Document 2JbqVOq1y6aKKJXdpkMYkDbK6

FILE NAME Roofing ROOF DATE 1985 May DOC ROOF006 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION NIOSH - Health Hazard Evaluation Report Asbestos Shingle Tear Servig Heath and Heath Sefety Pistic al ' Oc up: SERVICES toe HUMAN AND N = = HEALTH OF Control DEPARTMN Dneme for U.S. Canwrs vt) hb 4 amma SHINGLE 25 , 84-321-1590 TEAR Report HETA 8'-32]-1509 ASBESTOS SHINGLE TEAR-OFF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS PREFACE The Hazard Evaluations and Technical Assistance Branch of NIOSH conducts workplace These field investigations investigations of possible health hazards in the are conducted under the authority of Section 20 of 29 U.S.C. 669 which the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 written authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services fofolleomwpilnogyeaes to request from any employer or authorized representative has whether substance normally found in the place of employment determine any toxic effects in such concentrations as used or found potentially The Hazard Evaluations and Technical Assistance Branch also provides upon medical nursing and industrial hygiene technical and consultative rasesqiusetsatnce TA to Federal state and local agenciehsealltahbohrazairnddsustarnyd atnod other groups or individuals to control occupational prevent related trauma and disease of Mention Mention company names or products does not constitute endorsement by Tartitu Tartitu for Occupational Safety and Health the HETA 84-321-1590 MAY 1985 ASBESTOS SHINGLE TEAR ROCKFORD ILLINOIS NIOSH INVESTIGATOR Laurence D. Reed I. SUMMARY In May 1984 the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health NIOSH received a request to evaluate occupational exposure to airborne asbestos fibers during the tear of an old asbestos shingle roof from a residential building On May 12 1984 a NIOSH investigator conducted an environmental evaluation of the tear operation Seventeen personal breathing samples were collected for approximately two hours to measure potential exposure to airborne levels of asbestos fibers Ten of these samples were collected from the tear crew 2 from the post tear clean crew and 5 from workers applying new asbestos shingles For the five tear workers the airborne asbestos fiber concentrations ranged from 0.04 to 0.16 fibers per cubic centimeter of air cc arithmetic mean 0.09 cc For the two clean workers the asbestos fiber concentrations ranged from 0.13 to 0.16 cc mean 0.14 cc Finally for the 5 workers applying new shingles the fiber concentrations ranged from 0.03 to 0.08 cc mean 0.05 cc NIOSH recommends exposure to asbestos be reduced to the lowest feasible limit NIOSH certified half respirators with efficiency particulate filters were worn by all members of the tear and clean crews Considering the documented air concentration levels for the tear operation half respirators should be considered the minimum level of respiratory protection face respirators should also be worn by personnel working adjacent to and concurrent with the tear and clean operations Based on the results of this evaluation NIOSH investigators concluded that there was a hazard from exposure to airborne asbestos fibers during the tear of an asbestos shingle roof Recommendations directed at reducing worker exposures are contained in Section VII of this report KEYWORDS SIC 1761 Roofing and Sheet Metal Work asbestos shingles roofing tear operations Page 2 - Health Hazard Evaluation Report No. HETA 84-321 II INTRODUCTION In May 1984 NIOSH received a request to evaluate occupational exposure to airborne asbestos fibers during the manual tear of an old asbestos shingle roof from a large residential building On May 12 1984 a NIOSH investigator conducted an environmental evaluation of roofing workers for exposure to airborne asbestos fibers III BACKGROUND The tear operation was performed by 7 workers on May 12 1984 During the hour procedure old asbestos shingles were removed from the roof using handled wedges The loosened shingles and debris were then shoveled from the roof and moved by wheelbarrow to trucks for discarding During the tear operation several other workers were applying a new asphalt roof to adjacent and previously cleared portions of the building All workers involved in the tear operation wore certified face respirators with efficiency particulate filters No other protective clothing was worn IV EVALUATION DESIGN AND METHODS On May 12 1984 17 personal breathing and 4 area air samples were collected from workers on open mixed cellulose ester fiber filters for approximately 2 hours at a flow rate of 2.0 liters per 1pm All of these samples were analyzed for fiber count NIOSH Method CAM 239 utilizing phase contrast microscopy minute according to PCM Six of these samples were further analyzed for fiber qualitative analysis of the particulate material transmission electron microscopy TEM The TEM size and for on the filters using analysis was performed according to the Zumwalde procedure outlined in NIOSH Publication No. 77-204 The PCM method for fiber counting detects fiber greater than 5 micrometers um in length and greater than 0.2 um in diameter and is the fiber count used for comparison with the existing environmental exposure criteria listed in Section V of this report The TEM method detects fibers of all sizes Two area air samples 1 upwind 1 downwind were collected on the roof during the hour tear operation using weighed polyvinyl chloride PVC filters for total particulate