ASBESTOS AWARENESS TRAINING

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ASBESTOS AWARENESSTRAINING

• Title 8, GISO Section 5208

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What is Asbestos?

• Generic term for group of minerals known for
  their strength, flame/heat resistance,
  indestructible qualities.
• Miracle mineral
• Serpentine, state rock, fiber
• Hazardous when inhaled
• Symptoms have chronic effect

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Where is Asbestos Found?

• Sprayed on fire proofing
• Insulation in buildings
• Insulation on pipes boilers
• Wall ceiling insulation
• Ceiling floor tiles

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Where is Asbestos Found?

• Putties, caulks, cements
• Roofing shingles
• Siding shingles on old residential buildings
• Wall ceiling texture in older buildings homes
• Brake linings and clutch pads

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Recognizing Damaged or Deteriorated ACM

• Water damage
• Continual vibration
• Aging
• Physical impact such as drilling, grinding,
  buffing, cutting, sawing, or striking

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Cal-OSHA Limits

• The Permissible Exposure Limit, or
  PEL, is 0.1 fiber/cc based on an eight hour
  time-weighted average.
• You cannot determine the amount of
  asbestos in the air or a material by looking at
  it. Asbestos fibers can only be detected
  by a microscope.

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What does friable mean?

• Friable means that a material
  can be easily reduced to a
  powder by hand pressure.
• sprayed-on insulation is friable
• asbestos floor tiles are not friable
• Friable materials can become airborne if
  damaged and either inhaled or ingested.

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Asbestosis

• Serious, chronic, non-cancerous
• respiratory disease
• Lung tissue scarring
• Symptoms - shortness of breath, dry crackling
  lung sounds
• Can be fatal

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Lung Cancer

• Causes the largest number of deaths related
• to asbestos exposure.
• Symptoms - coughing, change in breathing,
  shortness of breath, persistent chest pains,
  hoarseness, and anemia.
• Risk can be 90 times higher if you smoke and have
  asbestos exposure.

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Mesothelioma

• Rare form of cancer which affects
• the membrane lining of the lungs,
• chest abdomen.
• 200 cases diagnosed/year in the U.S.
• Almost all cases are linked to asbestos.

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Para-occupational Exposure

• People who live
• with asbestos workers
• near asbestos mining areas
• near asbestos product factories, or
• near shipyards
• where large quantities of asbestos fibers
  were released into the air, may be at risk of
  asbestos related diseases.

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Determining Factors

• Amount and duration of exposure may correlate
  directly with asbestos related illnesses.
• Smoking programs/support
• Student Health Center
• National Cancer Institute (1-800-4-CANCER)
• American Heart Association (1-800-242-8721)
• American Lung Association (1-800-586-4872)
• Age
• The younger a person (child) is, the more likely
• he/she may develop mesothelioma.

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How to Avoid Exposure

• Be aware of locations
• Assume positive until verified otherwise
• Never take a sample unless trained
• DO NOT DISTURB IT
• NEVER drill, hammer, cut, saw,
• break, damage, move, dry sweep,
• use compressed air, disturb any
• ACM or suspected materials

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Housekeeping

• Facility Workers
• should never sand or dry buff asbestos
• containing floor tiles, and
• only wet stripping methods may be
• used during stripping operations.
• Low abrasion pads should be used
• at speeds below 300 rpm.
• Leave broken and damaged ceiling/floor tiles
• until positively identified. If they contain
• asbestos, they must be removed by trained
• asbestos abatement workers.

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Spills

• Report any damaged ACM to ____________________
  immediately
• Do not attempt to clean up spills yourself
• Disturb material as little as possible
• Take measures to prevent others from
• disturbing the spill