OSHA Requirements for Work with Asbestos; General Provisions

Requirements included in this appendix, cover general provisions to be followed in all asbestos jobs, provisions which must be followed for all Class I asbestos jobs, and provisions governing the construction and testing of negative pressure enclosures. The first category includes the requirement for use of wet methods, HEPA vacuums, and immediate bagging of waste; Class I work must conform to the following provisions:

Oversight by competent person

Use of critical barriers over all openings to work area

Isolation of HVAC systems

Use of impermeable drop cloths and coverage of all objects within regulated areas

In addition, more specific requirements for NPEs include:

Maintenance of -0.02 inches water gauge within enclosure

Manometric measurements

Air movement away from employees performing removal work

Smoke testing or equivalent for detection of leaks and air direction

Deactivation of electrical circuits, if not provided with ground-fault circuit interrupters.