Document XOMrD2od74oyk17G0pD5VRQGd

Federal Register / Vol. SI, No. 119 / Friday, June 20, 19B6 / Rules and Regulations 22713 samples, which are taken at locations Paragraph (f)(2)(ii) allows employers OSHA's traditional requirements for outside the exposure envelope to dispense with initial monitoring if Initial monitoring may not be surrounding the employee as he or she they can demonstrate by means of appropriate for construction worksites works, generally cannot reflect the objective data that asbestos-containing because of the short duration of many exposure experience of a particular products or material cannot release construction operations. The AGC worker.accurately. airborne fibers in concentrations stated: However, although employers are required to determine the exposure of each employee exposed to asbestos, this exceeding the action level. OSHA believes that employers may be able to obtain data from the manufacturers of Construction contractors have often found the benefits of monitoring to be quite limited. Their problem is that taking air samples, and determination is not required to be asbestos-containing products that getting results, takes far too long. By the time based on separate measurements taken demonstrate that these materials will the results arrive, the contractors' employees for each employee. Instead, the revised not release asbestos at levels that have often already completed their work with standard permits employers to use a exceed the action level, even under the material containing asbestos. (Ex. 84-457) "representative" measurement to characterize the exposures of more than one employee when these employees perform essentially the same job under the same conditions. For these types of situations, it may be sufficient for the employer to monitor one or a few of these employees to obtain data that are "representative" of the exposure of the remaining employees in Ihe group. As .permitted in paragraph (f](l)(iii), representative personal sampling for worst case conditions. This exemption is similar to those included in recent OSHA health standards (see for example, 29 CFR 1910.1047, ethylene oxide) and reflects the suggestion of the BCTD (Ex. 87-2) and the AIA/NA (Ex. 84-307) that employers be exempted from monitoring when employees are handling asbestos products that are not capable of releasing a significant amount of fibers. OSHA also provides an exemption in The ACC suggested that OSHA permit contractors who begin an asbestos project such as asbestos removal, renovation, or maintenance activities to either (1) conduct initial monitoring at the beginning of each project, or (2) use exposure data from a data base of historical exposure monitoring results obtained from different employers conducting similar projects (Ex. 84-457). The AGC was of the opinion that: employees engaged in similar work and exposed to similar concentrations of asbestos fibers can be achieved by measuring the exposure of that member of the exposed group who can reasonably be expected to have the highest exposure and then attributing paragraph (f)(2)(iii) for employers who ' have historical monitoring data. OSHA has included this exemption in recognition of the fact that many employers are currently conducting exposure monitoring on construction sites; this exemption would prevent ... a contractor choosing to consult an appropriate data base should not also have to monitor. The data base would serve the same essential purposes that monitoring would otherwise serve. It would inform the contractor of what to expect, and provide him with a sound basis for selecting respiratory protection and assessing the need for other this exposure level to the remaining . these employers from having to repeat steps. In fact, the data base would be employees in the group. monitoring activity for construction jobs superior- lo monitoring-to the extent that it In many work situations, this that are substantially similar to previous would eliminate the time lag in getting results representative monitoring approach,may jobs for which monitoring was - from laboratories. (Ex. 84-457) . be more cost-effective than individual monitoring of all employees to determine the exposures of affected employees. However, employers are free to use any monitoring approach that will correctly identify the breathing-zone exposures of their employees to airborne asbestos. Paragraph (f)(2)(i) of the revised rule contains requirements for Initial monitoring for construction employees' exposed to asbestos; In this paragraph ' OSHA requires employers- to conduct initial monitoring at the start of each new asbqglos Job in order to assess the effectiveness of existing engineering -controls and to provide information' necessary for the proper selection of appropriate respirators. OSHA believes that initial monitoring is essential for protecting employee health because it provides the employer conducted. However, such monitoring data must have been obtained from projects conducted by the employer that meet the following conditions; . (1) The data upon which judgments are baaed are scientifically sound and collected using methods that are sufTicienlly accurate and precise. (2) T he processes and work practices in use when the historical data ware obtained are essentially the same as those to be used during Ihe job for which initial monitoring will not be performed. (3) The characteristics of the asbestoscontaining material being handled when the historical data were obtained are the same as those on the job for which initial monitoring will not be performed. (4) Environmental conditions prevailing . when the historical data were obtained are the same as for the job for which initial. monitoring witl'not be performed. Although Joe Adam, Director of the Department of Safety and Health. United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe' Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada pointed that creating such a' data base would require a considerable amount of monitoring, OSHA encourages employers to compile and use any information that will aid in the protection of workers' health. OSHA would permit the use of such data in lieu ' of initial monitoring if information from the data base is available and sufficiently detailed to meet the requirements of paragraph(f}(2)(iiij for historical data. Paragraph (f)(3) requires that employers conduct daily air monitoring, fur asbestos in areas where the airborne, concentration of asbestos exceeds the with information for determining the OSHA believes that if an employer PEL.This requirement differs from, the necessity for using engineering controls, has monitoring data that meet-these periodic monitoring requirement in the instituting or modifying work practices, conditions, he or she can be reasonably revised general industry standard for and.selecting appropriate respiratory confident that these data are asbestos, which mandates quarterly protection. Recognizing the varied representative of employee exposures monitoring of employees whose nature of construction projects. OSHA that will be encountered on a new exposures exceed the action level. has required that initial monitoring for construction site; The Associated Many commenters noted that employee exposures be conducted^! the General Contractors of America (ACC) - mandating pre-set monitoring start of each new construction.project , . suggested that OSHA permit a-variant of frequencies, such as those prescribed in that involves the handling or disturbing . this historical monitoring data provision other OSHA health standards for Fixed of.asbcstos-containing materials. (F.x. 84-457). The ACC noted that worksites, may be inappropriate for GLEASON-000961