part 1915—occupational safe- ty and health...

27

Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor Pt. 1915

for an inter-agency transfer of person-ally identifiable employee medical in-formation, which has not been con-sented to by the affected employees,unless the request is by a public healthagency which:

(i) Needs the requested informationin a personally identifiable form for asubstantial public health purpose,

(ii) Will not use the requested infor-mation to make individual determina-tions concerning affected employeeswhich could be to their detriment,

(iii) Has regulations or establishedwritten procedures providing protec-tion for personally identifiable medicalinformation substantially equivalentto that of this section, and

(iv) Satisfies an exemption to thePrivacy Act to the extent that the Pri-vacy Act applies to the requested infor-mation (See, 5 U.S.C. 552a(b); 29 CFR70a.3).

(3) Upon the approval of the Assist-ant Secretary, personally identifiableemployee medical information may betransferred to:

(i) The National Institute for Occupa-tional Safety and Health (NIOSH) and

(ii) The Department of Justice whennecessary with respect to a specific ac-tion under the Occupational Safety andHealth Act.

(4) The Assistant Secretary shall notapprove a request for public disclosureof employee medical information con-taining direct personal identifiers un-less there are compelling cir-cumstances affecting the health orsafety of an individual.

(5) The Assistant Secretary shall notapprove a request for public disclosureof employee medical information whichcontains information which could rea-sonably be used indirectly to identifyspecific employees when the disclosurewould constitute a clearly unwarrantedinvasion of personal privacy (See, 5U.S.C. 552(b)(6); 29 CFR 70.26).

(6) Except as to inter-agency trans-fers to NIOSH or the Department ofJustice, the OSHA Medical Records Of-ficer shall assure that advance noticeis provided to any collective bargain-ing agent representing affected em-ployees and to the employer on eachoccasion that OSHA intends to eithertransfer personally identifiable em-ployee medical information to another

agency or disclose it to a member ofthe public other than to an affectedemployee. When feasible, the OSHAMedical Records Officer shall take rea-sonable steps to assure that advancenotice is provided to affected employ-ees when the employee medical infor-mation to be transferred or disclosedcontains direct personal identifiers.

(n) Effective date. This section shallbecome effective on August 21, 1980.

[45 FR 35294, May 23, 1980; 45 FR 54334, Aug.15, 1980]

PART 1915—OCCUPATIONAL SAFE-TY AND HEALTH STANDARDS FORSHIPYARD EMPLOYMENT

Subpart A—General Provisions

Sec.1915.1 Purpose and authority.1915.2 Scope and application.1915.3 Responsibility.1915.4 Definitions.1915.5 Incorporation by reference.1915.6 Commercial diving operations.1915.7 Competent person.1915.8 OMB control numbers under the Pa-

perwork Reduction Act.

Subpart B—Confined and Enclosed Spacesand Other Dangerous Atmospheres inShipyard Employment

1915.11 Scope, application, and definitionsapplicable to this subpart.

1915.12 Precautions and the order of testingbefore entering confined and enclosedspaces and other dangerous atmospheres.

1915.13 Cleaning and other cold work.1915.14 Hot work.1915.15 Maintenance of safe conditions.1915.16 Warning signs and labels.

APPENDIX A TO SUBPART B—COMPLIANCE AS-SISTANCE GUIDELINES FOR CONFINED ANDENCLOSED SPACES AND OTHER DANGEROUSATMOSPHERES

APPENDIX B TO SUBPART B—REPRINT OF U.S.COAST GUARD REGULATIONS REFERENCEDIN SUBPART B, FOR DETERMINATION OFCOAST GUARD AUTHORIZED PERSONS

Subpart C—Surface Preparation andPreservation

1915.31 Scope and application of subpart.1915.32 Toxic cleaning solvents.1915.33 Chemical paint and preservative re-

movers.1915.34 Mechanical paint removers.1915.35 Painting.1915.36 Flammable liquids.

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29 CFR Ch. XVII (7–1–98 Edition) Pt. 1915

Subpart D—Welding, Cutting and Heating

1915.51 Ventilation and protection in weld-ing, cutting and heating.

1915.52 Fire prevention.1915.53 Welding, cutting and heating in way

of preservative coatings.1915.54 Welding, cutting and heating of hol-

low metal containers and structures notcovered by § 1915.12.

1915.55 Gas welding and cutting.1915.56 Arc welding and cutting.1915.57 Uses of fissionable material in ship

repairing and shipbuilding.

Subpart E—Scaffolds, Ladders and OtherWorking Surfaces

1915.71 Scaffolds or staging.1915.72 Ladders.1915.73 Guarding of deck openings and

edges.1915.74 Access to vessels.1915.75 Access to and guarding of dry docks

and marine railways.1915.76 Access to cargo spaces and confined

spaces.1915.77 Working surfaces.

Subpart F—General Working Conditions

1915.91 Housekeeping.1915.92 Illumination.1915.93 Utilities.1915.94 Work in confined or isolated spaces.1915.95 Ship repairing and shipbuilding

work on or in the vicinity of radar andradio.

1915.96 Work in or on lifeboats.1915.97 Health and sanitation.1915.98 First aid.1915.100 Retention of DOT markings, plac-

ards and labels.

Subpart G—Gear and Equipment forRigging and Materials Handling

1915.111 Inspection.1915.112 Ropes, chains and slings.1915.113 Shackles and hooks.1915.114 Chain falls and pull-lifts.1915.115 Hoisting and hauling equipment.1915.116 Use of gear.1915.117 Qualifications of operators.1915.118 Tables.

