Asbestos Brake Washer Study

Air sample results further confirmed the real-time data indicating that the brake washer assembly effectively reduced the worker's potential exposure to asbestos during brake servicing.

Nineteen of twenty personal samples were below the detectable limits of 0.004 fibers/cc and well below both the current OSHA PEL of 0.2 fibers/cc and the NIOSH REL of 0.1 fibers/cc. Source and area samples were less than 0.002 fibers/cc (source and area sample limit of detection was 0.002 fibers/cc).

The axle source sample data showed that fibers were not being propelled by the brake washer assembly toward the other side of the vehicle.

Background and ambient asbestos levels (0.002 fibers/cc) were also low, indicating that the asbestos in the personal and source samples were from brake servicing activities and not from outdoor sources or from resuspended dust in the garage.