Asbestos Training Guide
(Taken from the "Tailgate Meetings that Work : A Guide
to Effective Construction Safety Training" series) |
|
Robin Baker, Robert
Downey, Mary Ruth Gross, Charles Reiter
Labor Occupational Health Program
(LOHP) School of Public Health,
University of California, Berkeley Ca.
These tailgate/toolbox
talks were developed for use under California OSHA regulations. The
complete set is available from the Labor Occupational Health Program
at UC Berkeley. For ordering information, visit the website (www.lohp.org)
The American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH)
has adapted these talks to apply to federal OSHA regulations. To contact
ACGIH, visit its web site (www.acgih.org). |
Before you begin
the meeting...
- Does this topic
relate to the work the crew is doing? If not, choose another topic.
- Has the crew
completed basic Hazard Communication training? It will help them
understand this topic.
- Did you read
this Training Guide and fill in the blanks where the appears?
(To find the information you need, look over the Safety Walkaround Checklist
for this topic.)
- Did you bring
labeled containers and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) for a few
of the adhesive and resin products used on the site?
Begin: Did
you know that just 50 years ago, people called asbestos the magic
mineral? Its
amazingly strong and fireproof, so it was used in thousands of different
products. But now
that we know how dangerous asbestos is, the law says you need special
training to work with
it. You need to learn about respirators, protective clothing, special
work methods, and other
safety precautions.
We cant give you all this information in a few minutes. What we
can do today is make sure everyone is aware of the dangers of asbestos.
If an asbestos crew is doing a job near your
work area, you need to know whats going on and how it affects you.
Its also possible that
you might run into asbestos on your own job unexpectedly.
You or a crew member may want to add a personal story about asbestos.
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Next, discuss
with the crew where there may be a danger of asbestos exposure at
this particular job site. Explain what testing has been done, and
what safety precautions apply.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
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ASK
THE CREW THESE QUESTIONS:
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After each question,
give the crew time to suggest possible answers. Use the information
following each question to add points that no one mentions.
1. Why are so many safety precautions required for asbestos? Whats
so dangerous
about it?
- Asbestos fibers
are very small. If you inhale them, they go deep into your lungs. They
stay there and can cause disease from 10 to 40 years later.
- Asbestos can
cause a lung disease called asbestosis, and a rare type of cancer
called mesothelioma. Only people who are exposed to asbestos get these
diseases.
- Asbestos also
increases your risk of lung cancer and other types of cancer.
- The health risk
is increased by smoking.
2. How can asbestos
fibers get in the air?
- Asbestos products
can release fibers into the air when they are in poor condition, when
they are cut, or when nearby work disturbs them.
- Asbestos products
are called friable when you can crush them with finger and hand pressure
alone. Friable materials are more likely to release fibers into
the air.
3. Sometimes we run
into asbestos on a job unexpectedly. What are some
materials on construction sites that might contain asbestos?
- There may be
asbestos in roofing felt, roof patch material, vinyl tile, linoleum
backing, "transite, asbestos cement (AC) pipe and sheet,
pipe insulation, fireproofing, and spray-on decorative acoustical ceiling
material.
- Most new products
dont contain asbestos (although some still do). Asbestos exposure
is most likely when renovating or demolishing older structures.
4. If you think there
may be an asbestos hazard, how can you find out for sure?
- To find out if
a material contains asbestos, the company can send samples to a lab
for testing. You cant identify asbestos just by looking at it.
- If necessary,
the company can also bring in a qualified professional to measure the
asbestos dust level in the air with instruments. This is called air
monitoring.
- If you suspect
that theres asbestos around, speak up! Ask if anyone has checked
it out.
5. What happens if
we do discover some asbestos on the job site?
- We will stop
work and clear the area.
- A certified
expert will decide how to handle the situation safely and make sure
workers exposure is kept as low as possible.
- Only a properly
trained crew will work with the asbestos.
- The crew will
take all required safety precautions. For example, they may:
- Restrict
access to the asbestos area and post warning signs.
- Use respirators
(not just dust masks) and full body coverings.
- Wet down
the asbestos to reduce dust.
- Use power
tools that have special exhaust filters.
- Get regular
medical exams.
6. If you work around
asbestos dust, why is it important to change your clothes and wash up before
you go home?
- You might bring
asbestos fibers home on your clothes or in your car. Your family could
breathe them. Its possible for them to get asbestos-related diseases
this way.
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Explain
cleanup procedures on this site- how and where to clean up, what
to do with contaminated clothing, etc.:
________________________________________________
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7. What about
disposal? Suppose you want to get rid of a few items that may contain
asbestos, like some old roofing material or a pipe elbow. Can you just
throw them in the dumpster?
- No. All
asbestos waste, scrap, and contaminated clothing that might get asbestos
dust in the air should be disposed of just like any other hazardous
waste. Follow all rules for hazardous waste disposal. For example, put
the material in closed containers that are properly labeled.
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On this
site, we have these procedures for hazardous waste disposal
Explain procedures:________________________________
________________________________________________
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Explain:
Most of the asbestos safety measures weve talked about are required
by Cal/OSHA.
We have to take these precautionsits the law. For example,
Cal/OSHA says we must make
sure no one on the site is exposed to more than two-tenths of a fiber
per cubic centimeter of air, averaged over an 8-hour shift. This is called
the permissible exposure
limit (PEL) for asbestos. Short-term exposure can be dangerous too.
No one may be exposed
to more than 1 fiber per cubic centimeter of air during any 30-minute
period. We always
try to keep asbestos exposure as low as possible, since no one is sure
how much is safe.
I have a Checklist of the Cal/OSHA regulations on asbestos. If youd
like to know more, see
me after the meeting.
(Only if applicable.)
Besides the Cal/OSHA regulations, we have some additional company
rules about asbestos.
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Discuss
company rules:_____________________________
________________________________________________
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Ask:
Do you have any
other concerns about asbestos? Do you see any problems on
our job? (Let the steward answer first, if there is one.)
What about other jobs youve worked on? Have you had any experience
with
asbestos that might help us work safer on this job?
GENERAL
SAFETY DISCUSSION
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This is a time
to discuss all safety concerns, not just today's topic. Keep your notes
on this page before, during and after the safety meeting.
Are you aware
of any hazards from other crews? Point out any hazards other crews
are creating that this crew should know about. Tell the crew what you
intend to do about those hazards.
Do we have any
old business? Discuss
past issues/problems. Report progress of investigations and action taken.
Any new business?
Any accidents/near misses/complaints? Discuss accidents, near misses,
and complaints that have happened since the last safety meting. Also recognize
the safety contributions made by members of the crew.
Please remember,
we want to hear from you about any health and safety issues that come
up. If we don't know about problems, we can't take action to fix them.
To complete the
training session:
- Circulate Sign-Off
Form.
- Assign one
or more crew member(s) to help with next safety meeting.
- Refer action
items for follow-up. (Use the sample Hazard Report Form in the
Reference Section of this binder, or your companys own form.)
Date Prepared:_________________________ |
By:_______________________ |
Project
Name/No.______________________ |
Location:__________________ |
NAMES
OF THOSE WHO ATTENDED THIS SAFETY MEETING
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Tailgate
Meetings That Work : Collection
Published in June, 1994 by: Labor Occupational Health Program, School
of Public Health, 2515 Channing Way, University of California, Berkeley,
CA 94720. Phone: (510) 642-5507.
Permission is granted to duplicate these materials for non-profit educational
purposes, provided that copies are not offered for sale.
This paper appears in the eLCOSH website with the permission of the author
and/or copyright holder and may not be reproduced without their consent.
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