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