Document 15VzbpN1qzXQ5ELo2K8E877Qo

PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT ST008I083 ASBESTOS WORKERS MUST DRESS , FOR SUCCESS fid If your asbestos workers don't make the best-dressed list for personal protection, the government might make a federal case , hether an asbestos- mabatement contractor follows the OSHA asbes tos standard or the EPA guideline for asbestos workers, a thorough knowledge of respiratory protection equipment and protective clothing will be crucial to designing a proper industrial hygiene program. Respiratory Protection Most asbestos-related diseases, such as asbestosis and mesothelioma, at tack the respiratory system. For an industrial hygiene program geared for asbestos, proper respiratory protec tion equipment, therefore, should be a prime consideration. The EP.VNIOSH guideline meets or exceeds the highest respiratory pro tection requirements cited in the OSHA standards. EPA/NIOSH recom mends that workers in contact with asbestos at any level use either pressure-demand self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) or pres sure-demand combination respirators. Pressure-demand respirators are designed to maintain slight positive air pressure inside the facepiece whether the wearer is inhaling or ex haling. This helps prevent contami- Asbtsas-abatemen: workers require sampling-pumps which can be dipped to the workers' beti and operate aver the enare 8-hour ex posure period. i JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1988 ASBESTOS ABATEMENT 23 1304-1 Protection Over OSHA Exposure Range In contrast to NIOSH, OSHA allows a wide range of minimal respiratory pro tection equipment over a range of exposure levels. Here's how the exposure levels and required respiratory protection equipment break down: LEVEL ONE (lOxPEL) LEVEL TWO (SOxPEL) LEVEL THREE LEVEL FOUR LEVEL FIVE (iCOxPEL) (IOOOxPEL) (Mors than IOOOxPEL) Expauire Lml Zen 10 2 f/cc Eapasun level 2 to 10 l/cc Exposure level 10 to 20 l/cc Expcnira lml 20 to 200 l/cc Exposure Lml More man 200 t/cc Minimum Protection Hat-mas* air-puntyvig resoriior -mm rugn-efficiency fitter Minimum Protection Full-lacepiece airpunlymg respirator with high-efficiency fitter. Minimum Pietecdan Powered air-punfyvig respirator eouipped with rugh-efficiency litters or suopHed-au' resoxator ooeiateo in the pressuredemand mode Minimum Prataetlen Fuli-taceoiece suopheo-air respirator operated in the pressure-demand mode. Minimum Protection Full-facepiece supolieo-air resptrator operated m pressuredemand mode eguppeo wtet an auxilary posove-oitssure seifeontamed breamng apparatus (SC8A). Explanation Air-punfying resonator remove contaminants Oy titer ing rimed air. Faceplates are generally eoutoped wrinadtsposaaie ar-ountyng element. Explanation Same as Level One Filter-type respirators give respiratory pmtection from assstos tPers. it hall-mask respirators are worn, opoonal eye omtecaon may De deseed. Filters are pamaiitte strainers made at fibrous material that traps narmtul panicles as ar is mnaied. Asbestos workers should use lagn-eflictency (Type-H) eanndge inters, wnefl usually have a magenta nng around me eanndge. Explanatlan workers may use either 1 positive air prassura respirator (PAPR). a constant-how ar ime. or a combination con stant-how air ine/air puttying flemce. Explanation Full-lacepiece suppked-air respirator operateo in tite pressure-demand mode. Explanadon Fuh-iacepiece suppiieo-air respvator operated m pressuredemand mode, equipped wrtn an auxikary posibve-pressure self-comained breaming ap paratus (SC8A). PAPRs are posarve-pressurt HEPA filtered respirators with a motor blower assemoly that draws ar enough pie hltenisg element to the tacaowcs. Be cause PAPRs are not teetered to an ar Ine. workers an more moorie: also, continuous air how cools workers' faces tor greater eomfon in many in stances. Hut-mask and tuHlaceoiece oesgra are availed*. Constant-flow air-ire respiratots and titer hytind eombnaaon units difter tram suppiiedar devices n two mam ways: Fust, a continuous nr tow is delivered: and second, be cause air how is constant, a compressor s generally used as the air sourae since tanks would be quickly depleted. GO -- o o CO o CO lltillA pi tint.s nxitiil 'll irl.sf il /tiimi'l .ln'- to*tnnaii nimuftH mill i| hnfli`{/i/nfilhr nin'll lUJrnUK 1:17//# 3> irtiup1 iinm lllli.