weight Two other area samples were collected from inside the residential building One of the samples was collected from the interior of the building and the other was collected near an open window Page 3 - Health Hazard Evaluation Report No. HETA 84-321 V. EVALUATION CRITERIA A. Environmental Criteria As a guide to the evaluation exposures NIOSH field staff criteria for assessment of a of the employ number hazards posed by workplace environmental evaluation of chemical and physical agents These criteria are intended to suggest levels of exposure to which most workers may be exposed up to 10 hours per day 40 hours per week for a working lifetime without experiencing adverse health effects It is however important to note that not all workers will be protected from adverse health effects if their exposures are maintained below these levels A small percentage may experience adverse health effects because of individual susceptibility a existing medical condition and a hypersensitivity allergy The primary sources of environmental evaluation criteria for the workplace are 1 NIOSH Criteria Documents and Recommendations 2 the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists ACGIH Threshold Limit Values TLV's and 3 the U.S. Department of Labor OSHA recommendations OSHA standards occupational health standards Often the NIOSH and ACGIH TLV's are lower than the corresponding Both NIOSH recommendations and ACGIH TLV's usually are based on more recent information than are the OSHA standards The OSHA standards also may be required to take into account the feasibility of controlling exposures in various industries where the agents are used the recommended standards by contrast are based primarily on concerns relating to the prevention of occupational disease In evaluating the exposure levels and the recommendations for reducing these levels found in this report it should be noted that industry is legally required to meet only those levels specified by an OSHA standard A weighted average TWA exposure refers to the average airborne concentration of a substance during a normal 8- to hour workday Some substances have recommended short exposure limits or ceiling values which are intended to supplement the TWA where there are recognized toxic effects from high short exposures . ' atnf? . Page 4 - Health Hazard Evaluation Report No. HETA 84-321 Increased health risk resulting from occupational exposure to asbestos has been well documented in the scientific literature Initially asbestos was associated with a chronic and debilitating lung disease called asbestosis which normally occurred following long exposures to high levels of asbestos fibers More recently asbestos has also been linked to several types of cancer including mesothelioma a rare cancer of the chest and abdominal lining and cancers of the lung esophagus stomach and colon These cancers usually appear many years after the initial contact with asbestos and sometimes result from short and low level exposures This indicates that there may not be a safe level of exposure to asbestos for the elimination of all cancer risk Additionally cigarette smoking in combination with asbestos exposure greatly increases the risk of developing lung cancer Listed below fibers are the evaluation criteria for airborne asbestos Source NIOSH Environmental Exposure Limit Lowest Feasible Limit ACGIH 2.0 cc chrysotile asbestos OSHA 2.0 cc VI RESULTS AND DISCUSSION A bulk sample of the asbestos shingle was analyzed laboratory and was found to contain 30 chrysotile by a NIOSH asbestos contract The airborne concentrations of asbestos fibers for the 17 personal breathing samples ranged from 0.03 to 0.16 cc Table I Ten of the 17 personal samples were collected from the tear crew and the concentrations of these samples ranged from 0.04 to 0.16 cc arithmetic mean 0.09 cc Two of the 17 personal samples were collected from the clean crew and the concentration for these samples ranged from 0.13 to 0.16 cc arithmetic mean 0.14 cc The other 5 personal samples were collected from workers applying new shingles The range of concentrations for these 5 personal samples was 0.03 to 0.08 cc arithmetic mean 0.05 cc The airborne asbestos concentrations for the 4 area samples ranged from 0.02 to 0.14 cc Page 5 - Health Hazard Evaluation Report No. HETA 84-321 For the 6 samples 4 personal 2 area which were further analyzed by TEM Table 1 the airborne concentrations of asbestos fibers ranged from 0.32 to 1.12 cc 4 personal 0.32 to 1.12 cc 2 area 0.51 to 0.74 cc All 6 samples showed higher fiber concentrations when analyzed by TEM than by PCM because TEM detects fibers of all sizes In addition the TEM analysis of these 6 samples showed the primary particulate constituents of the filters to be aluminum and iron compounds as well as organic material All of the asbestos fibers measured by TEM were chrysotile asbestos Because of temperature and humidity conditions 75 20 RH during sampling the measured airborne concentrations of asbestos fibers are probably lower than actual concentrations because of the build of electrostatic charge on the sampling cassettes This charge build resulted in a visibly substantial accumulation of fibers on the inside of the cassettes The highest level mean 0.14 cc of airborne asbestos fibers was found during the post tear clean operation The mean fiber concentration for personal samples taken during the tear operation 0.09 cc was approximately double the mean concentration 0.05 cc for the new shingle application workers