Chapter 1 Course Overview
Content
CHAPTER 1 COURSE OVERVIEW SELF-GRADED PRE-COURSE QUIZ
Objective:
To provide a brief discussion of the topics that will be covered and how these topics are integral components of an asbestos abatement project; acquaint participants with the types of questions of the postcourse exam. Information in this section should enable participants to: 1. Become familiar with the contents of the notebook 2. Learn what topics will be covered and in what sequence 3. Become aware of the various facets of an asbestos abatement project 4. Be introduced to a multi-disciplinary approach to asbestos abatement 5. Perform a self-evaluation of your knowledge concerning the subject via a pre-course quiz 6. Become familiar with the format and contents of the postcourse exam
Learning Tasks:
1-1
This overview demonstrates how different parts of the course will fit together. Since contractors are often consulted as asbestos specialists, it will also assist them in addressing the asbestos abatement issue with the scientific community and general public. The public is often confused about the source of asbestos. It is mined from the earth in much the same ways as iron, lead and copper. Instead of breaking up into dust particles, asbestos divides into millions of fibers, some of which may be so fine as to be undetectable to the naked eye. These fibers come in three common commercial varieties: chrysotile, amosite and crocidolite. All three varieties exhibit substantial resistance to heat and chemicals and thus have been used for a variety of commercial and industrial purposes. In fact, asbestos has been used in more than 3,000 products. The asbestos industry started during the 1870s when the first commercial chrysotile mine opened in Quebec, Canada. The crocidolite variety was first mined in South Africa during the 1890s. Amosite also comes from Africa, but its mining did not begin until 1916. Asbestos was used some as insulation during the period 1870-1900, but its use became more common on steam pipes and boilers of ships after 1900. Until the early 1940s, most asbestos-containing insulations in the United States contained chrysotile from Canada. The 1940s marked significant changes in the American use of asbestos. Amosite became widely used in American ships and shipyards during WWII. The use of asbestos then started expanding to include acoustical and decorative purposes, especially in buildings. After WWIl ended and military demand for asbestos declined, sprayed asbestos fireproofing materials were used extensively in buildings. Estimates indicate that more than half of the large multi-story buildings constructed during the 1950-1970 period contain some form of asbestos-containing materials. These uses will be discussed and shown in the next section "Background Information on Asbestos''. Asbestos use in the United States didn't start to decline until the 1973-1978 EPA bans on spray-applied materials and the building recession which happened during that same period. Diseases and deaths associated with exposure to asbestos fibers are the principle factors behind “The Asbestos Problem”. The three major respiratory diseases associated with asbestos are asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Their medical natures are discussed in much greater detail in the section “Health Effects of Asbestos Exposure”. While the documented health effects from exposure to asbestos are no doubt the underlying cause of the asbestos problem, the legal problems which followed and even now continue are contributing factors. Legal actions affect all parties involved in asbestos abatement in several ways and are addresses in the section “Legal and Insurance Considerations”.
During the early 1970s, the federal government attempted to respond to these health and legal problems by issuing regulations and guidelines to provide some controls for industrial
1-2
exposures to asbestos fibers. Then during the late 70s and early 80s, they added guidelines and requirements to cover building occupants, especially schools. These actions, combined with the health and legal issues, prompted the need for asbestos abatement policies. Before an asbestos problem in a building can be controlled, it must be evaluated and a variety of decisions must be made. Those evaluating and deciding techniques are not the focus of this course, but since they can affect all involved parties, they will be reviewed during the next section of this manual. If an asbestos problem exists, the evaluation and decision techniques will almost always result in "Contract Specifications'' for an abatement or control project. Those specifications will be discussed in a section devoted to that subject. Once the specifications are issued and a contractor is selected to do the work, a variety of simultaneous and sequential considerations, techniques and job phases are necessary to complete the abatement project. These considerations, techniques and phases are the main contents of this course. In addition to those sections already mentioned, notebook modules are included on the following topics:
X X X X X X X X X X X
Pre-Work Activities and Considerations Preparing the Work Area and Establishing the Decontamination Unit Confining and Minimizing Airborne Fibers Glovebag Techniques for Removal of Pipe Insulation Protecting the Worker: Respirator and Protective Clothing Establishing a Medical Surveillance Program Cleaning up the Work Area Post-Removal Encapsulation and Sprayback Procedures Waste Disposal Requirements Other Safety and Health Requirements Air Sampling Requirements During and After the Project
The accompanying pre-course quiz illustrates the type of questions which are included in the 100 question post-course exam and the format of the exam. However, most participants find the post-course exam to be slightly more complex and difficult than the quiz.
