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NIOSH Publication No. 2003-107:

Reducing Roofers' Exposure to Asphalt Fumes

September 2003

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This guide is for roofers and contractors who work with hot asphalt on roofs. The guide lists steps for reducing exposure to asphalt fumes.

Contents



Appendix A. Respirators
Appendix B. OSHA Regulations that Apply to Roofing
Disclaimer
Ordering Information
 

Reducing Roofers’ Exposure to Asphalt Fumes  
Acknowledgments  
Introduction  

What steps should contractors take before starting work?

 

1. Assign a competent person

 

2. Assure that workers have been properly educated

 

3. Plan the work site

 

What safe work practices should roofers use?

 

1. Manage the kettle

 

2. Safely apply hot asphalt to the roof

 
What personal protective equipment should roofers wear?  
What personal hygiene practices should roofers follow?  

More Information

 



 



Publication No. 2003-107 cover image

Related Resources/Publications:

NIOSH Topic Page - Asphalt Fumes
 
Asphalt Fume Exposures During the Application of Hot Asphalt to Roofs
 
Asphalt Fume Exposures During the Manufacture
of Asphalt Roofing Products

 
Hazard Review: Health Effects of occupational Exposure to Asphalt
 
Engineering Control Guidelines for Hot Mix Asphalt Pavers


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Reducing Roofers’ Exposure to Asphalt Fumes

Acknowledgments

This safety guide was prepared by a working group from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) with help from the following partners:

NIOSH working group members:

This guide may be used with the NIOSH technical document Asphalt Fume Exposures During the Application of Hot Asphalt to Roofs (DHHS [NIOSH] Pub. No. 2003-112) and the NRCA video Asphalt Fume Exposure: Keep it Down, prepared in cooperation with other asphalt industry partners listed above. To obtain a copy of the video, call the National Roofing Contractors Association at 847-299-9070, or e-mail them at nrca@nrca.net.

Introduction

This guide is for roofers and contractors who work with hot asphalt on roofs. The guide lists steps for reducing exposure to asphalt fumes.
Roofers exposed to asphalt fumes may experience the following health effects:

These effects appear to be mild and transient.

According to some studies, roofers also have an increased risk of lung cancer. But researchers are not sure whether this risk is caused by exposure to asphalt fumes or to other hazards such as smoking, coal tar, or asbestos. In light of this possible health risk and the irritation effects associated with hot asphalt work, it makes sense to take steps to control exposures while government, industry, labor, and independent researchers continue to study these health concerns.

NIOSH is working together with industry and labor representatives to find methods that will significantly reduce asphalt fume exposures for roofers and contractors. Efforts are under way to identify new engineering controls and to test their effectiveness in reducing fume exposures at the kettle. To date, studies have shown that the use of fume-suppressing roofing asphalts can reduce fume exposure at the kettle. As these studies are completed, appropriate recommendations will be developed and disseminated.

 

Supervisor performing a safety check on a workerWhat Steps Should Contractors Take Before Starting Work?

  1. Assign a competent person to be responsible for safety and health on the job. This person, usually the superintendent or the foreman, will have knowledge about roofing hazards and the authority to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate unsafe acts or unsafe conditions on the job.

  2. Assure that workers have been properly educated about the hazards of applying hot asphalt and trained in the use of safe work practices as well as the use of the personal protective equipment (PPE) needed to reduce exposures to asphalt fumes.

  3. Plan each work site before work begins to reduce asphalt fume exposures for workers and building occupants.

Asphalt worker stirring a kettleWhat Safe Work Practices Should Roofers Use?

If tankers cannot be used, employ the following safe work practices when operating the kettle and applying hot asphalt to the roof:

  1. Manage the kettle as follows to reduce exposures and prevent injuries:

Use the proper equipment.

 

Follow safe procedures.

Maintain asphalt temperature.Worker taking temperature  with Infra-red thermometer

Take the following steps to maintain proper asphalt temperature and reduce exposure to asphalt fumes:

Apshalt worker twisting mop out of a bucket

  1. Safely apply hot asphalt to the roof. Use the following work practices:

Worker wearing all seven PPE typesWhat Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Should Roofers Wear?

