Background: You are the CSO working for the Prime Contractor $($PC$)$ on a multi$-$employer worksite. The owner of the property is operating business as usual. The job is to retro$-$fit a steam$-$heating system with energy saving systems. One of these solutions is to fit the conduit pipe with meters to monitor heat loss at various stages along the path of the steam distribution system. The owner has provided the Prime Contractor with an inventory of asbestos$-$containing materials, and their location, in the steam conduit system. Abatement can only be conducted by the owners pre$-$approved abatement contractors. The owner has provided the Prime Contractor with the list of approved abatement contractors. The Prime Contractor has developed a comprehensive site orientation for all trade contractors, including asbestos awareness training.Description of incidentOn August $10$th$,$ two of the owners workers entered a crawl space to calibrate a newly installed meter. They found an $8-$inch section of the asbestos$-$containing insulated steam pipe stripped of its insulation. The end of the insulation was exposed, did not appear to be encapsulated, and a small piece of what was assumed to be asbestos$-$containing material on the floor under the pipe. The $2$ workers retreated rapidly and reported to their manager. The owner was aware that the meter had been recently fitted by a trade contractor hired by the Prime Contractor. The owner informed the prime contractor and requested an investigation into the incident before any further work on the project continues. The site is shut down.Purpose of InvestigationThe purpose of the investigation is to determine: If the owners workers have accidentally been exposed to asbestos What processes were not followed, or failed, to cause this incident To identify recommendations to prevent any further similar incidents Document review Orientation of the trade contractor installing the meter had been completed by the Prime Contractor, and included instructions with respect to all asbestos$-$containing materials on the site. There is no record of any review of the trade contractors safety documents for inspection or risk assessment procedures around asbestos abatement by the Prime Contractor. A risk assessment was done by the trade contractor, and he hired an owner$-$approved asbestos abatement company on August $5$th to strip the pipes of asbestos prior to meter installation. Neither the trade contractor nor the Prime Contractor reviewed their safety documents or procedures, because they were owner$-$approved. A Notice of Project by the approved asbestos abatement company for the crawl space, dated August $5$th $,$ was sent to the trade contractor but there is no record indicating the Prime Contractor knew this, of follow$-$up or monitoring done by the Prime Contractor, or of any procedures to do so$.$ An Aug. $5$th email from the asbestos abatement company to the trade contractors supervisor is the only communication indicating that the abatement was completed. Aug. $5$th was the Friday of a long weekend. There are no records of a crawl space inspection post$-$abatement by anyone on site The SDS sheet for the encapsulate product describes the physical appearance of the dried product to be milky white in colour. There are no written safe use procedures for the abatement contractors workers in the encapsulate products use, any training records for product use, or WHMIS training. InterviewsTrade ContractorThe trade contractors supervisor says that he inspected the abatement site on Tuesday August $9$th to see if enough of the pipe had been exposed to install the meter but did not take note if the exposed insulation had been encapsulated nor did he notice any debris on the floor. There is no written record of this inspection. Trade Contractor WorkersThe workers who installed the meter on August $9$th say they did not notice any open insulation ends, nor did they notice debris on the floor.Asbestos Abatement company The abatement worker says that he used the product he was given by his employer in a manner that seemed logical ie to coat the exposed insulation ends with it$.$ He liked the fact that it was clear$-$drying as it made it easier to apply. When asked if an SDS was present on site, he didnt knowwhat that reference meant.Encapsulate SupplierThe supplier of the encapsulate product confirms that the only product that they sell intended to be used as an encapsulate dries milky in colour. The product that the abatement worker describes is a clear un$-$tinted base product only, and is not to be used as an encapsulate. $1.$ Have the owners workers been potentially exposed to asbestos? Yes No Complete the following $3$ questions: $2.$ What are the immediate causes of this incident? $($Hint: think of unsafe act$/$condition$)3.$ What are the root$/$basic causes of this incident? $4.$ Identify $3$ full corrective recommendations, $2$ for each party: