Removing toxic dust

Part 1. Preparation and safety

Objective

• Clean hazardous brake and clutch components and safely treat and dispose of toxic dust.

Personal safety

Whenever you perform a task in the workshop you must use personal protective clothing and equipment that is appropriate for the task and which conforms to your local safety regulations and policies. Among other items, this may include:

• Work clothing - such as coveralls and steel-capped footwear
• Eye protection - such as safety glasses and face masks
• Ear protection - such as earmuffs and earplugs
• Hand protection - such as rubber gloves and barrier cream
• Respiratory equipment - such as face masks and valved respirators

If you are not certain what is appropriate or required, ask your supervisor.

Safety check

• Some vehicle components contain asbestos, which while having very good heat properties is very toxic.
• Asbestos dust causes lung cancer. Complications from breathing the dust may not show for decades after exposure.
• Airborne dust in the workshop can also cause breathing problems such as Asthma and throat infections.
• Never cause dust from vehicle components to be blown into the air. It can stay floating for many hours, meaning that other people can breathe the dust unknowingly.
• Don't use compressed air to clean dust from brake and clutch components.
• Wear protective gloves whenever using solvents.

• If you are unfamiliar with a solvent or a cleaner refer to the MSDS for information about its correct use and applicable hazards.
• Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after performing repair tasks on brake and clutch components.
• Always wash work clothes separately from other clothes so that toxic dust does not transfer from one garment to another.
• Always wear protective clothing and the appropriate safety equipment.
• Make sure that you understand and observe all legislative and personal safety procedures when carrying out the following tasks. If you are unsure of what these are, ask your supervisor.

Points to note

• Asbestos is non-flammable even at very high temperatures and is extremely flexible and durable. It was used to insulate buildings because of its insulating qualities and in brake and clutch linings because of its ability to operate at very high temperatures.
• Most countries have banned the use of asbestos because of its toxic qualities. However, always treat brake and clutch faces as though they contain asbestos, because you never know how old the component is.
• Even though it is a banned substance, components manufactured in some countries may still use small amounts of it.
• After completing a servicing or repair task on a vehicle there is often dirt left behind. The chemicals present in this dirt usually contain toxic chemicals that can build up and cause health problems.
• To keep the levels of dirt to a minimum clean up dirt immediately after the task is complete.
• Another by-product of workshop dirt is toxic dust. The same chemicals present in the dirt find their way into the workshop air by means of cleaning components and sweeping floors. The vigorous action of sweeping causes the dust to rise so when sweeping the floor use a soft broom that pushes, rather than flicks the dirt forward. Create smaller dirt piles and dispose of them frequently rather than creating one large dirt pile that is disposed at the end of the task.
• Another successful way of cleaning workshop dirt is to a hose. Its advantage is that it wets the dirt, so no dust is created. But, the wastewater must be caught in a sullage pit, not into a storm water drain.
• One of the more common sources of toxic dust is inside drum brakes and manual transmission bell housings.

• Road wheels collect brake dust as brake pads wear. This is seen by the collection of black dust found on wheels. The same precautions that apply to cleaning brake and clutch assemblies apply when cleaning wheels.
• Do not use a cleaning solvent on brake and clutch components as it can damage the lining material. Water is the best cleaning agent in this case.
• Do not use Kerosene to clean brake components as it does not clean brake fluid, is absorbed into brake lining material and causes brake seals to swell.
• There are various tools that have been developed to clean toxic dust from vehicle components. One such tool uses a vacuum cleaner that has a large cone attachment at the nozzle end. The base of the cone is open so the brake assembly can fit into the cone and the cleaner turned on. A compressed air nozzle is also attached to the cone that is used to loosen dirt particles. They are drawn into the cleaner via a very fine filter. Domestic vacuum cleaners are not suitable as their filters are not fine enough to capture very small dust particles.
• Whenever using an atomizer with solvents and cleaners make sure there is adequate exhaust ventilation. Wear appropriate breathing apparatus and eye protection.

Part 2: Step-by-step instruction

1. Prepare to clean brake or clutch components
   Before performing any cleaning tasks on brake or on clutch components always wear a facemask, gloves and eye protection.
2. Locate the catch tray
   Position a catch tray to the bottom of the backing plate. When cleaning brakes, remove the brake drum and check for the presence of dust and brake fluid. When cleaning a clutch, locate the catch tray underneath the bell housing. Add a recommended cleaning solution.
3. Clean the components
   Using a stiff brush, paint the solution over the components to both wet and clean the components and remove the dust. Any toxic dust will be washed down and caught in the cleaning tray.
4. Dispose of the residue safely
   The solvent will evaporate after a short time. Once the task is complete, empty the contents of the cleaning tray into the waste oil tank.