Old drawers and asbestos

MSDSs, Storage, Handling, Transport, Labeling, computer management systems, and anything else to do with safety.
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fibreweb
Posts: 620
Joined: 20 Jul 2006, 10:00
School: Oxley High School
Suburb: Tamworth
State/Location: NSW

Old drawers and asbestos

Post by fibreweb »

I wrote in another thread that I had been told that the old drawers that many of us use for storage had Asbestos in the Lacquer and had to be removed.
Fishy sent me a private message asking what they looked like and as is they be of interest to others I decided to reply to all.
Firstly I don't know at all where the front office got this information as I cannot find it in the Safety Alerts put out by the Education Department.
Nor how accurate it actually is.
The drawers in question looked like this
20180529_100822reduced.jpg
I had about 200 in various places around the school, one under each work station in the labs as well as storing equipment in the Science Store and Chem store.
The school paid for over 100 tote trays to replace the drawers. Then when I asked where to put the drawers for removal I was told just to put them in the Dumpster! Didn't sound like somewhere to put possible asbestos to me! :w00t:
I have over the last 5 weeks replaced all the drawers in the store room and Chem store with tote trays, tidying up over 20 years of accumulated junk in the process.
This what the store looked like at the beginning of term
DSC_6594-Edit.jpg
And this is it now, even got new floor covering!
20180530_103122reduced.jpg
I am thrilled with how my Chem store looks also after a 12 month saga where 60 square metres of shelving was removed to be replaced with 4 Bunnings flat packs! Wonderful actual Chemical Cabinets for all chemicals except the Non-Regulated ones.
20180530_094648reduced.jpg
20180530_094727reduced.jpg
Now to remember where I have put everything! :oops:
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Labbie
Posts: 3234
Joined: 28 Nov 2006, 10:00
Job Title: Retired
Suburb: At Home
State/Location: NSW

Re: Old drawers and asbestos

Post by Labbie »

wow that lookes great.
Regards Labbie

Lab Manager/Lab Tech, mind reading etc etc
Now retired :wub:
Prima
Posts: 150
Joined: 02 Dec 2014, 11:20
Job Title: Lab assistant
State/Location: NSW

Re: Old drawers and asbestos

Post by Prima »

I am very envious - looks so organised and efficient!
We have hundreds of drawers that look the same....
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melsid
Posts: 355
Joined: 07 Apr 2013, 07:11
Job Title: Lab Rat
School: PHS
State/Location: NSW

Re: Old drawers and asbestos

Post by melsid »

Looking great fibreweb! Happy days!!!
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kimmy
Posts: 418
Joined: 01 Jun 2006, 10:00
Job Title: School Lab Assistant
School: Quirindi High School
Suburb: Quirindi
State/Location: NSW

Re: Old drawers and asbestos

Post by kimmy »

I know this is a old post but I remembered seeing something about asbestos in draws so went searching and found it. Can you tell me did you ever find out if there was a actual document stating that there was asbestos in these. Just we still have one old lab that contains these types of drawers.
thank you
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fibreweb
Posts: 620
Joined: 20 Jul 2006, 10:00
School: Oxley High School
Suburb: Tamworth
State/Location: NSW

Re: Old drawers and asbestos

Post by fibreweb »

Could never find any actual documentation
Worked well for me as they supplied tote trays instead of the drawers which are a lot lighter and stack better.
we still have 50 odd of them under the lab benches holding the tripods, gauze mats Bunsen burners etc.
They seem to have forgotten about them and I'm not convinced there was a problem in the first place
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