(4) Minimum training curriculum requirements.
(a) General.
- 1. To obtain and retain accreditation to offer an asbestos course in a specific discipline, a training provider shall ensure that the provider’s course of study includes, at a minimum, the course topics listed under each discipline in subparagraph (b) of this paragraph. Requirements marked with an asterisk (*) indicate areas that require hands-on training activities as an integral component of the initial course. Hands-on training shall include working with asbestos-substitute materials, fitting and using respirators, using glove bags, donning protective clothing, and constructing a decontamination unit, as well as other asbestos work activities.
- 2. A course review of the key aspects for a specific training course shall be conducted at the end of the course. A closed book examination shall be given at the end of each training course. The closed book examination for the asbestos worker and supervisor disciplines may be written or may be administered orally to a student; all other examinations shall be written.
- 3. In-person, classroom-based lectures shall be conducted for all initial training courses.
- 4. Unless demonstrated to the Commissioner as not needed, interactive audiovisual classroom exercises and materials shall be used to complement lectures in training courses, but such interactive exercises and materials shall not entirely substitute for the lectures.
- 5. The training curriculum for each discipline shall be separate and distinct from the others. An individual seeking accreditation in more than one of the six accredited disciplines included in subparagraph (b) of this paragraph shall not attend more than one training course at a time but may attend courses sequentially.
(b) Disciplines.
- 1. Asbestos Inspector. All individuals who inspect for ACBM in schools or public and commercial buildings shall be accredited as an asbestos inspector prior to engaging or offering to engage in such activities. All individuals seeking accreditation as an inspector shall complete a three-day course as outlined in this part. The course shall include lectures, demonstrations, a field trip, four hours of hands-on training, individual respirator fit-testing methods, course review of key aspects, and a written examination. Hands-on training shall include conducting a simulated building walk- through inspection and respirator fit-testing. The asbestos inspector training course shall address the following topics and state-of-the-art work-practice standards:
- (i) Background information on asbestos— Identification of asbestos and examples and discussion of the uses and locations of asbestos in buildings; and physical appearance of asbestos;
- (ii) Potential health effects related to asbestos exposure— The nature of asbestos-related diseases; routes of exposure; dose- response relationships and the lack of a safe exposure level; the synergistic effect between cigarette smoking and asbestos exposure; the latency periods for asbestos-related diseases; and a discussion of the relationship of asbestos exposure to asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and cancers of other organs;
- (iii) Functions/qualifications and role of inspectors— Discussion of prior experience and qualifications for inspectors and management planners; discussion of the functions of an accredited inspector as compared to those of an accredited management planner; and a discussion of the inspection process, including inventory of ACM and physical assessment;
- (iv) Legal liabilities and defenses— Responsibilities of the inspector and management planner; a discussion of comprehensive general liability policies, claims-made, and occurrence policies, environmental and pollution liability policy clauses; state liability insurance requirements; and bonding and the relationship of insurance availability to bond availability;
- (v) Understanding building systems— The interrelationship between building systems, including: an overview of common building physical plan layout; heat, ventilation, and air conditioning (“HVAC”) system types, physical organization, and where asbestos is found on HVAC components; building mechanical systems, their types and organization, and where to look for asbestos on such systems; and inspecting electrical systems, including appropriate safety precautions; and reading blueprints and as-built drawings;
