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Asbestos is the name given to a group of naturally occurring minerals that are resistant to heat and corrosion. Asbestos has been used in products, such as insulation for pipes (steam lines for example), floor tiles, building materials, and in vehicle brakes and clutches.
Asbestos is well recognized as a health hazard and its use is now highly regulated by both OSHA and EPA. Asbestos fibers associated with these health risks are too small to be seen with the naked eye. Breathing asbestos fibers can cause a buildup of scar-like tissue in the lungs called asbestosis and result in loss of lung function that often progresses to disability and death. Asbestos also causes cancer of the lung and other diseases such as mesothelioma of the pleura which is a fatal malignant tumor of the membrane lining the cavity of the lung or stomach. Epidemiologic evidence has increasingly shown that all asbestos fiber types, including the most commonly used form of asbestos, chrysotile, causes mesothelioma in humans.
OSHA’s 1910.1001 standard on asbestos covers workers who may be exposed to asbestos, a substance found in installed products such as shingles, floor tiles, cement pipe and sheet, roofing felts, insulation, ceiling tiles, fire-resistant drywall, and acoustical products. The standard reduces employee exposure to asbestos to 0.1 fiber per cubic centimeter of air (f/cc) averaged over an 8-hour day. The standard also sets an action level; it is 0.1 f/cc averaged over eight hours. If this level is exceeded, employers must begin compliance activities such as air monitoring, employee training, and medical surveillance.
Employers must:
OSHA initiated an investigation of a warehouse in response to a complaint. The agency subsequently cited the company for several serious violations, including:
Note that if engaged in construction work, there is a separate, more stringent in some cases, requirement at 29 CFR 1926.1101.