Precautions before cleanup

• Those undertaking clean-up operations should always wear effective (and preferably recommended) dust masks.
• In fine-ash environments, wear goggles or corrective eyeglasses instead of contact lenses to protect eyes from irritation.
• Lightly water down the ash deposits before they are removed by shovelling, being careful not to excessively wet the deposits on roofs, causing excess loading and danger of collapse.
• Dry brushing can produce very high exposure levels and should be avoided.
• Use extra precaution on ladders and roofs. The ash makes surfaces much more slippery, consequently many people have died from falls while cleaning ash from their roofs. Be aware of the extra load caused by standing on an already overloaded roof - tread carefully. It is preferable to clean roofs before more than a few centimeters of ash have accumulated. Where possible use a harness.