- (vi) Public/employee/building occupant relations— Notifying employee organizations about the inspection; signs to warn building occupants; tact in dealing with occupants and the press; scheduling of inspections to minimize disruptions; and education of the building occupants about actions being taken;
(vii) *Pre-inspection planning and review of previous inspection records— Scheduling the inspection and obtaining access; building record review; identification of probable homogeneous areas from blueprints or as-built drawings; consultation with maintenance or building personnel; review of previous inspection, sampling, abatement records of building; and the role of the inspector in exclusions for previously performed inspections;
- (viii) *Inspecting for friable and non-friable ACM and assessing the condition of friable ACM— Procedures to follow in conducting visual inspections for friable and non- friable ACM; types of building materials that may contain asbestos; touching materials to determine friability; open return air plenums and their importance in HVAC systems; assessing damage, significant damage, potential damage and potential significant damage; amount of suspected ACM, both in total quantity and as a percentage of the total area; type of damage; accessibility; material’s potential for disturbance; known or suspected causes of damage or significant damage; and deterioration as assessment factors;
- (ix) *Bulk sampling/documentation of asbestos— Detailed discussion of the “Simplified Sampling Scheme for Friable Surfacing Materials (EPA 560/5-85-030a October 1985)”; techniques to ensure sampling in a randomly distributed manner for other than friable surfacing materials; sampling of non-friable materials; techniques for bulk sampling; inspector’s sampling and repair equipment; patching or repair of damage from sampling; discussion of polarized light microscopy; choosing an accredited laboratory to analyze bulk samples; and quality control and quality assurance procedures;
- (x) *Inspector respiratory protection and personal protective equipment— Classes and characteristics of respirator types; limitations of respirators; proper selection, inspection; donning, use, maintenance, and storage procedures for respirators; methods for field testing of the face piece-to-face seal (positive and negative-pressure fit checks); qualitative and quantitative fit-testing procedures; variability between field and laboratory protection factors that alter respiratory fit (e.g., facial hair); the components of a proper respiratory protection program; selection and use of personal protective clothing; and use, storage, and handling of non-disposable clothing;
- (xi) *Recordkeeping and writing the inspection report— Labeling of samples and keying sample identification to sampling location; sample labeling; detailing of ACM inventory; photographs of selected sampling areas and examples of ACM condition; and information required for inclusion in the management plan required for school buildings under 40 C.F.R. § 763.93. The asbestos inspectors shall use forms for recording the results of inspections in schools or public or commercial buildings, and the course curriculum shall include examples of these forms;
(xii) Regulatory review— The following topics shall be covered: NESHAP (40 C.F.R. Part 61, Subparts A and M); EPA Worker Protection Rule (40 C.F.R. Part 763, Subpart G); OSHA Asbestos Construction Standard (29 C.F.R. § 1926.1101); OSHA Respiratory Protection (29 C.F.R. § 1910.134); the Asbestos-Containing Materials in School Rule (40 C.F.R. Part 763, Subpart E); applicable state and local regulations, and differences between federal and state requirements where they apply, and the effects, if any, on public and nonpublic schools or commercial or public buildings;
- (xiii) *Field trip— This includes a field exercise, including a walk-through inspection; on-site discussion about information gathering and the determination of sampling locations; on-site practice in physical assessment; and classroom discussion of field exercises;
- (xiv) Course review— A review of key aspects of the training course; and
(xv) Written examination.
