  
  
• Vacuum the work area daily to remove fibres and dust.
  
  
• Provide ventilation for the work area and isolate it from the rest of the house by closing doors or hanging curtains of plastic.
  
  
• Provide extra ventilation for the rest of the house while the work is in progress and during any curing or drying period.

Read this section carefully and follow the recommended safety procedures for working with various materials.

Insulation and Other Particulate Materials. Fibrous insulation materials such as glass fibre and mineral wool can easily irritate the skin, eyes and respiratory system. Long sleeves, tight cuffs and loose, thick clothing will help minimize any skin irritations. Special barrier creams that protect the skin when working with fibrous materials are available from safety-supply houses.

Wear goggles whenever there is any possibility of insulation dust coming in contact with the eyes. Eyes can easily become irritated or inflamed by brittle glass or mineral fibres, and permanent damage can result.

Wear a mask for non-toxic particles if there is a possibility of breathing airborne particles of insulation material. The tiny fibres from glass and mineral insulations can cause respiratory tract irritation and lung inflammation. Avoid breathing insulation dusts. Wear a well-designed, snug-fitting half-mask respirator with a particulate filter when handling glass fibre, mineral wool and cellulose fibre insulation. A half-mask respirator with a High Efficiency Particulate Arrester (HEPA) filter cartridge is recommended when dealing with any insulation that may contain asbestos fibres. The respirators are available through safety-supply houses. Buy a supply of filters rated for the material you are using and change the filters according to the manufacturer's instructions.

In the case of material that contains or is suspected to contain asbestos, such as vermiculite, do not disturb the material. Check with your local or provincial health authority to determine whether you should consult a professional qualified to work with the material. See Warning in this update under "Vermiculite".

Wear a hard hat to prevent head injuries and to protect your hair from insulation particles. Also wear safety glasses.

A vacuum cleaner is the preferred method of cleaning up fibres or dust. It is a good idea to attach an extension hose to the exhaust port of the vacuum cleaner to ensure that any particles travelling through the filter are not recirculated in the household air. If you can only sweep up the material, wet it first to prevent particles from becoming airborne.

Vacuum clothing to avoid spreading insulation material around the house. Wash work clothes separately from
other clothing.

Plastic Insulations

Rigid polystyrene insulation is essentially an inert material, but it can shed particles when cut. Use a face mask when cutting board stock.

Polyurethane and polyisocyanurate insulations give off harmful vapours when the rigid boards are being manufactured and when the material is being sprayed in place on the job site. The vapour causes skin and eye irritation and breathing difficulties, even at low levels of exposure. Residual amounts of vapour may be present with the rigid board material. Make sure the work area is well ventilated. These types of rigid boards will also shed particles when cut; use a mask as for polystyrene.

When applying the spray-in-place material, contractors take special safety precautions and use respirators. If you plan to have foam insulation installed inside your home, provide additional ventilation until the material has cured.

Caulking

A variety of caulking materials have widely different chemical compositions. However, all caulking materials share the following common characteristics:

• They all use solvents to keep the material pliable until it is installed.
  
  
• Once applied, the solvents will eva-porate and fumes will be given off as the material sets or cures.

Fumes from caulking can cause respiratory irritation or other allergic reactions. Make sure the work area is well ventilated and provide additional ventilation to the home during the curing period. The curing time can vary from days
to weeks.

Note: Follow directions when caulking is specified for exterior use only.