OSHA Asbestos Standard for the Construction Industry - a PDH Online Course for Engineers, Architects and Surveyors

OSHA Asbestos Standard for the Construction Industry

Course Outline

In the construction industry, asbestos is found in many installed products. Because very few asbestos containing products are being installed today, most worker exposures occur during the removal of asbestos and the renovation and maintenance of buildings and structures containing asbestos. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulates asbestos exposure for the construction industry. This course describes how the standard applies to the following activities: 1) demolishing or salvaging structures where asbestos is present; 2) removing or encapsulating asbestos-containing material; 3) constructing, altering, repairing, maintaining, or renovating asbestos-containing structures or substrates; 4) installing asbestos-containing products; 5) cleaning up asbestos spills/emergencies: and 6) transporting, disposing, storing, containing, and housekeeping involving asbestos or asbestos-containing products on a construction site.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:

Description of asbestos;
Dangers of asbestos exposure;
Definition of work classifications;
Permissible exposure limit for asbestos;
Asbestos operations that employers must monitor and assess;
Function of a competent person;
Initial exposure assessment;
Negative exposure assessment;
When exposure must be monitored;
Medical surveillance programs for employees;
Maintaining employee records;
Regulated areas;
Communicating asbestos hazards at worksites;
Posting of warning signs;
Providing asbestos warning labels;
Training employees regarding asbestos exposure;
Methods used to control asbestos exposure levels;
Compliance requirements for Classes I - IV work;
OSHA requirements concerning respirators;
Requirements to provide protective clothing for employees;
Hygiene-related requirements for employees performing various classes of asbestos work; and
Employer’s housekeeping responsibilities.

Intended Audience

This course is intended primarily for civil and construction engineers involved in construction activities.

Benefit to Attendees

An attendee would gain sufficient knowledge about asbestos hazards and required OSHA standards to be able to recognize and mitigate the hazards that might exist on a typical construction site.

Course Introduction

Asbestos is the generic term for a group of naturally occurring, fibrous minerals with high tensile strength,flexibility, and resistance to heat, chemicals, and electricity. Asbestos fibers enter the body when a person inhales or ingests airborne particles that become embedded in the tissues of the respiratory or digestive systems. Exposure to asbestos can cause disabling or fatal diseases. In the construction industry, workers are exposed to asbestos primarily during renovation and maintenance activities and during operations specifically aimed at removing asbestos hazards from existing buildings.

Course Content

This course is based on the OSHA 3096 document, “Asbestos Standard for the Construction Industry,” 2002

OSHA 3096 document, “Asbestos Standard for the Construction Industry,” 2002

Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.

Course Summary

Exposure to asbestos is a potentially dangerous aspect of construction activities involving older buildings and structures. The OSHA asbestos standard for the construction industry (29 CFR Part 1926.1101, see www.osha.gov) describes how to prevent or reduce that exposure to a safe level.

Related Links

For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites or web pages:

http://www.osha.gov/index.html

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.