- 2. Asbestos Management Planner. All individuals who prepare management plans for schools shall be accredited as asbestos management planners prior to engaging or offering to engage in such activities. An individual performing the management planner role in public and commercial buildings is not required to be accredited under this chapter. All individuals seeking accreditation as management planners shall complete the required three-day inspector training course as outlined in part 1. of this subparagraph and a two-day management planner training course covering the topics contained in this part. Possession of a current accredited initial or refresher inspector training course completion certificate shall be a prerequisite for admission to the management planner training course. The management planner training course shall include lectures, demonstrations, course review, and a written examination. The management planner training course shall address the following topics and state-of- the-art work-practice standards:
- (i) Course overview— The role and responsibilities of the management planner; operations and maintenance programs; setting work priorities; and protection of building occupants;
- (ii) Evaluation/interpretation of survey results— Review of the TSCA Title II requirements for inspection and management plans for school buildings as given in 40 C.F.R. § 763.93; interpretation of field data and laboratory results; and a comparison of field inspector’s data sheet with laboratory results and site survey;
- (iii) Hazard assessment— Amplification of the difference between physical assessment and hazard assessment; the role of the management planner in hazard assessment; explanation of significant damage, damage, potential damage, and potential significant damage; use of a description (or decision tree) code for assessment of ACM; assessment of friable ACM; and relationship of accessibility, vibration sources, use of adjoining space, and air plenums and other factors for hazard assessment;
- (iv) Legal implications— Liability; insurance issues specific to planners; and liabilities associated with interim control measures; in-house maintenance, repair, and removal; and the use of results from previously performed inspections;
- (v) Evaluation and selection of control options— Overview of encapsulation, enclosure, interim operations and maintenance, and removal; advantages and disadvantages of each method; response actions described via a decision tree or other appropriate method; work practices for each response action; staging and prioritizing of work in both vacant and occupied buildings; and the need for containment barriers and decontamination in response actions;
- (vi) Role of other professionals— Use of industrial hygienists, engineers, and architects in developing technical specifications for response actions; any requirements that may exist for architect sign-off of plans; and a team approach to design of high- quality job specifications;
(vii) *Developing an operations and maintenance (O&M) plan— Purpose of the plan; discussion of applicable EPA guidance documents; what actions should be taken by custodial staff; proper cleaning procedures; steam cleaning and HEPA vacuuming; reducing disturbance of ACM; scheduling O&M for off-hours; rescheduling or canceling renovation in areas with ACM; boiler room maintenance; disposal of ACM; in-house procedures for ACM-bridging and penetrating encapsulants; pipe fittings, metal sleeves; polyvinyl chloride, canvas, and wet wraps; muslin with straps, fiber mesh cloth; mineral wool, and insulating cement; discussion of employee protection programs and staff training; and a case study in developing an O&M plan (development, implementation process, and problems that have been experienced);
- (viii) Regulatory review— The following topics shall be covered: NESHAP (40 C.F.R. Part 61, Subparts A and M); OSHA Asbestos Construction Standard (29 C.F.R. § 1926.1101); EPA Worker Protection Rule (40 C.F.R. Part 763, Subpart G); TSCA Title II; and applicable state regulations;
- (ix) Recordkeeping for the management planner— Use of field inspector’s data sheet along with laboratory results; on-going recordkeeping as a means to track asbestos disturbance; and procedures for recordkeeping. The forms that are to be used shall be incorporated into the initial training course for management planners;
- (x) Assembling and submitting the management plan— Plan requirements for schools in accordance with 40 C.F.R. § 763.93; and the management plan as a planning tool;
- (xi) Financing abatement actions— Economic analysis and cost estimates; development of cost estimates; present costs of abatement versus future operation and maintenance costs; and Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Act grants and loans;
(xii) Course review— A review of key aspects of the training course; and
- (xiii) Written examination.