1-3
Contractor/Supervisor Pre-Course Quiz Circle the best answer to each question below: 1.”Friable asbestos-containing materials'" are those which contain greater than one percent asbestos, and that: A. B. C. D. Can be crumbled, pulverized or reduced to powder by hand pressure when dry Cannot release fibers into the air Withstands a temperature of 20001 Are hard materials that must be cut or drilled into for fibers to be released
2. Which of the following diseases are generally not associated with asbestos exposure: A. B. C. D. Asbestosis Lung Cancer Mesothelioma Skin Cancer
3. Once asbestos is removed from a building and deposited in a landfill, it legally remains the property of: A. B. C. D. The building owner The contractor The waste hauler The landfill owner
4. The purpose of wearing protective clothing inside the abatement area is to: A. B. C. D. Prevent skin cancer Prevent asbestos fibers from leaving the work area Protect the skin from surfactant Protect the workers from heat stress
5. Which of the following best describes the proper use of disposable dust masks : A. B. C. D. They should be used only during preparation of the work area The OSHA standard prohibits their use on asbestos abatement projects The OSHA standard allows their use when fiber levels are very low They should be used while performing final clean-up of an asbestos abatement project
6. Protection factors are one measure of a respirator's effectiveness. According to the
1-4
OSHA standard, which of the following is not correct for the type of respirator? A. B. C. D. Half mask air purifying = 10 Full-face air purifying = 50 (Full facepiece) Powered Air Purifying Respirator = 100 (Full facepiece) Full-facepiece, supplied air, pressure demand = 1,000
7. If an abatement work area is 200 feet long by 100 feet wide by 14 feet high, how many cubic feet per minute of air must be exhausted in order to maintain at least 4 air changes per hour? A. B. C. D. 280,000 18,666 70,000 4,666
8. Under the EPA Clean Air Act regulation, which of the following is not normally required: A. B. C. D. Notifying the EPA before an abatement project begins Removing asbestos containing materials and containerizing them while wet Placing asbestos waste in sealed, labeled 55 gallon steel drums Removing asbestos-containing materials before a building is demolished or renovated
9. Air sampling following the completion of an asbestos abatement project is used to determine whether a building is suitable for re-occupancy. Which analytical method is recommended for all buildings and is required for schools as a requirement to determine successful large abatement project performance? A. B. C. D. Polarized light microscopy Phase contrast microscopy Scanning electron microscopy Transmission electron microscopy
10. Which of the following is not a major function of a decontamination unit? A. B. C. D. Entry and exit for all personnel Source of make-up air for the containment Allow worker to remove asbestos contamination before leaving the abatement site Provide a break area for workers to eat, drink, smoke and relax
1-5
Objective:
To provide a brief discussion of the topics that will be covered and how these topics are integral components of an asbestos abatement project; acquaint participants with the types of questions of the postcourse exam. Information in this section should enable participants to: 1. Become familiar with the contents of the notebook 2. Learn what topics will be covered and in what sequence 3. Become aware of the various facets of an asbestos abatement project 4. Be introduced to a multi-disciplinary approach to asbestos abatement 5. Perform a self-evaluation of your knowledge concerning the subject via a pre-course quiz 6. Become familiar with the format and contents of the postcourse exam
Learning Tasks:
1-1
This overview demonstrates how different parts of the course will fit together. Since contractors are often consulted as asbestos specialists, it will also assist them in addressing the asbestos abatement issue with the scientific community and general public. The public is often confused about the source of asbestos. It is mined from the earth in much the same ways as iron, lead and copper. Instead of breaking up into dust particles, asbestos divides into millions of fibers, some of which may be so fine as to be undetectable to the naked eye. These fibers come in three common commercial varieties: chrysotile, amosite and crocidolite. All three varieties exhibit substantial resistance to heat and chemicals and thus have been used for a variety of commercial and industrial purposes. In fact, asbestos has been used in more than 3,000 products. The asbestos industry started during the 1870s when the first commercial chrysotile mine opened in Quebec, Canada. The crocidolite variety was first mined in South Africa during the 1890s. Amosite also comes from Africa, but its mining did not begin until 1916. Asbestos was used some as insulation during the period 1870-1900, but its use became more common on steam pipes and boilers of ships after 1900. Until the early 1940s, most asbestos-containing insulations in the United States contained chrysotile from Canada. The 1940s marked significant changes in the American use of asbestos. Amosite became widely used in American ships and shipyards during WWII. The use of asbestos then started expanding to include acoustical and decorative purposes, especially in buildings. After WWIl ended and military demand for asbestos declined, sprayed asbestos fireproofing materials were used extensively in buildings. Estimates indicate that more than half of the large multi-story buildings constructed during the 1950-1970 period contain some form of asbestos-containing materials. These uses will be discussed and shown in the next section "Background Information on Asbestos''. Asbestos use in the United States didn't start to decline until the 1973-1978 EPA bans on spray-applied materials and the building recession which happened during that same period. Diseases and deaths associated with exposure to asbestos fibers are the principle factors behind “The Asbestos Problem”. The three major respiratory diseases associated with asbestos are asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Their medical natures are discussed in much greater detail in the section “Health Effects of Asbestos Exposure”. While the documented health effects from exposure to asbestos are no doubt the underlying cause of the asbestos problem, the legal problems which followed and even now continue are contributing factors. Legal actions affect all parties involved in asbestos abatement in several ways and are addresses in the section “Legal and Insurance Considerations”.
