asbestos awareness

Asbestos Awareness Training

•Widely used, mineral basedmaterial

•Resistant to heat & corrosivechemicals

•Fibers may range from coarseto silky

WHAT IS ASBESTOS?

When is Asbestos Dangerous?

When it becomes airborne.

Fibers are so light it hang in the air for days.

If you step in asbestos you will push it back into the air.

It can go through air ducts, under doors, down halls and stairs.

Air Sampling

Air pumps pull the air through a filter.The fibers collect on the filter.The fibers are counted with the

use of a microscope.Asbestos is measured in fibers

per cubic centimeter (f/cc) of air.

Human Hair

FiberglassFiber

AsbestosFiber

Asbestos Fibers are Hollow.

A Single Asbestos Fiber

* Suspended ceiling tiles * Thickening agents in paints

* Pipe insulation * Fireproof drapes and curtains * Vinyl flooring and mastic (glue) * Friction products (brake & clutch facings)* Reinforcing materials (cement pipe & sheet materials)* Primary insulation and lagging material for high temperature machinery, boilers, and piping

Areas Where Asbestos Can Be Found

Asbestos pipe and boiler insulation does not present a hazard unless the protective canvas covering is cut or damaged in such a way that the asbestos underneath is actually exposed to the air.

Contains Asbestos Fibers

Avoid Creating Dust

Cancer & Lung Disease Hazard

Vinyl Floor Tiles Acoustical Ceiling Tile

Pipe Insulation Asbestos Board

Why is it used?

Good insulator for heat, sound, fire, etc.Plentiful (naturally occurring, easy to mine

and mill.Stronger than steel.

• Friable

• Non-friable

The Two States of Asbestos Materials

Friable

Able to crumble into powder with hand pressure when dry.

Dangerous when airborne.Examples: Boiler insulation

Spray-on fireproofing Popcorn ceiling (Spray-on)

Non-Friable

May become Friable or airborne through deterioration or processes that disturb.

Examples:

Vinyl Floor Tile

Ceiling Tile

There is no way to visually identify asbestos. Many materials that contain asbestos look justthe same as materials that don't. The only way to confirm that a material is asbestos is to takesamples and analyze the material in a laboratory. Therefore, it is best to treat anything that lookslike it may contain asbestos as if it does until it is analyzed and proven to not contain any asbestos.

Can asbestos be identified visually?

Chrysotile

Amosite

Crocidolite

Three Types Found in Buildings

Unmilled mineral asbestos (chrysotile).

Chrysotile

Respirators

Protection Factor (PF)Maximum Use Levels (MUL)Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL)

EXPOSURE LIMITS

OSHA PEL = .1f/cc for 8 hr time weighted avgAverage adult breathes in 10 M3 of air/shiftPEL = 1 million fibers per shift.

Working Safely with ACM’s If you have reason to suspect that something is asbestos,

either because it is labeled as such, or because it something that is likely to contain asbestos (9" floor tile, for example) DO NOT DISTURB IT. Never:

Drill Hammer Cut Saw Break Damage Move Disturb

Control Methods

Limited activity when in contact with ACMsEncapsulation.Enclosure.Repair.Removal.Operations and Maintenance.

Building Systems

StructuralMechanicalElectricalArchitectural FinishesOther

HVAC SYSTEM

Block or board insulationBlanket or batt insulation.Gasket materialRope fillerValve packingVibration-dampening cloth

Plumbing System

Pipe Insulating MaterialsTransite water supply lines.

Electrical System

Transite ducts for electrical cable runsPartitions in electrical panelsAsbestos cloth to bind bare wiresInsulation on stage lightingMill board templates behind knock-out panelsBraided wire insulation on incandescent

lighting.Braided wire insulation in older buildings.

Exposure to Asbestos

Diseases

Asbestosis

Lung Cancer

Mesothelioma

Digestive System Cancer

ASBESTOSISA progressively restrictive fibrosis of

the lung and is recognized as a

disabling and fatal

occupational disease.

MESOTHELIOMAA rare malignant tumor of the lung

membrane which lines

the chest and

abdominal cavity.

Age - cases of mesothelioma have occurred in the children of asbestos workers whose only exposures were from the dust brought home on the clothing of family members who worked with asbestos. The younger people are when they inhale asbestos, the more likely they are to develop mesothelioma. This is why enormous efforts are being made to prevent school children from being exposed.

Mesothelioma

Digestive System Cancer

Change in bowel patterns Blood in BMFeeling tiredWeight loss

BRONCHIAL LUNG CANCER

Malignant tumor of the bronchial tubes,

this disease is more common than the

other three.

Other Cancers

Evidence suggests that cancers in the esophagus, larynx, oral cavity, stomach, colon and kidney may be caused by ingesting asbestos. For more information on asbestos-related cancers, contact your local chapter of the American Cancer Society.

LATENCY PERIOD(How long it takes to get sick)

10 - 40 years after initial exposure.

How Your Lungs WorkDefense Mechanisms

Exhaling contaminants back outNose hairMucousCilia

Health Hazards of Asbestos and Tobacco

Smoking sedates the cilia, disabling one of your key defense mechanisms.

A smoker who does not work with asbestos is about 22 times more likely to get cancer.

Asbestos workers who smoke are about 80 times more likely to get lung cancer.

Hazard CommunicationWho should you contact when you recognize

a damaged condition?What do you tell them when you call?

a) nature of damage

b) amount of damage

c) location of damage

d) description of the scene

e) occupancy issues

EPA AHERA - schools ASHARA - public & commercial buildings NESHAP - air quality districts

NIOSH - equipment approval

OSHA - worker protections

Agencies

Overview of Asbestos Regulations by Agency

OSHACAL-OSHAEPADTSCCSLB

REMEMBER!

Don’t disturb any substance or material thought to contain asbestos.

Notify your supervisor if you suspect an ACM has been compromised.

Don’t allow high speed buffers to be used on vinyl tile thought to contain asbestos.

Don’t allow walls to be disturbed without first notifying Plant Operations.