Document p3ENdZ0j3g442zXqjKoM7Ym7

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS BULLETIN , 1 8/23/B3 Industrial Hygiene SUBJECT Asbestos Insulation Removal and. Repair (Supplement to Bulletin No. 4} --MiHMinw: -------------------------------- fcuiUjMNO. 1 Employes Health Servioes upcucou : -ttt: ------------"1 - few ! .......................... i ............. -....... ----i -- Most boiler, furnaoe, steam, and oondanaate piping insulation installed prior to 1975 oontains asbestos, the removal or maintenance of dry asbestos insulation oan be very hazardous to health. Did asbestos-containing insulation tends to be dry, very friable, and oan easily generate high oosoentrations of airborne fibers and dust if oarelessly handled.. Stringent industrial hygiene precautions must, therefore, be taken to protect employee health by preventing inhalation of asbestos dust and fibers. The following procedures and steps are recommended to minimize dust exposures during asbestos-containing insulation demolition, removal, and repair. They supplement work practioes, engineering controls, and personal protective equipment usage specified in Industrial Hygiene Bulletin No. 4 and in OSBA and Ontario OHSA asbestos standards and regulations. These procedures apply primarily to protection of pipe coverare and insulation maintenance and installation employees. Compileroe with these procedures should assure that others in vicinity of insulation maintenance activities are not exoessively exposed to airborne asbestos fibers. These industrial hygiene work practices focus on safe techniques for removing asbestos insulation from older equipment and build ings. They do not address asbestos encapsulation, top-coating, or enclosure methods. 1* Steam and hot water pipes, fumaoes, boilers, ovens, and other equipment must not be reinsulated with asbe stoe-cdetaining products including insulation oemonte, tape, and grout. Suppliers of acceptable substitute insulation for asbestos oan be provided by Plant Engineering Offioe, Manufacturing Staff (Meobanioal Design and Equipment Standards, page M4-1, January 1976). > 2. Unless there ie specific evidenoe to the eontraxy, all insulation should be treated and bandied as if it is asbestos-containing until proven otherwise. Samples of insulation materials suspected of containing asbestos may be submitted to the Indus trial Hygiene Laboratory who will return an analytical report of amounts and types of asbestos in the samples. Contaot Industrial Hygiene at 35-78955 for sampling prooedurs and shipment method. A profile and map of asbestos-containing insulation in the plant can be established by a judicious sampling and boiler and steaa pipe tagging prooedure. 3> Removal of asbestos-oontaining insulation associated with renovation or demolition should be done by an outside contractor with proven experienoe in successfully-- . handling this hazardous work in compliance with OSHA standards. The cost and/or inconvenienoe associated with utilization of a specialized contractor is justified by elimination of potential inhalation health risks. Any outside contracting should be oonsietent with the outside oontraeting clearance prooedure provided for in the 'current Company-UAH agreement. 4. InsUlation-handling areas must be posted and restricted to prevent unauthorized entry as epeoified in OSHA regulations. ` 5. The number of employees authorized to handle asbestos-oontaining insulation should be kept to a minimum. A designated crew, educated and trained in proper insulationhandling. work practioes, who understands OSHA asbestos regulations, and hae reviewed this bulletin, is reconmended. As far as feasible, work should be performed at a time when any inadvertent fugitive asbeatoa fiber emissions would expose fewest- people in adjaoent areas. 6. Insulation should not"be removed, handled, or scored, sawed, or drilled until it has been thoroughly soaked with water. Wherever possible, steam flow should be inter rupted to prevent wet insulation next to pipe from drying out during insulation - over - 2**0 9008 PRODUCED BY FORD