- 3. Asbestos Supervisor. An individual shall be accredited as an asbestos supervisor prior to supervising (directly or indirectly) or offering to supervise any of the following activities with respect to friable ACBM in a school or public and commercial buildings: a response action other than an SSSD activity, a maintenance activity that disturbs friable ACBM other than an SSSD activity, or a response action for a major fiber release episode. All individuals seeking accreditation as an asbestos supervisor shall complete a five-day training course as outlined in this part. The training course shall include lectures, demonstrations, a minimum of 14 hours of hands-on training, individual respirator fit-testing, course review, and a written examination. Hands-on training shall permit asbestos supervisors to have actual experience performing tasks associated with asbestos abatement. Asbestos supervisors include those individuals who provide supervision and direction to asbestos workers performing response actions. Asbestos supervisors may include those individuals with the position title of foreman, working foreman, or lead man pursuant to collective bargaining agreements. At least one supervisor is required to be at the worksite at all times while response actions are being conducted. Asbestos workers shall have access to an asbestos supervisor throughout the duration of the project. The asbestos supervisor training course shall address the following topics and state-of-the-art work-practice standards:
- (i) The physical characteristics of asbestos and asbestos-containing materials— Identification of asbestos; aerodynamic characteristics; typical uses; physical appearance; a review of hazard assessment considerations; and a summary of abatement control options;
- (ii) Potential health effects related to asbestos exposure— The nature of asbestos-related diseases; routes of exposure; dose- response relationships and the lack of a safe exposure level; synergism between cigarette smoking and asbestos exposure; and the latency period for diseases;
- (iii) *Personal protective equipment— Classes and characteristics of respirator types; limitations of respirators; proper selection, inspection, donning, use, maintenance, and storage procedures for respirators; methods for field testing of the face piece-to-face seal (positive and negative-pressure fit checks); qualitative and quantitative fit-testing procedures; variability between field and laboratory protection factors that alter respirator fit (e.g., facial hair); the components of a proper respiratory protection program; selection and use of personal protective clothing; the use, storage, and handling of non-disposable clothing; and regulations covering personal protective equipment;
- (iv) *State-of-the-art work practices— Proper work practices for asbestos abatement activities, including descriptions of proper construction; maintenance of barriers and decontamination enclosure systems; positioning of warning signs; lock-out of electrical and ventilation systems; proper working techniques for minimizing fiber release; use of wet methods; use of negative pressure exhaust ventilation equipment; use of HEPA vacuums; proper clean-up and disposal procedures; work practices for removal, encapsulation, enclosure, and repair of ACM; emergency procedures for unplanned releases; potential exposure situations; transport and disposal procedures; and recommended and prohibited work practices (New abatement-related techniques and methodologies may be discussed.);
- (v) *Personal hygiene— Entry and exit procedures for the work area; use of showers; and the avoidance of eating, drinking, smoking, and chewing (gum or tobacco) in the work area (Potential exposures, such as family exposure, shall be included.);
- (vi) *Additional safety hazards— Hazards encountered during abatement activities and how to deal with them, including electrical hazards, heat stress, air contaminants other than asbestos, fire and explosion hazards, scaffold and ladder hazards, slips, trips, and falls, and confined spaces;
(vii) Medical monitoring— OSHA and EPA Worker Protection Rule requirements for physical examinations, including a pulmonary function test, chest X-rays, and a medical history for each individual;
- (viii) Air monitoring— Procedures to determine airborne concentrations of asbestos fibers, including descriptions of aggressive air sampling, sampling equipment and methods, reasons for air monitoring, types of samples, and interpretation of results;
- (ix) Regulatory review— Relevant federal, state, and local regulatory requirements, procedures, and standards, including requirements of the TSCA Title II; NESHAP (40 C.F.R. Part 61), Subparts A (General Provisions) and M (National Emission Standard for Asbestos); OSHA standards for permissible exposure to airborne concentrations of asbestos fibers and respirator protection (29 C.F.R. § 1910.134); OSHA Asbestos Construction Standard (29 C.F.R. § 1926.1101); EPA Worker Protection Rule (40 C.F.R. Part 763, Subpart G); and applicable state and local asbestos regulatory requirements;
- (x) Respiratory protection programs and medical monitoring programs;
- (xi) Insurance and liability issues— Supervisor or contractor issues; firm issues; worker’s compensation coverage and exclusions; third-party liabilities and defenses; and insurance coverage and exclusions;
(xii) Recordkeeping for asbestos abatement projects— Records required by federal, state, and local regulations; and records recommended for legal and insurance purposes;
- (xiii) Supervisory techniques for asbestos abatement activities— Supervisory practices to enforce and reinforce the required work practices and discourage unsafe work practices;
- (xiv) Contract Specifications— Discussions of key elements that are included in a contract specifications;
- (xv) Course review— A review of key aspects of the training course; and
(xvi) Written or individual oral examination.
