OSHA Standards For Workers Exposed To Asbestos

Are there any OSHA standards that cover workers exposed to asbestos?

Yes. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has the following three standards to protect workers from exposure to asbestos in the workplace:

• 29 CFR 1926.1101 covers construction work, including alteration, repair, renovation, and demolition of structures containing asbestos.
• 29 CFR 1915.1001 covers asbestos exposure during work in shipyards.
• 29 CFR 1910.1001 applies to asbestos exposure in general industry, such as exposure during brake and clutch repair, custodial work, and manufacture of asbestos-containing products.

The standards for the construction and shipyard industries classify the hazards of asbestos work activities and prescribe particular requirements for each classification:

• Class I is the most potentially hazardous class of asbestos jobs and involves the removal of thermal system insulation and sprayed-on or troweled-on surfacing asbestos-containing materials or presumed asbestos-containing materials.
• Class II includes the removal of other types of asbestos-containing materials that are not thermal system insulation, such as resilient flooring and roofing materials containing asbestos.
• Class III focuses on repair and maintenance operations where asbestos-containing or presumed asbestos-containing materials are disturbed.
• Class IV pertains to custodial activities where employees clean up asbestos-containing waste and debris.

There are equivalent regulations in states with OSHA-approved state plans.