Both upwind and downwind area asbestos concentrations were low 0.02 cc However the area sample taken within the building near the open window was comparatively high 0.14 cc indicating contamination from the tear and | clean operation VII DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS The following recommendations should help reduce worker exposure to airborne asbestos fibers 1. All workers involved in the tear and clean operations should wear certified half respirators with efficiency particulate filters Considering the documented air concentrations this should be considered the minimum level of respiratory protection for the tear clean and new shingle application personnel All respirators should be properly fitted cleaned inspected for maintenance problems and placed in a lock bag after each use Also the efficiency filter media should be changed periodically particularly when breathing through the respirator becomes labored Page 6 ~ Health Hazard Evaluation Report No. HETA 84-321 2. To help minimize airborne levels of asbestos fibers the roof should be wetted with water or some other wetting agent before the tear operation Where feasible building occupants should be evacuated during asbestos shingle tear and clean operations To minimize contamination of the inside of the building door's and windows should be closed off and the heating conditioning system should be turned off during tear and clean operations To help minimize the exposure of the roofing workers and their family members NIOSH recommends that contaminated work clothes be removed and placed in a bag for commercial laundering before leaving the work site These clothes should be washed after each use VIII REFERENCES 1 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Criteria for a recommended standard occupational exposure to asbestos Cincinnati Ohio National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 1977. DHEW publication no NIOSH 77-169 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health NIOSH occupational health guidelines for chemical hazards Cincinnati Ohio National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 1981. DHHS NIOSH publication no 81-123 American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Threshold limit values for chemical substances and physical agents in the workroom environment and biological exposure indices with intended changes for 1984-85 Cincinnati Ohio ACGIH 1984 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Occupational diseases a guide to their recognition Cincinnati Ohio National Institute for Occupational Health 1977. DHEW NIOSH publication no 77-181 Revised ed Safety and Occupational National Institute for industrial environment Safety and Health it's evaluation and control The Cincinnati Ohio 1973. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health DHEW NIOSH publication no 74-117 Proctor NH Hughes JP Chemical hazards of the workplace Philadelphia J.B. Lippencott Company 1978 Page 7 - Health Hazard Evaluation Report No. HETA 84-321 IX AUTHORSHIP AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Report Prepared by Laurence D. Reed| Industrial Hygiene Industrial Hygiene Engineer Section Field Assistance by John Barnhard Health United and and Safety Specialist Union of Roofers Waterproofers Allied Workers Originating Office Hazard Evaluations and Technical Assistance Branch Division of Surveillance Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies Report Typed By Jacqueline Grass Typist Industrial Hygiene Section X. DISTRIBUTION AND AVAILABILITY OF REPORT Copies of this report are currently available upon request from NIOSH Division of Standards Development and Technology Transfer Publications Dissemination Section 4676 Columbia Parkway Cincinnati Ohio 45226 After 90 days the report will be available through the National Technical Information Service NTIS 5285 Port Royal Springfield Virginia 22161. Information regarding its availability through NTIS Cincinnati can be obtained from NIOSH Publications Office at the address Copies of this report have been sent to 1. United Union of Roofers Waterproofers and Allied Workers 2 NIOSH Region V 3 OSHA Region V For the purpose shall be posted employees for a of informing affected employees copies of this by the employer in a prominent place accessible period of 30 calendar days report to the Table I Asbestos Fiber Concentration for Personal and Area Samples Asbestos Roof Shingle Tear Rockford Illinois HETA 84-321 May 12 1984 Job Classification Sample Duration Asbestos Concentration cc Personal Tear il 20-9 31-10 Tear 2 21-9 34-11 Tear 3 Tear 4 26-9 9 34-10 22-9 33-10 Tear 5 23-9 33-10 New Shingle 1 New Shingle 2 New Shingle 3 New Shingle 4 New Shingle 5 Asbestos Clean 1 Asbestos Clean 2 19-10 16-10 11-10 10-10 36-10 44-11 40-11 Area Area 1 inside building - shelf 45-11 ; Area 2 inside building - window Area 3 roof - upwind 45-11 52-10 Area 4 roof ~ downwind 01-10 Neasured by Phase Contrast Microscopy PCM 2 Heasured by Transmission Electron Microscopy TEM PCM1 30.64 0.16 0.14 0.11 0.04 0.08 0.06 0.09 0.08 0.11 0.03 0.03 0.07 0.04 0.08 0.13 0.16 0.05 0.14 0.02 0.02 TEM2 0.75 1.12 0.32 .37 0.51 0.74 WET AN INMENS Fi TRAND TRAND HUMAN SERVICES - MEALTH SERVICE CENTERCENS TERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ROBERT ROBERT A. TAFT LABORATORIES 4676 COLUMI PARKWAY CINCINNATI OHIO 45226 PEN OFFICIAL BUSINESS Y FOR PRIVATE USE 300 Third Class lail POSTAGE AND FEES PAIC U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HHE HHS 396