- 4. Asbestos Project Designer. An individual shall be accredited as an asbestos project designer prior to designing or offering to design any of the following with respect to friable ACBM in a school or public and commercial building: (i) a response action other than a SSSD maintenance activity, (ii) a maintenance activity that disturbs friable ACBM other than a SSSD maintenance activity, (iii) or a response action for a major fiber release episode. All individuals seeking accreditation as an asbestos project designer shall complete a three-day training course as outlined in this part. The project designer course shall include lectures, demonstrations, a field trip, course review, and a written examination. The abatement project designer training course shall address the following topics and state-of-the-art work-practice standards:
- (i) Background information on asbestos— Identification of asbestos; examples and discussion of the uses and locations of asbestos in buildings; and the physical appearance of asbestos;
- (ii) Potential health effects related to asbestos exposure— The nature of asbestos-related diseases; routes of exposure; dose- response relationships and the lack of a safe exposure level; the synergistic effect between cigarette smoking and asbestos exposure; the latency periods for asbestos-related diseases; and a discussion of the relationship between asbestos exposure and asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and cancers of other organs;
- (iii) Overview of abatement construction projects— Abatement as a portion of renovation projects and OSHA requirements for notification of other contractors on a multi-employer site (29 C.F.R. § 1926.1101);
- (iv) *Safety system design specifications— Design, construction, and maintenance of containment barriers and decontamination enclosure systems; positioning of warning signs; electrical and ventilation system lock-out; proper working techniques for minimizing fiber release; entry and exit procedures for the work area; use of wet methods; proper techniques for initial cleaning; use of negative-pressure exhaust ventilation equipment; use of HEPA vacuums; proper clean-up and disposal of asbestos; work practices as they apply to encapsulation, enclosure, and repair; and the use of glove bags and a demonstration of glove bag use;
- (v) *Field trip— A visit to an abatement site or other suitable building site, including on-site discussions of abatement design and building walk-through inspection. The field trip shall include a discussion of the rationale for the concept of functional spaces during the walk-through;
- (vi) *Personal protective equipment— Classes and characteristics of respirator types; limitations of respirators; proper selection, inspection, donning, use, maintenance, and storage procedures for respirators; methods for field testing of the facepiece-to-face seal (positive and negative-pressure fit checks); qualitative and quantitative fit-testing procedures; variability between field and laboratory protection factors that alter respirator fit (e.g., facial hair); the components of a proper respiratory protection program; selection and use of personal protective clothing; and the use, storage, and handling of non-disposable clothing;
(vii) Additional safety hazards— Hazards encountered during abatement activities and how to deal with them, including electrical hazards, heat stress, air contaminants other than asbestos, and fire and explosion hazards;
- (viii) Fiber aerodynamics and control— Aerodynamic characteristics of asbestos fibers; importance of proper containment barriers; settling time for asbestos fibers; wet methods in abatement; aggressive air monitoring following abatement; and aggressive air movement and negative-pressure exhaust ventilation as a clean-up method;
- (ix) Designing abatement solutions— Discussion of removal; enclosure; encapsulation methods; and asbestos waste disposal;
- (x) Final clearance process— Discussion of the need for a written sampling rationale for aggressive final air clearance; requirements of a complete visual inspection; and the relationship of the visual inspection to final air clearance;
- (xi) Budgeting/cost estimating— Development of cost estimates; present costs of abatement versus future operation and maintenance costs; and setting priorities for abatement jobs to reduce costs;
(xii) Writing abatement specifications— Preparation of and need for a written project design; means and methods specifications versus performance specifications; design of abatement in occupied buildings; modification of guide specifications for a particular building; worker and building occupant health and medical considerations; and replacement of ACM with non-asbestos substitutes;
- (xiii) Preparing abatement drawings— Significance and need for drawings; use of as-built drawings as base drawings; use of inspection photographs and on-site reports; methods of preparing abatement drawings; diagramming containment barriers; the relationship of drawings to design specifications; and particular problems related to abatement drawings;
- (xiv) Contract preparation and administration;
- (xv) Legal/liabilities/defenses— Insurance considerations; bonding; hold-harmless clauses; use of abatement contractor’s liability insurance; and claims made versus occurrence policies;
(xvi) Replacement— Replacement of asbestos with asbestos-free substitutes;
- (xvii) Role of other consultants— Development of technical specification sections by industrial hygienists or engineers and the multi-disciplinary team approach to abatement design; (xviii) Occupied buildings— Special design procedures required in occupied buildings; education of occupants; extra monitoring recommendations; staging of work to minimize occupant exposure; and scheduling of renovation to minimize exposure;
- (xix) Regulatory review— Relevant federal, state, and local regulatory requirements, procedures, and standards, including but not limited to requirements of TSCA Title II; NESHAP (40 C.F.R. Part 61), Subparts A (General Provisions) and M (National Emission Standard for Asbestos); OSHA Respiratory Protection (29 C.F.R. § 1910.134); OSHA Asbestos Construction Standard (29 C.F.R. § 1926.1101); EPA Worker Protection Rule (40 C.F.R. Part 763, Subpart G); and OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 C.F.R. § 1926.59).
