852 Asbestos Safety

Sections

Asbestos Exposure Control Plan

A very important major component of the Asbestos Safety Program is the written Asbestos Exposure Control Plan. This module will discuss some of the strategies in controlling exposure to airborne asbestos.

The Hierarchy of Controls

Traditionally, a prioritized "Hierarchy of Controls" (HOC) has been used to implement feasible and effective exposure controls to protect workers. We encourage the use of the HOC as described within the ANSI/ASSP Z10, Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems, to control hazards, including exposure to asbestos. If employees are exposed to asbestos above the PEL or EL, employers should protect those employees by using one or more of the hierarchy of controls:

Elimination: Completely eliminate the hazard so that it cannot cause an accident. This is your first priority, if feasible.
Substitution: Replace materials, equipment, etc., with something that reduces the hazard to acceptable limits.
Engineering Controls: Design the environment, materials, tools, equipment and machines so that they do not present hazards.
Warnings: Place OSHA signs (Danger, warning, caution, or safety instruction), audible alarms (klaxon, whistles, buzzers), or tactile warnings (vibration or fans) that alert employees about the presence of hazards.
Work Practice Controls: Develop mandatory procedures and rules that reduce the possibility of exposure to hazards.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): PPE helps to prevent contact with hazards and is used in conjunction with other controls.

Interim Measures

Using a lower priority hazard control method over another higher priority control strategy may be appropriate for providing interim (temporary) protection until the hazard is abated permanently. If you can't eliminate the hazard entirely, the interim control measures will likely be a combination of control methods used together. OSHA believes that feasible interim measures are always available if higher-level control methods are not possible.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

3-1. What does the term "Hierarchy of Controls" refer to in the context of the Asbestos Exposure Control Plan?

It is a method to track the amount of asbestos in the environment.

It is a prioritized strategy to effectively manage and control exposure to asbestos in the workplace.

It is a system to alert the management when asbestos levels cross a certain threshold.

It is a process to maintain the count of asbestos-related incidents in the organization.

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