Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos is a silicate mineral, a fibrous, naturally occurring material of varying chemical compositions. Asbestos is used in well over 3,000 products including building materials and goods.

Severe lung disease can be caused by asbestos, such as asbestosis and/or cancer, through the inhalation of excess quantities of the fiber. It usually takes several years for symptoms of asbestos diseases to become apparent. (NOTE: It is the Company's policy to avoid working in areas where employees may be exposed to asbestos at levels above the OSHA established PEL. When that is not possible, this section and Safety Procedure SP-007 should be followed.)

The current allowable level of asbestos (PEL) in the air established by the Occupational Safety and Health Standards is .2 fibers per cubic centimeter greater than 5 microns in length in an 8 hour tirne-weighted average. A short term (excursion) limit of 1.0 fiber per cubic centimeter of air (I f/cc) as averaged over thirty (30) minutes has also been established.

Control of the exposure to asbestos can take several routes. Substitute another product that will do the same job; use personal protective equipment such as NIOSH-MESA approved respirators; use adequate ventilation equipment before the fibers reach the breathing zone of the workers; practice good housekeeping by removing accumulated and settled dust by HEPA vacuum cleaning; and wet the product to prevent expulsion of the dust into the air that the workers breathe.

To prevent contamination away from the work place, clothes the workers wear should not be laundered at home. The clothing should be handled at the work place where workers are required to change to street clothing and shower facilities are available.

Any employee that is exposed to asbestos fibers in excess of the above specified limits will be notified in writing of the exposure as soon as practical but not later than five (5) days of the findings.

Each employee exposed to airborne concentrations of asbestos fiber in excess of the limits specified above will be provided with medical examination relative to this exposure. The initial medical examination will be given within 30 days of the initial exposure that will include as a minimum a chest roentgenogram, a history to list symptomatology of respiratory disease, and the pulmonary function test to include forced vital capacity (FVC) forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV Sub. 1.0). These employees will also be given annual medical evaluations thereafter.

Records shall be maintained of all medical examinations administered to employees. These records will be maintained for at least 30 years.

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