Roofers should wear the following types of PPE to minimize the risk of burns and breathing asphalt fumes:

  1. Hard hat (for kettlemen)

  2. Goggles or safety glasses with side shields (use a full-faceshield for operating the kettle)

  3. Respirators when necessary (see guide in Appendix A on selection and use of respirators)

  4. Cotton shirt with long sleeves

  5. Leather or heat-resistant gloves that fit tightly around the wrists

  6. Long pants with no cuffs

  7. Nonskid shoes or boots with 6-inch leather uppers

Person washing handsWhat Personal Hygiene Practices Should Roofers Follow?

Personal hygiene is important to protect workers from a variety of different chemical exposures that are common in roofing work. Employers should provide workers with clean water, soap or other safe cleaners. Workers should follow these personal hygiene practices:

More Information

For more information about possible health effects from exposure to asphalt and about the selection of appropriate respiratory protection, see the following publications:*

NIOSH [1987]. NIOSH respirator decision logic. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 87-108.

NIOSH [1996]. NIOSH guide to the selection and use of particulate respirators certified under 42 CFR 84. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-101.

NIOSH [2000]. Health effects of occupational exposure to asphalt. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001-110.

*To receive free single copies of NIOSH publications, contact NIOSH as follows:

Telephone: 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636)
or visit the NIOSH Web site at www.cdc.gov/niosh
Fax: 513-533-8347
E-mail: pubstaft@cdc.gov

Appendix A—Respirators

Respiratory protection may be needed if available engineering controls and work practices are ineffective in keeping asphalt fume exposures below the NIOSH recommended exposure limit of 5 mg/m3 (measured as a 15-min ceiling) or applicable State or Federal standards. However, because respirator use can introduce significant new safety hazards in roofing work, respirator use should be the last resort for controlling exposures. If respirators are required at the work site, the employer or contractor must make sure that they are NIOSH-approved and that all applicable OSHA regulations that apply to respirator programs are followed. Important elements of these OSHA regulations are as follows:

No NIOSH-approved respirator filter cartridge or canister exists specifically for asphalt fumes. But the respirators listed below will reduce exposures:

Appendix B—OSHA

Regulations that Apply to Roofing

29 CFR 1926.20 General safety and health provisions
29 CFR 1926.21 Safety training and education
29 CFR 1926.23 First aid and medical attention
29 CFR 1926.25 Housekeeping
29 CFR 1926.27 Sanitation
29 CFR 1926.55 Exposure limits for chemicals, fumes, mists
29 CFR 1926.59 Hazard communication
29 CFR 1926.95 Personal protection equipment
29 CFR 1926.96 Foot protection
29 CFR 1926.100 Head protection
29 CFR 1926.101 Hearing protection
29 CFR 1926.102 Eye and face protection
29 CFR 1910.134 Respiratory protection
29 CFR 1926.103 Respiratory protection
29 CFR 1926.104 Safety belts, lifelines and lanyards
29 CFR 1926.105 Safety nets
29 CFR 1926.150-155 Fire Protection and Prevention
29 CFR 1926.500-503 Fall protection
29 CFR 1926.1101 Asbestos
29 CFR 1926.1102 Coal tar pitch volatiles

 

This document is in the public domain and may be freely copied or reprinted.

Disclaimer

Mention of any company or product does not constitute endorsement by NIOSH.

Ordering Information

To receive documents or more information about occupational safety and health topics, contact the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) at

NIOSH—Publications Dissemination
4676 Columbia Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45226-1998

Telephone: 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636)
Fax: 513-533-8347
E-mail: pubstaft@cdc.gov

or visit the NIOSH Web site at www.cdc.gov/niosh

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2003-107

August 2003

Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
4676 Columbia Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45226-1998

Delivering on the Nation’s Promise:
Safety an health at work for all people
through research and prevention

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2003-107

 

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