- (xx) Course review— A review of key aspects of the training course; and
(xxi) Written examination.
- 5. Asbestos Worker. An individual shall be accredited as an asbestos worker prior to carrying out or offering to carry out any of the following activities with respect to friable ACBM in a school or public and commercial building: a response action other than a SSSD activity, a maintenance activity that disturbs friable ACBM other than a SSSD maintenance activity, or a response action for a major fiber release episode. All individuals seeking accreditation as an asbestos worker shall complete at least a four-day course as outlined in this part. The asbestos worker training course shall include lectures, demonstrations, at least 14 hours of hands-on training, individual respirator fit-testing, course review, and an examination. Hands-on training shall permit workers to have actual experience performing tasks associated with asbestos abatement. An individual who is otherwise accredited as an asbestos supervisor may perform in the role of an asbestos worker without possessing a separate state accreditation as an asbestos worker. The asbestos worker training course shall address the following topics and state- of-the-art work-practice standards:
- (i) The physical characteristics of asbestos— Identification of asbestos, aerodynamic characteristics, typical uses, physical appearance, and a summary of abatement control options;
- (ii) Potential health effects related to asbestos exposure— The nature of asbestos-related diseases; routes of exposure; dose- response relationships and the lack of a safe exposure level; synergistic effect between cigarette smoking and asbestos exposure; latency period for asbestos-related diseases; and a discussion of the relationship of asbestos exposure to asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and cancers of other organs;
- (iii) *Personal protective equipment— Classes and characteristics of respirator types; limitations of respirators; proper selection; inspection; donning, use, maintenance, and storage procedures for respirators; methods for field testing of the face piece-to-face seal (positive and negative-pressure fit checks); qualitative and quantitative fit-testing procedures; variability between field and laboratory protection factors that alter respirator fit (e.g., facial hair); the components of a proper respiratory protection program; selection and use of personal protective clothing; use, storage, and handling of non-disposable clothing; and regulations covering personal protective equipment;
- (iv) *State-of-the-art work practices— Proper work practices for asbestos abatement activities, including descriptions of proper construction; maintenance of barriers and decontamination enclosure systems; positioning of warning signs; lock-out of electrical and ventilation systems; proper working techniques for minimizing fiber release; use of wet methods; use of negative pressure exhaust ventilation equipment; use of HEPA vacuums; proper clean-up and disposal procedures; work practices for removal, encapsulation, enclosure, and repair of ACM; emergency procedures for sudden releases; potential exposure situations; transport and disposal procedures; and recommended and prohibited work practices (new abatement techniques and methodologies may be discussed);
- (v) *Personal hygiene— Entry and exit procedures for the work area; use of showers; avoidance of eating, drinking, smoking, and chewing (gum or tobacco) in the work area; and potential exposures, such as family exposure;
- (vi) *Additional safety hazards— Hazards encountered during abatement activities and how to deal with them, including electrical hazards; heat stress; air contaminants other than asbestos; fire and explosion hazards; scaffold and ladder hazards; slips; trips and falls; and confined spaces;
(vii) Medical monitoring— OSHA and EPA Worker Protection Rule requirements for physical examinations, including a pulmonary function test, chest x-rays, and a medical history for each individual;
- (viii) Air monitoring— Procedures to determine airborne concentrations of asbestos fibers, focusing on how personal air sampling is performed and the reasons for it;
- (ix) Relevant federal, state, and local regulatory requirements, procedures, and standards— With particular attention directed at relevant EPA, OSHA, and state regulations concerning asbestos abatement workers;
- (x) Establishment of respiratory protection programs;
- (xi) Course review— A review of key aspects of the training course; and
(xii) A written or individual oral examination.
