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Covid-19 Update
Level 1 is here and while we have been operating over the past months, the return to some normality is very welcome.
Our laboratory remains open and is ready to support you with your service requests. We continue to follow Ministry of Health and Government guidance, and our business continuity is reviewed frequently to ensure we are able to support our team and your needs. For our local clients, direct access to our lab via Bell Road South unfortunately remains restricted while Callaghan campus confirms its processes, however feel free to use the green drop box at the Bell Road South gate, remember to download and complete the sample form before you visit, email it through or post / courier samples to us. Give us a call when you get here.  
Sincere apologies for the inconvenience, as soon as the gate opens we will let you know! As always we appreciate your support and hope that you are all well.
NZ post mailing: CES PO Box 38 328 Wellington Mail Centre

Courier: CES 2-4 Bell Road South C/o Callaghan Innovation Inwards Goods, Risworth Street
Asbestos Containing Putty
Asbestos awareness is key to ensuring the health and safety of everyone, we hope you find the general information being provided about the more common asbestos containing materials (ACMs) found in our community helpful. Below is some information on putty.
Our previous newsletters have covered asbestos cement, asbestos insulation boards , loose fill asbestos and asbestos containing vinyl.
If you have a particular ACM you would like to hear more about or would like to book in an Asbestos Awareness course please let us know
Asbestos was historically added to window putty as reinforcement to increase its strength and durability and to improve its fire resistance properties. Enhanced fire resistance for putty was a valuable property as it protected the surfaces it was applied on from heat damage.
The asbestos fibres in putty do not become airborne easily as they are bound within the material, as such the risk of exposure is negligible if undisturbed and even during activities like cleaning and painting. While this material is considered non-friable and low risk, putty on windows that have been constantly exposed to the elements over a time span of years will eventually break down. This weathering of the putty can cause it release fibres more easily and become friable, therefore caution is advised when disturbing old windows.
As with all ACMs, asbestos containing putty poses the greatest risk when it is disturbed with the risk increasing with the level of force applied. For example, using a knife or chisel to remove window putty will have a lower risk of releasing fibres than using an abrasive power tool to grind the material.
If you are unsure about a material in your home or workplace and plan to disturb it you can send in a sample for analysis or request one of our samplers to come out to the property and collect a sample for you.
Proposed Changes to Workplace Exposure Standards
This year WorkSafe New Zealand is proposing changes to the Workplace Exposure Standards (WES) of 18 substances and Biological Exposure Indices (BEI) of 4 substances. The review proposes several significant changes such as reducing the WES-TWA for arsenic from 0.05 mg m ̄ ³ to 0.001 mg m ̄ ³ and changing its vanadium respirable standard of 0.05 mg m ̄ ³ to an inhalable standard of 0.05 mg m ̄ ³. Changes to the copper WES are also proposed for the first time since a standard was adopted in 1994, with Worksafe recommending that the WES is extended to cover copper and its inorganic compounds and that a 0.01 mg m ̄ ³ respirable standard is adopted.
Submissions can be made through the Worksafe website where more information on the proposed changes is available. The deadline for feedback is 28 August 2020.
Worksafe continue to work with the Ministry of Health, ACC, and the dust diseases taskforce and the Accelerated Silicosis Coordinated Response.
If you would like to conduct exposure monitoring get in touch to hire sampling equipment and find out about our competitive analysis rates.
In The News
If you have had an asbestos survey by CES staff we would love to hear from you. Please click here to send us your feedback.
If you have general feedback on our services, please 
click here to tell us more.
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