During the early 1970s, the federal government attempted to respond to these health and legal problems by issuing regulations and guidelines to provide some controls for industrial
1-2
exposures to asbestos fibers. Then during the late 70s and early 80s, they added guidelines and requirements to cover building occupants, especially schools. These actions, combined with the health and legal issues, prompted the need for asbestos abatement policies. Before an asbestos problem in a building can be controlled, it must be evaluated and a variety of decisions must be made. Those evaluating and deciding techniques are not the focus of this course, but since they can affect all involved parties, they will be reviewed during the next section of this manual. If an asbestos problem exists, the evaluation and decision techniques will almost always result in "Contract Specifications'' for an abatement or control project. Those specifications will be discussed in a section devoted to that subject. Once the specifications are issued and a contractor is selected to do the work, a variety of simultaneous and sequential considerations, techniques and job phases are necessary to complete the abatement project. These considerations, techniques and phases are the main contents of this course. In addition to those sections already mentioned, notebook modules are included on the following topics:
X X X X X X X X X X X
Pre-Work Activities and Considerations Preparing the Work Area and Establishing the Decontamination Unit Confining and Minimizing Airborne Fibers Glovebag Techniques for Removal of Pipe Insulation Protecting the Worker: Respirator and Protective Clothing Establishing a Medical Surveillance Program Cleaning up the Work Area Post-Removal Encapsulation and Sprayback Procedures Waste Disposal Requirements Other Safety and Health Requirements Air Sampling Requirements During and After the Project
The accompanying pre-course quiz illustrates the type of questions which are included in the 100 question post-course exam and the format of the exam. However, most participants find the post-course exam to be slightly more complex and difficult than the quiz.
1-3
Contractor/Supervisor Pre-Course Quiz Circle the best answer to each question below: 1.”Friable asbestos-containing materials'" are those which contain greater than one percent asbestos, and that: A. B. C. D. Can be crumbled, pulverized or reduced to powder by hand pressure when dry Cannot release fibers into the air Withstands a temperature of 20001 Are hard materials that must be cut or drilled into for fibers to be released
2. Which of the following diseases are generally not associated with asbestos exposure: A. B. C. D. Asbestosis Lung Cancer Mesothelioma Skin Cancer
3. Once asbestos is removed from a building and deposited in a landfill, it legally remains the property of: A. B. C. D. The building owner The contractor The waste hauler The landfill owner
4. The purpose of wearing protective clothing inside the abatement area is to: A. B. C. D. Prevent skin cancer Prevent asbestos fibers from leaving the work area Protect the skin from surfactant Protect the workers from heat stress
5. Which of the following best describes the proper use of disposable dust masks : A. B. C. D. They should be used only during preparation of the work area The OSHA standard prohibits their use on asbestos abatement projects The OSHA standard allows their use when fiber levels are very low They should be used while performing final clean-up of an asbestos abatement project
6. Protection factors are one measure of a respirator's effectiveness. According to the
1-4
OSHA standard, which of the following is not correct for the type of respirator? A. B. C. D. Half mask air purifying = 10 Full-face air purifying = 50 (Full facepiece) Powered Air Purifying Respirator = 100 (Full facepiece) Full-facepiece, supplied air, pressure demand = 1,000
7. If an abatement work area is 200 feet long by 100 feet wide by 14 feet high, how many cubic feet per minute of air must be exhausted in order to maintain at least 4 air changes per hour? A. B. C. D. 280,000 18,666 70,000 4,666
8. Under the EPA Clean Air Act regulation, which of the following is not normally required: A. B. C. D. Notifying the EPA before an abatement project begins Removing asbestos containing materials and containerizing them while wet Placing asbestos waste in sealed, labeled 55 gallon steel drums Removing asbestos-containing materials before a building is demolished or renovated
9. Air sampling following the completion of an asbestos abatement project is used to determine whether a building is suitable for re-occupancy. Which analytical method is recommended for all buildings and is required for schools as a requirement to determine successful large abatement project performance? A. B. C. D. Polarized light microscopy Phase contrast microscopy Scanning electron microscopy Transmission electron microscopy
10. Which of the following is not a major function of a decontamination unit? A. B. C. D. Entry and exit for all personnel Source of make-up air for the containment Allow worker to remove asbestos contamination before leaving the abatement site Provide a break area for workers to eat, drink, smoke and relax
1-5