- 6. Asbestos Project Monitor. An individual shall be accredited as an asbestos project monitor prior to engaging in or offering to perform work as a project monitor. Project monitors are responsible for observing abatement activities and generally serving as a building owner’s representative to ensure that abatement work is completed according to specification and in compliance with all relevant statutes and regulations. The project monitor may also perform the vital role of air monitoring for purposes of determining final clearance. All individuals seeking accreditation as an asbestos project monitor shall complete a five-day training course, which consists of lectures and demonstrations, at least six hours of hands-on training, course review of key aspects, and a written examination. The hands-on training component shall be satisfied by having the student simulate participation in or performance of any of the relevant job functions or activities or by incorporation of the workshop component described in subpart
- (xiv) of this part. The project monitor training course shall address the following topics and state-of- the-art work-practice standards:
- (i) Roles and responsibilities of the project monitor— Definition and responsibilities of the project monitor, including regulatory and specification compliance monitoring; air monitoring; conducting visual inspections; and final clearance monitoring;
- (ii) Characteristics of asbestos and asbestos-containing materials— Typical uses of asbestos; physical appearance of asbestos; review of asbestos abatement and control techniques; and presentation of the health effects of asbestos exposure, including routes of exposure, dose-response relationships, and latency periods for asbestos-related diseases;
- (iii) Regulatory review— Overview of pertinent EPA regulations including: NESHAP (40 C.F.R. Part 61, subparts A and M); AHERA, 40 C.F.R. Part 763, (Subpart E – Asbestos- Containing Materials in Schools); and the EPA Worker Protection Rule (40 C.F.R. Part 763, Subpart G). Overview of pertinent OSHA regulations, including: Construction Industrial Standard for Asbestos (29 C.F.R. § 1926.1101); Respirator Protection Standard (29 C.F.R. § 1910.134); and the Hazard Communication Standard (29 C.F.R. § 1926.59). Overview of applicable state and local asbestos regulatory requirements; and regulatory interrelationships;
- (iv) Understanding building construction and building systems— Building construction basics, building physical plan layout; understanding building systems (HVAC, electrical, etc.); layout and organization, where asbestos is likely to be found on building systems; renovations; and the effect of asbestos abatement on building systems;
- (v) Asbestos abatement contracts, specifications, and drawing— Basic provisions of the contract; relationships between principal parties; establishing chain of command; types of specifications, including means and methods, performance, and proprietary and nonproprietary; reading and interpreting records and abatement drawings; discussion of change orders; and common enforcement responsibilities and authority of project monitors;
- (vi) Response actions and abatement practices— Pre-work inspections; pre-work considerations; pre-cleaning of the work area; removal of furniture, fixtures, and equipment; shutdown or modification of building systems; construction and maintenance of containment barriers; proper demarcation of work areas; work area entry and exit; hygiene practices; determining the effectiveness of air filtration equipment; techniques for minimizing fiber release; wet methods; continuous cleaning; abatement methods other than removal; abatement area clean-up procedures; waste transport and disposal procedures; and contingency planning for emergency response;
(vii) Asbestos abatement equipment— Typical equipment found on an abatement project; air filtration devices; vacuum systems; negative pressure differential monitoring; HEPA filtration units, theory of filtration, design and construction of HEPA filtration units, qualitative and quantitative performance of HEPA filtration units, sizing the ventilation requirements, and location of HEPA filtration units; qualitative and quantitative tests of containment barrier integrity; and best available technology;
