FHM TRAINING TOOLS
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commitment to creating and keeping safe
workplaces.
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Asbestos in Construction
Learning Objectives
Objectives:
►
Have better understanding of OSHA Construction
Standard for asbestos
►
Be familiar with exposure
►
Have knowledge of hazard communication
requirements for asbestos in construction
Agenda
Presentation Agenda:
►
Overview of asbestos in construction
►
Exposure monitoring
►
Hazard communication
►Section 1
Overview of
Asbestos in
Construction
Construction Activities and Asbestos
The asbestos standard regulates the following
activities:
►
Demolishing or salvaging structures
►
Removing asbestos-containing material
►
Constructing, altering, repairing, maintaining,
or renovating
►
Installing asbestos-containing products
►
Cleaning up
►
Housekeeping involving
asbestos
Work Classifications
OSHA establishes:
►
A classification system
►
Mandatory, simple, technological
work practices
►
Four classes of construction work
Class I Work
Class I:
►
Potentially hazardous class of asbestos jobs
►
Involves removal of thermal system insulation
►
Thermal system insulation
►
Surfacing materials
Class II Work
Class II:
►
Includes the removal of other
types of ACM
►
Includes removal of asbestoscontaining floor or ceiling tiles,
siding, roofing, or transite panels
Class III Work
Class III:
►
Repair and maintenance
operations where ACM or
presumed ACM (PACM) are
disturbed
Class IV Work
Class IV:
►
Cleaning dust-contaminated
surfaces
►
Vacuuming contaminated carpets
►
Mopping floors
►
Cleaning up ACM or PACM
►
Includes custodial activities where
employees clean up asbestoscontaining waste
Permissible Exposure Limit
Employers must ensure:
►
No employee is exposed to an
airborne concentration of
asbestos in excess of 0.1 f/cc as
an 8-hour time-weighted average
(TWA)
►
Employees must not be exposed
to an airborne concentration of
asbestos in excess of 1 f/cc as
averaged over a sampling period
of 30 minutes
The Competent Person
On all construction sites with
asbestos operations, employers
must designate a competent person:
►
One who can identify asbestos
hazards in the workplace
►
Must be qualified to ensure worker
safety
►
Must attend comprehensive
training course
►
Training must include a course
equivalent to Operations and
Maintenance course
►Section 2
Exposure
Monitoring
Initial Exposure Assessment
A competent person must perform an initial exposure
assessment:
►
A negative exposure assessment demonstrates that
employee exposure during an operation is consistently
below the permissible exposure limit (PEL).
►
Initial exposure assessment is based on the following:
– Employee exposure monitoring
– Observations indicating exposure
– For Class I asbestos work, employers must
assume employee exposures are above the PEL
Negative Exposure Assessment
Employers may show that exposures
will be below the PELs through the
following:
►
Data demonstrating that ACM
cannot release airborne fibers in
excess of the 8-hour TWA PEL or
STEL
►
Exposure data obtained within the
past 12 months
►
Current initial exposure monitoring
Exposure Monitoring
Employers must determine employee
exposures for each affected
employee:
►
One or more samples
representing full-shift exposure
►
One or more samples
representing 30-minute exposures
►
Employer must allow affected
employees to observe any
employee exposure monitoring
Periodic Monitoring
For Class I and II jobs, employers
must conduct monitoring daily:
►
Representative of each employee
working in a regulated area
– For other than Class I and II,
employers must monitor work
where exposures can possibly
exceed the PEL
– Monitoring shows certain
employee exposures
Additional Monitoring
Additional monitoring is required
when:
►
Changes that could result in new
or additional exposures above the
8-hour TWA PEL or STEL
Medical Monitoring
Employers must provide a medical surveillance
program for all employees who do the following:
►
Engage in Class I, II, or III work
►
Wear negative-pressure respirators
►
A licensed physician must perform/supervise all
exams
►
Employers must make exams
available
– Prior to assignment
– Within 10 working days
– When physician suggests
Recordkeeping
Employers must maintain employee
records:
►
If using data to demonstrate
products made from or containing
asbestos cannot release fibers
►
Keep records for 30 years
►
Keep medical surveillance records
for duration of employment plus
30 years
►Section 3
Hazard
Communication
Regulated Areas
A regulated area is:
►
A marked-off site where
employees work with asbestos
►
Operations where airborne
asbestos exceeds the PEL, must
be performed within regulated
areas
►
Only persons permitted by
employer may enter a regulated
area
Posting
Posted warning signs must be easily
readable and understandable
►
The signs must bear the following
information:
►
DANGER ASBESTOS
CANCER AND LUNG DISEASE
HAZARD AUTHORIZED
PERSONNEL ONLY
RESPIRATORY AND
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
ARE REQUIRED IN THIS AREA
Informing Other Employers
An employer performing work in a regulated area
must inform other employers onsite of the
following:
►
Nature of work
►
Regulated area requirements
►
Measures to protect employees
►
Contractor controlling source of asbestos
contamination
►
All employers with employees working near
regulated areas must daily assess the enclosure's
integrity
General Contractors
General contractors must oversee all asbestos
work:
►
General contractor determines whether asbestos
contractors comply with the standard
Communicating Asbestos Hazards at Worksites
Building/facility owners must identify
thermal system insulation at the
worksite:
►
Prospective employers applying
for work adjacent to areas
►
Building owners' employees who
work in or adjacent to these areas
►
Other employers with employees
working in these areas
►
Tenants who will occupy areas
Posting of Warning Signs
Posting of warning signs:
►
At the entrance to areas with ACM or PACM, the
building/facility owner must post signs identifying
the material present
►
Employers must post warning signs to inform
employees of dangers and protective steps
Asbestos Warning Labels
Employers must attach warning
labels to products with asbestos:
►
Labels must contain warning
statement against breathing
asbestos fibers and contain the
following legend:
►
DANGER CONTAINS
ASBESTOS FIBERS AVOID
CREATING DUST CANCER AND
LUNG DISEASE HAZARD
Training
Employers must provide a free training program for
all employees who:
►
Are likely to be exposed in excess of a PEL
►
Perform Class I through IV asbestos operations
Employees must be trained prior to initial
assignment and at least annually thereafter
Additional Information
Resources:
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/asbestos/
http://www.epa.gov/oppt/asbestos/pubs/training.html
Asbestos NESHAP Adequately Wet Guidance.
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), (1990, December).
Demolition Practices Under the
Asbestos NESHAP. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), (1996).