- in .XI l.-n- ('ttnltiinnusih)w air-l/rs r'l/mpp'rt irtt/i air-]nint>pm] i`lmm*nt'i likr this tUsv mart tlSHA .v mini mum rrsjnnlUmj j limh'Ctvin m,p,ir.-,,,n,ns Jhr Vll. awi wnl-iniitjr' ilsIxs- ,,is ,, fuss r.rfmxuT'! It't'r'U ! 10 f-li Iii JO f.-rc). untilmuni nffitlm-'ii),- nnjiiinin-x il'illl hltpi-`'l'ill~t`l>l~*j 'Him jin inn h'rfLs til 1'1`fitin n -J / it- fn 10 ;-rn 24 ASBESTOS ABATEMENT JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1988 1304-2 '.'in it -r.ring - *r,i-.-r pr.icticai - mil *nrx pniOMiur'.-ii in 'luce -.tpuaurn to within the PEL. Both nandards call for the use of respirators where engineering con trols and work practices cannot feasi bly reduce exposure to the PEL. The adapted table from the new standards on page 39 shows the types of respirators required under the new standards vis-a-vis airborne concen trations oi asbestos fibers. While the table shows required res pirators for various levels of asbestos exposure, only those intimately famil iar with the requirements of the aid standard can recognize immediately the maior changes in respirator selec tion imposed by the new standard. Two of the key differences are these: Respiracors approved by NI0SH.M5HA for dusts and mists and asbestos-containing dusts and mists i that is. approved for dusts and mists having a TWA not less than 0.05 mg m1! are no longer legally ac ceptable for use againsc asbestos since 0.3 f.'cc converts to a concentra tion lower than 0.05 rag-m'. LOWEST PROTECTION. Now the lowest level of acceptable protection is the half-mask air-purifying respira- ( tor with high efficiency filter (ap proved for Justs, fumes and mists having a TWA less than 0.05 mg m'l. This c.iange makes filters and dispos able respirators of the "non-high effi ciency type" unacceptable to OSHA for asbestos protection. New levels of protection have been established for certain catego ries of respiracors. From 10 to 50 times the PEL. full facepiece, negative-pressure respirators with high efficiency filters are the mini mum protection accepted. Between 50 and 200 limes the PEL. either pow ered air-purifying respirators with high efficiency filters or continuous flow airline respirators are the mini mum accepted. This represents a reduction in the protection factors for continuous flow airline respiracors. Now. only fullface pressure demand airline respirators lor presumably self-contained breath ing apparatus) are acceptable for con centrations more than 100 times the PEL. Whether OSHA's asbestos standards--as written--will survive the various court challenges now in pro gress remains to be seen. Some observ ers anticipate at least one revision--the addition oi a short-term exposure limit iSTEI.i to the standard. A STEL would specify procedures and appropriate respira tory protection for workers exposed to potentially high levels of asbestos in jobs of short duration. Meanwhile. EPA. with NIOSH-writren guidelines, is recommending standards for respiratory protection that are even more stringent than the OSHA standards. FEDERAL RECOMMENDATIONS. In the newly published A Guide to Respiratory Protection [or the Asbestos Abatement industry, NIOSH and EPA recommend a full facepiece, pressure-demand type "C" airline respirator with either emer gency egress bottle or high efficiency backup filter for expo sures above 0.1 f/cc. This emergency egress bottle cype of respiratory system already is available from a number of major respirator manu facturers. The high efficiency backup filter type, designed spe cifically for asbestos abatement work, is under accelerated de velopment by a number of major respirator manufacturers. One model already has received NIOSH approval. The new OSHA standards specify higher levels of respira tory protection for workers than did the previous standard. However, the new standards still are noticeably iess stringent than the joint NIOSH/EPA respiratory guidance document. While both sources continue to stimulate improvements in respirator technology and programs, it seems obvious that there will not be a unified OSHA, NIOSH and EPA position on respirators in the near future. Thus, professionals within the asbestos detection and con trol industry still will be faced with some tough decisions con cerning respirator selection and use. I S8QI8001S 1 304-3