- (viii) Personal protective equipment— Proper selection of respiratory protection; classes and characteristics of respirator types; limitations of respirators; proper use of other safety equipment; protective clothing selection; the use and proper handling of hard/bump hats and safety shoes; breathing air systems; high pressure vs. low pressure; testing for Grade D air; and determining proper backup air volumes;
- (ix) Air monitoring strategies— Sampling equipment; sampling pumps (low vs. high volume); flow regulating devices (critical and limiting orifices); the use of fibrous aerosol monitors on abatement projects; sampling media; types of filters; types of cassettes; filter orientation; storage and shipment of filters; calibration techniques; primary calibration standards; secondary calibration standards; temperature and pressure effects; frequency of calibration; recordkeeping and field work documentation; calculations; air sample analysis; techniques available and limitations of AHERA on their use; transmission electron microscopy (background to sample preparation and analysis, air sample conditions which prohibit analysis; phase contrast microscopy (background to sample preparation, and AHERA’s limits on the use of phase contrast microscopy) and what each technique measures; analytical methodologies, AHERA Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) protocol, NIOSH 7400, OSHA reference method (non-clearance); sampling strategies for clearance monitoring; types of air samples (personal breathing zone vs. fixed station area) sampling location and objectives (pre-abatement, during abatement, and clearance monitoring); number of samples to be collected; minimum and maximum air volumes; clearance monitoring (post-visual-inspection) (number of samples required, selection of sampling locations, period of sampling, aggressive sampling, interpretations of sampling results, and calculations); quality assurance; special sampling problems such as crawl spaces, acceptable samples for laboratory analysis, and sampling in occupied buildings (barrier monitoring);
- (x) Safety and health issues other than asbestos— Confined-space entry; electrical hazards; fire and explosion concerns; ladders and scaffolding; heat stress; air contaminants other than asbestos; fall hazards; and hazardous materials on abatement projects;
- (xi) Conducting visual inspections— Inspections during abatement, visual inspections using the ASTM E1368 document; conducting inspections for completeness of removal; and discussion of “How clean is clean?”;
(xii) Legal responsibilities and liabilities of project monitors— Specification enforcement capabilities; regulatory enforcement; licensing; and powers delegated to project monitors through contract documents;
- (xiii) Recordkeeping and report writing— Developing standardized project logs and daily logs (what should be included, who sees them, etc.); final report preparation; and recordkeeping in accordance with 40 C.F.R. § 763.94;
(xiv) *Workshops (six hours spread over three days)—
- (I) Contracts, specifications, and drawings: This workshop shall consist of each participant being issued a set of contracts, specifications, and drawings and then being asked to answer questions and make recommendations to a project architect, engineer, or the building owner based on given conditions and these documents.
- (II) Air monitoring strategies and asbestos abatement equipment: This workshop shall consist of simulated abatement sites for which sampling strategies would have to be developed (i.e., occupied buildings, industrial situations). Through demonstrations and exhibition, the project monitor may also be able to gain a better understanding of the function of various pieces of equipment used on abatement projects (air filtration units, water filtration units, negative pressure monitoring devices, sampling pump calibration devices, etc.).
- (III) Conducting visual inspections: This workshop shall consist of an interactive video in which a participant is “taken through” a work area and asked to make notes of what is seen. A series of questions will be asked which are designed to stimulate an individual’s recall of the area. This workshop could consist of a series of two or three videos with different site conditions and different degrees of cleanliness;
- (xv) Course review— A review of key aspects of the training course; and
- (xvi) Written examination.