Estimation de l'exposition à l'amiante lors des activités de traitement de l'amiante en place : proposition d'une matrice tâches-exposition

The assessment of exposure levels was identical for at least two out of three experts for most of asbestos removal tasks, except for the removal of asbestos-cement tiles. Exposure levels ranged from 300 fibres per centimetre cube (removal of asbestos insulating or progypsol coating) to 0.1 fibre per centimetre cube (confinement or restoration of removal site). In order to assess actual exposure of asbestos removal workers considering collective and personal protection, exposure levels defined in the proposed matrix must be corrected by the corresponding multiplicative protective coefficients. Although a job exposure matrix (JEM) does not take into account individual variability nor exposure variability for a specific work task, the matrix we propose may represent a useful and reliable tool for assessing asbestos exposure related to asbestos removal operations in epidemiological studies.