Document Eqb64Gnx65Moza73kL4NoEdpx

Federal Register / Vol. 51. No. 119 / Friday. ]une 20; 1986 / Rules and Regulations 22723 lunch rooms, such as exist on Fixed clean protective clothing after a small (Ceissert, 1983). Numerous cases of family worksites, were probably not feasible for the construction industry, due to the nonfixed nature of construction project worksites. The term "lunch area" was ' adopted by OSHA to indicate that a temporary facility, such as a separate asbestos-related job reflects Current industry practice on such jobs. For example, Mr. Darrell E. Anderson, of the Minnesota Department of Health, stated that ". . . protective clothing and vacuuming would minimize the concern members contracting mesothelioma from exposure to a worker's work clothing |have occurred). For these reasons the standard hygiene facilities . . . must be required on all construction asbestos projects where exposure exceeds the action level. We require separate change rooms for clean and trailer, would serve the purpose of for showers . , ." (Ex. 92-11). In a dirty clothes separated by a shower facility protecting employee health. OSHA similar vein, the docket submittal of the . . . (and) specific procedures to be followed agreed with.the CACOSH Findings that New York City Board of Education [Ex. each time an employee passes between the the transient work conditions in nonrixed workplaces would make the 92-26) made the point that, for small boiler and pipe insulation removal regulalcd.area and the clean room.. . . (Ex. 277) installation of fixed lunchrooms difficult, projects, separate clean rooms and On the other hand, some commenters and accordingly included a requirement shower facilities are not required. The opposed the inclusion in the revised rule for clean lunch areas in its revised exemption in paragraph (j)(l)(i) would of requirements for showers and change standard; but unlike the provision in the permit workers engaged in small-scale rooms for major asbestos removal and revised general industry standard, the and short-duration tasks to use a renovation operations (Exs. 263; Trs. 7/ revised construction standard does not portable vacuum equipped with a HEPA 8, p. 214; 7/12, p. 73). The Advisory require that lunch facilities be equipped filter to clean any asbestos dust from Committee for Construction Safety and with' a Filtered air supply. their clothes, hair, and exposed skin Health (CACOSH) expressed concern The principal changes to the hygiene before leaving the work area. This facilities section reflected in the revised procedure will ensure that asbestos is that hygiene facilities might not be feasible for jnsny construction standard involve OSHA's efforts to not carried from the work area to other tailor these requirements to the areas of the building and is not retained substantial differences in exposure, work conditions, and feasibility of controls found in different construction operations. For example, as the record makes clear, the significant features of a construction task involving the replacement of an asbestos-containing gasket are grossly different from those prevailing inside a negative-pressure enclosure during a major asbestos on the employee's clothing. OSHA believes that the special exemption for small-scale, shortduration jobs will provide employers in the construction industry whose employees must occasionally engage in asbestos-related work with the flexibility necessary to perform those |obs with a minimum amount of disruption and a high degree of removal operation. The revised standard takes these differences into account in two ways: by providing, in paragraph (j)(l)(i). an exception to the requirement for a clean change area for employers whose employees are engaged in small- scale, short-duration operations of the type described above for paragraph (e); and by requiring employers performing asbestos removal, demolition, or renovation operations to observe the more comprehensive hygiene facilities requirements of.paragraph (j)(2). The exception in paragraph (j)(l)(i) permits employees working on smallscale, short-duration operations, such as pipe repair and valve replacement, to' clean their protective clothing with a portable hlgh-efFiciency particulate air (HEPA) filter-equipped vacuum rather than exchanging their protective work clothing for street clothing in a change area at the completion of a job. An example of a task fitting this description might.be the work performed by an electrician hanging electrical conduit on hooks attached to a beam covered with asbestos-containing insulation; this task protection, both for the employee performing the job and for other employees and bystanders, in the vicinity. Many commenters addressed the use of hygiene facilities in major asbestos removal renovation and demolition. projects (Exs. 92-8; 92-11; 92-25; 92-26; 283; 277; 330; 328; Trs. 7/5, p. 181; 7/8, p. 214; 7/12, p. 73), The rulemaking record contains several specifications for the . use of shower and change room facilities on asbestos removal or renovation projects'(Exs. 92-8,92-11. 92-25,92-26). For example,'the - "Specifications for Asbestos Removal" of the North Carolina Division of State Construction contains provisions for a clean room, shower, and equipment room for each asbestos removal project building owned by the State of North Carolina (Ex. 92-8). Several commenters specifically requested that OSHA require hygiene facilities for major asbestos removal, renovation, and demolition projects (Exs. 277,330, Tr. 7/ .' 3, p. 181). The Building and Construction Trades Department. AFL-CIO stated: operations when the availability of water is limited and.cold weather interferes with workers' ability to take showers (Exs. 84-233, 84-244). Based on a review of the record evidence, OSHA has required in paragraph (j)(2) that hygiene facilities consisting of a clean room, an equipment room, and a shower, where feasible, be provided for employees engaged in asbestos removal, demolition, or renovation projects. OSHA believes that providing such facilities is feasible for the great majority of projects. In addition, in situations in which employers can demonstrate that it is not feasible to locate a shower between the equipment room and the clean change room, paragraph (j)(2)(iii) permits employers to use alternative methods of employee decontamination. These methods are: (1) Employees may remove asbestos contamination from their disposable worksuits by using's HEPA vacuum before proceeding to a shower that is not contiguous with the work area; or (2) Employees may remove their contaminated-disposable worksuits, don clean disposable worksuits. and proceed to a shower that is not contiguous with the work area. OSHA believes that these alternative decontamination methods will provide adequate protection to the worker and effectively prevent the spread of. asbestos contamination from the work area in situations in which it is not would be likely to take fewer than 30 The current asbestos standard only feasible.to provide a shower: minutes to perform, and would typically make up only a small part of the electrician's overall duties. Several commenters to the record requires hygiene facilities forfixed worksites. Construction workers also need such facilities to prevent bringing dust out of the worksite and home to their families. Work clothing has been demonstrated to be a Paragraphs (j)(2) (v) and (vi) of the revised standard provide for specific decontamination practices that must be followed when entering and exiting an reported that the use of vacuums to significant source of exposure for workers asbestos removal, demolition, or GLEASON-000971