Asbestos
Current OSHA PEL concerning asbestos fiber
0.1 f/cc
Assigned protection factor of a half-face respirator
10
Maximum amount of carbon monoxide permissible in grade D air
10 parts per million
Assigned protection factor of a Supplied air respirator/ type C
1000
Maximum temperature of a pipe you can work on with glove bag?
150°F
Below what % is considered "oxygen deficient"
19.5%
Level of oxygen required for supplied air systems
19.5-23.5%
Time frame where most asbestos installed in buildings in US
1950-60s
A mini-enclosure is built for up to how many workers?
2
Minimum number of people needed for a glovebag project
2
How many years working in asbestos field before x-rays show abnormal lung functions in the average person, due to asbestos?
20-30 years
When must a decontamination unit be kept under negative pressure?
24 hours a day when final clearance is achieved
Assigned protection factor of a PAPR
250-1000
How long do abatement workers have to compete your exit exam?
30 days before or after
How many years must medical records be kept for?
30 years
Definition of asbestos fiber
5 microns or greater in length with 3:1 ratio
How many times more likely is an abatement worker who smokes compared to someone who does not work abatement or smoke?
50-90%
How many EPA regulated asbestos fibers are there?
6
Type C systems must supply at least ____ CFM to the mask, in Washington state?
6
What must be done with all vents and air ducts inside the work area?
6 mil and duct tape
Type of polyethylene used when sealing windows, doors, and HVAC vents during abatement project
6 mil thick
What are glovebags made of?`
6-8 mil polyethylene, 10 mil polyvinyl chloride
% of particles HEPA filter catch
99.97%
4 broad categories of respirators
Air-ppurifying, powered air purifying, supplied-air, combination respirator
Where do the asbestos fiber become lodged in the lungs?
Alveoli
Most difficult asbestos fiber to keep wet and control
Amosite
Asbestos fiber that are straight
Amphibole
ACM
Asbestos containing material
Most common scarring among asbestos worker
Asbestosis
3 types of scarring that asbestos cause
Asbestosis, pleural plaques, skin growth
Who must read your chest x-ray?
B reader
What is the load-out area used for?
Bags, asbestos
When do you spot warning signs on your decontamination unit?
Before abatement work begins
When must an abatement worker have a pre-placement examination?
Before employee starts asbestos jobs
When shall you establish a regulated area?
Before you start work
Color of crocidolite
Blue
Color of Amosite
Brown
Greatest concern when dealing with a supplied air system
Carbon monoxide
Most commonly used asbestos
Chrysotile
Protective mechanism in lungs/trachea that helps keep asbestos fibers out?
Cilia
What type of material do you typically remove in a glove bag?
Class 1
When must supplied-air respirators be used?
Class I
Order you take off PPE when exiting a containment
Clean reusable equipment, remove protective garment and equipment except respirator, shower, clean respirator, remove respirator, go to clean room, and wear street clothes
4 basic steps to establishing a Type-C supplied air system
Compression, purification, storage, distribution
Primary reason to prepare the work area before abatement?
Contain the asbestos fiber
Why do we use a negative air system during many abatement project?
Containment of airborne fibers even if the barrier is ripped or punctured, lower concentration of airborne fibers in the work area
How can family members of asbestos workers be exposed?
Contaminated clothing and tools brought home
Definition of friable
Crumbled, pulverized or reduced to powder by hand pressure when dry
What grade air is used for SAR/Type C respirator?
D
Ideally, what should be done to the electrical supply in/near the work area before abatement begins?
De-energized, locked out, tagged
Chest x-ray
Detect irregularities in lungs and heart
Additional PPE you will need on an abatement project
Disposable overalls, foot covering, hand covering, hard hat
When must an employer instate a medical surveillance program?
Employee engaged in class I, II, III work for 30+ days
4 ways to keep asbestos out of our body
Engineering, control, work practices, protective clothing, respirators
f/cc
Fibers per cubic centimeter
4 reasons asbestos was used for building materials
Fire resistant, structural stability, poor heat electrical conductivity and impervious to chemical attacks and water
States of asbestos
Friable and Nonfriable
When exiting the equipment, what should you have done before exiting?
Grabbing tools and additional PPE
Type of filters used in negative filtration unit?
HEPA
What are you looking for when checking the asbestos containing material?
Hardness, texture, water absorption?
Although asbestosis itself is not fatal, due to the additional stress put on the body by a lack of oxygen to the blood, it can lead to what other major cause of death?
Heart failure
HEPA
High Efficiency Particulate Air
Greek meaning of asbestos
Inextinguishable/ indestructable
What must be done if there are others working in the general area you are working?
Inform them that abatement is being done
3 ways hazardous materials (asbestosis) enter the body
Inhalation, ingestion, absorption
3 types of cancer asbestos cause
Lung, mesothelioma, gastrointestinal cancer
Negative pressure
Makes the work area air pressure lower than the environment outside
Rating designation for filters used for asbestos abatement
N100, R100, P100
Is asbestosis a cancer?
No
Is asbestos a man-made fiber?
No (natural occurring material)
Who must perform the physical?
Occupational physician
Where must you never wear your PPE from work?
Outside of dirty room
When were asbestos related health problems first noted?
Over 2000 years ago
3 toxic contaminants/filter
Particulates, gas and vapors, any combinations of above
Primary function of decontamination unit
Passage in and out of work area during asbestos operation with minimal leakage outside
PEL
Permisible exposure limit
PPE
Personal protective equipment
When the asbestos fibers pierce the lung tissue and become deposited on the pleura, they create a scarring reaction known as?
Pleural plaque
Order you put on PPE when entering containment
Remove street clothes, swimsuit or strip, disposable overalls, respirator, head covering, pass through airlock and shower room, safety shoes, gloves, tape sleeves
Type of program for companies must have if employees wear respirators
Respiratory protection program
Country that produces the most chrysotile asbestos
Russia
What are you looking for when checking the area to be abated?
Safety hazards, potential problems, damages, containments
When respirator is not used, where should it be stored?
Sealed bag
Asbestos fiber that are wavy
Serpentine
Before fit test, you must do what to the beard?
Shave
Tow common symptoms of Asbestosis
Shortness of breath, chest pain
How do you know there are no leaks in your glove bag before asbestos removal begins?
Smoke test
Country that produces the most amosite asbestos
South Africa
Surfacing material may be applied by what method
Sprayed, troweled or otherwise applied
When exiting the clean room, what should you have done before exiting?
Strip and put on PPE
EPA's three categories of ACM
Surfacing material, Thermal system insulation, Miscellaneous materials
Where can the supplied air come from?
Tanks, compressor, uncontaminated environment
What is a safe "dose" of asbestos?
There is no safe amount
Latency period
Time between exposure and illness
Most common type of asbestos in Vermiculite
Tremolite
What are you looking for when checking the results of asbestos bulk testing
Type and percentage of asbestos
Action performed when putting on your respirator
Visual check, valve check, seal check
What do you use to keep asbestos being removed wet?
Water sprayerf
Color of chrysotile
White
Pulmonary function test
to see if lungs are properly functional