asbestos awareness
DESCRIPTION
Presentation explaining where asbestos resides in our buildings and how to properly handle ACMs.TRANSCRIPT
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.