Document 4a0kN8rqNKk2dxE4ZxN5Kmo0Q

PLAINTIFF'S I EXHIBIT DUP-18 occ.'r.v *4 a^ c STY S HEALTH REPORTS^ Bandares OSHA REVISION OF ASBESTOS RULE EXCLUDES CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY Revisions to the current salety and health standard for asbestos proposed by Lie Occupational Safety and Health Ad- tninistrauon wouid reduce the permissible exposure limit to aa tight-hour time-weighted ayeraft of O.S fibers per cuoie centimeter of air except for construction activities. Permissible levels for the construction industry would continue under tne present standard which has a ceiling limitation of 1C fibers per cubic centimeter. A separate ruiemaking is planned for revising the asbestos standard for construction. OSHA said. Other major provisions of the OSHA proposal which would revue HlO.lOOi are as follows: The ceiling limit wouid be reduced to five fibers per cubic centimeter as determined during any U-ouarte sampling penod. ~ a There would be additional requircrntma for regulated areas, worker rosters, hygiene facilities, worker training and information programs, signs and labels, and moeitariag and medical surveillance programs. The period for retention of monitoring and medical records would be extended to 40 yean, or ter the deration of the worker s employment plus 20 yean. Principal industries affected by the proposal are asbestos fiber processing, manufacture of asbestos-containing products, construction, shipbuilding, automobile industry, and automobile repair. According to OSHA estimates, ap proximately S0.000 workers are involved in the manufacture of asbestos-containing products. The total Dumber af workers exposed to asbestos is not known. The proposed revision does not contain aa anticipated effective date. Regulated Areas The proposal would require that any work arts where a person may be exposed to airborne concentrations of asbestos fibers in excess of the permissible limit he designated as a regulated aru. The following regulations would apply to all regulated areas: v Only authorised personnel would be allowed in the areas. a A daily roster of all personnel enuring the areas would he maintained. According to the proposal, monitoring mot be performed in a manner that will measure accwsufy the Airborne asbestos concentrations is the workplace lo which employees would be exposed if they worked in the arm without personal protective equipment. It may not be accessary to monitor every exposed workar to satisfy this. requirement, the proposal aoud. Other monitoring reqmremeuu proposed by the revision are as follows: a Employers must conduct initial monitoring of all worksites where asbestos fibers might be released to deter mine the level of worker exposure. a If initial muaiiertnR shuws that ib asbestos cooccn- fccticns are above the pernussibit limit, the meaitorir.g must be repeated every month. If they are teknr the |-cr- misxiblc l.mit. they must be repeated every three months. Ail mssnortn; must be dene with a inrmbrne filter method with phase contrast iliuminnuon. . a Within live dayr after receiving the results of monitor ing, employers must eoufy their workers m writing of tee results. ~ a Employees must he given tJw opportunity to observe tee fnemtnrirc. ComoKMWA Mnm According to the proposal, worker exposure to asbvr.os would be controlled to or below the permissible limit by engineering controls, work practices, and personal protec tive equipment Engineering controls would bo instituted immediately to reduce worker exposure. Where engmeenng and work prac tice controls are not sufficient to reduce exposure to or beiow tee permissible limit. they wouid be used nonetee.ss and supplemented by use of respirators. Employers also would be required to establish a written program to reduce exposure to or beiow the permiu.oie limit solely by moans of engineering and work practices con trols. The written program would include a dcser.ptien of aoeh exposed operation, ongiaoenog plans and studies used to determine the controls, a report of the technology ccaadcred. monitoring data, and a detailed schedule for utiliz ing the controls. The propooed revisions specify teat respirators may not be mod to achieve compliance with tec permissible exposure limit except is the following eases: a During tee ported necessary to install engineering or Ala work situations whore engineering controls and supplemental work practice controls art insufficient to reduce exposure to or below tee permissible limit. a la emcrgocio*. Where respirators are permitted, tee proposal specifies that tee employer must select them from a list of those ap pro--ved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and The proposal specifics also that no worker will be assigned to tasks requiring a respirator if ao examining physician nas determined that the worker would be unable to function nor mally while wearing one. Fminil Arwtactnr* Clothing Under the proposal the employer would be required to provide personal protective clothing such as coveralls, bead coverings,- gloves and foot coronnp for all workers exposed lo asbestos concentrations exceeding the prescribed limits. He also would btobligated to require tee ust of such cistemg ,,by his workers. ' Other requirements relating to protective clothing are as fallows: a CWsa and dry clothing would be provided to each worker at host daily. Re employer would bo required to dean, launder, mi oSasaio the clothing. * a Re employer would be required to insure that protcc- tiro clothing is removed only in authorized change rosins. a Re employer would be required to insure that workers do not remove tee clothing from the change mums. a AU contsmteaud cteteing would he place, is im permeable doted containers. a Re employer would he required to inform pers..-. ;el laundering tee ctotemg contaminated by axsesus of th; harmful effects t< exposure. In addition to change rooms, the employer would be re quired to have appropriate seower and Uvstoiy facilities. DUP 12002-40 2 MeOical SwrvuiUsAce Medical exams required by the proposal would be cooducted at the employer s expense. Where workers refuse to take the exams, the employer would obtain a signed state ment from the worker mat be bas oeen informed of the con sequences and refuses to be examined. The following medical exams are required by the proposal: . e Preplacement. The employer woeid provide eech worker a comprehensive medical exam within 30 days following his first employment in aa area esposed to air borne concentrations of asbestos Emrio/ers would be required to provide anesal com prehensive medical exams to esposed werkers. * Employers would be required to provide medical exams Ip exposed workers within 30 calendar days before or after tcRHin*tio:i of employment. ' The proposal specifies ilso that no worker should be expos ed to asbestos in such a way as would increase the risk of material impairment of this health. Traminf and lirfermetien Employers would be required under the proposal to provide a training program for workers assigned to regulated areas. The program would be provided at the tune af initial assignment and at least annually thereafter. A copy of the final OSHA standard and its appendices must be readily available to workers in regulated areas. Specified also in the proposal are labeling requirements and housekeeping requirements. Under the latter, employers would be required to maintain ail exoosod sur faces in the workplace free from accumulations of asbestos fibers if their aspersion would create airborne concen trations in excess of the permissible limit. Waste would be disposed ef in sealed impermeable bap or other dosed conUiacn. Reeerakeepinf asimmuna Employers would be required by the proposal lo maintain tfc* fallowing records: Expaooro records pertsiao* to worfcor axpoeure to asbestos. s- Ucdici! records for escb worker subject to medical surnw. llechaoical ventilation requirements. a Employee training records. fr Designated rosters. AO records maintained by the employer would be available an request to the Assistant Secretary of Labor sad the direc tor ef NIOSH. When the employer ceases to de business, the records most be transmitted to bis successor er, if there is no aoccessor. to N10S1I. The OSHA proposal for asbestos win appear to the Full Test sectias of the next Oirrent Itogdrt. _ DUP 1200241