Asbestos at a Glance

In fact, OSHA’s asbestos standard (29 CFR 1910.1001) requires employers to inform employees who might be exposed to asbestos about the hazards and necessary precautions to prevent exposure. Although no specific training points are identified in the standard, you should generally train on the following information:

• Hazards and health effects of asbestos
• Locations and specific operations where asbestos might be encountered
• Engineering controls and safe work practices
• Exposure limits and monitoring
• Respirators and other personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Hygiene and housekeeping procedures
• Medical surveillance program

Here are the hazards your workers need to know:

• Friable (loose and crumbly) asbestos is very hazardous.
• Inhaling asbestos fibers can cause lung cancer and other serious illnesses.

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Describe to your employees the engineering controls that your employer uses to prevent exposure, which may include:

• Exhaust systems
• Dust collection and cleaning systems
• Hoods to cover operations
• Tools with built-in exhaust systems

Most important, train your workers to use safe work practices to help control the release of asbestos fibers. Instruct them to:

• Make sure they have properly identified any potential asbestos or asbestos-containing materials (ACM) before they start a job.
• Wet asbestos and ACM before handling, cutting, etc.
• Practice good housekeeping, using wet vacs with HEPA filters—never dry vacs, brooms, or compressed air.
• Avoid drilling into ACM.
• Avoid sanding floors or other materials containing asbestos.
• Always check for asbestos warning labels and signs and take the necessary precautions.
• If they’re not sure if something contains asbestos, ASK!
• Never cut, hammer, or otherwise damage ACM.
• Use ventilation systems, enclosures, wet processes, and other protections to prevent release of asbestos fibers.
• Wear respirators and other required PPE.
• Never wear contaminated clothing outside the work area.
• Don’t contaminate clean areas or street clothing with asbestos.
• Carefully treat any dust or waste that could contain asbestos. Wet it when possible and use a HEPA vacuum to clean it up.
• Dispose of asbestos-contaminated clothing and waste in proper labeled, sealed containers.
• Don’t smoke around asbestos—better yet, don’t smoke at all!
• Cooperate with air monitoring and medical surveillance programs.

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Why It Matters

• An estimated 1.3 million employees in construction and general industry face significant asbestos exposure on the job.
• Building maintenance and custodial workers might be exposed to asbestos when working in buildings that have materials with the potential to contain asbestos, particularly building materials that were installed before 1980.
• Asbestos is recognized as a serious health risk and is highly regulated.