Subpart H—Tools and Related Equipment

1915.131 General precautions.1915.132 Portable electric tools.1915.133 Hand tools.1915.134 Abrasive wheels.1915.135 Powder actuated fastening tools.1915.136 Internal combustion engines other

than ship’s equipment.

Subpart I—Personal Protective Equipment(PPE)

1915.151 Scope, application and definitions.1915.152 General requirements.1915.153 Eye and face protection.1915.154 Respiratory protection.1915.155 Head protection.1915.156 Foot protection.1915.157 Hand and body protection.1915.158 Lifesaving equipment.1915.159 Personal fall arrest systems

(PFAS).1915.160 Positioning device systems.

APPENDIX A TO SUBPART I—NON-MANDATORYGUIDELINES FOR HAZARD ASSESSMENT,PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)SELECTION, AND PPE TRAINING PROGRAM

APPENDIX B TO SUBPART I—GENERAL TESTINGCONDITIONS AND ADDITIONAL GUIDELINESFOR PERSONAL FALL PROTECTION SYSTEMS(NON-MANDATORY)

Subpart J—Ship’s Machinery and PipingSystems

1915.161 Scope and application of subpart.1915.162 Ship’s boilers.1915.163 Ship’s piping systems.1915.164 Ship’s propulsion machinery.1915.165 Ship’s deck machinery.

Subpart K—Portable, Unfired Pressure Ves-sels, Drums and Containers, OtherThan Ship’s Equipment

1915.171 Scope and application of subpart.1915.172 Portable air receivers and other

unfired pressure vessels.1915.173 Drums and containers.

Subpart L—Electrical Machinery

1915.181 Electrical circuits and distributionboards.

Subparts M–Y [Reserved]

Subpart Z—Toxic and HazardousSubstances

1915.1000 Air contaminants.1915.1001 Asbestos.1915.1002 Coal tar pitch volatiles; interpre-

tation of term.1915.1003 13 carcinogens (4–Nitrobiphenyl,

etc.).1915.1004 alpha-Naphthylamine.1915.1005 [Reserved]1915.1006 Methyl chloromethyl ether.1915.1007 3,3′-Dichlorobenzidiene (and its

salts).1915.1008 bis-Chloromethyl ether.1915.1009 beta-Naphthylamine.1915.1010 Benzidine.1915.1011 4-Aminodiphenyl.1915.1012 Ethyleneimine.


29

Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor § 1915.4

1915.1013 beta-Propiolactone.1915.1014 2-Acetylaminofluorene.1915.1015 4-Dimethylaminoazobenzene.1915.1016 N-Nitrosodimethylamine.1915.1017 Vinyl chloride.1915.1018 Inorganic arsenic.1915.1020 Access to employee exposure and

medical records.1915.1025 Lead.1915.1027 Cadmium.1915.1028 Benzene.1915.1030 Bloodborne pathogens.1915.1044 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane.1915.1045 Acrylonitrile.1915.1047 Ethylene oxide.1915.1048 Formaldehyde.1915.1050 Methylenedianiline.1915.1052 Methylene chloride.1915.1200 Hazard communication.1915.1450 Occupational exposure to hazard-

ous chemicals in laboratories.

AUTHORITY: Sec. 41, Longshore and HarborWorkers’ Compensation Act (33 U.S.C. 941);secs. 4, 6, 8, Occupational Safety and HealthAct of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 653, 655, 657); Secretaryof Labor’s Order No. 12–71 (36 FR 8754), 8–76(41 FR 25059), 9–83 (48 FR 35736), 1–90 (55 FR9033), or 6–96 (62 FR 111), as applicable; 29CFR part 1911.

Section 1915.100 also issued under Section29, Hazardous Materials Transportation Uni-form Safety Act of 1990 (49 U.S.C. 1801–1819)and 5 U.S.C. 553.

SOURCE: 47 FR 16986, Apr. 20, 1982, unlessotherwise noted.

Subpart A—General Provisions

§ 1915.1 Purpose and authority.The provisions in this part constitute

safety and health regulations issued bythe Secretary pursuant to section 41 ofthe Longshoremen’s and Harbor Work-ers’ Compensation Act, as amended (33U.S.C. 941) and occupational safety andhealth standards issued by the Sec-retary pursuant to section 6 of the Oc-cupational Safety and Health Act of1970 (29 U.S.C. 655).

§ 1915.2 Scope and application.(a) Except where otherwise provided,

the provisions of this part shall applyto all ship repairing, shipbuilding andshipbreaking employments and relatedemployments.

(b) This part does not apply to mat-ters under the control of the UnitedStates Coast Guard within the scope ofTitle 52 of the Revised Statutes andacts supplementary or amendatory

thereto (46 U.S.C. secs. 1–1388 passim)including, but not restricted to, themaster, ship’s officer, crew members,design, construction and maintenanceof the vessel, its gear and equipment;to matters within the regulatory au-thority of the United States CoastGuard to safeguard vessels, harbors,ports and waterfront facilities underthe provisions of the Espionage Act ofJune 17, 1917, as amended (50 U.S.C. 191et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 401 et seq.); includingthe provisions of Executive Order 10173,as amended by Executive Orders 10277and 10352 (3 CFR, 1949–1953 Comp., pp.356, 778 and 873); or to matters withinthe regulatory authority of the UnitedStates Coast Guard with respect tolights, warning devices, safety equip-ment and other matters relating to thepromotion of safety of lives and prop-erty under section 4(e) of the OuterContinental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C.1333).

§ 1915.3 Responsibility.

(a) The responsibility for compliancewith the regulations of this part isplaced upon ‘‘employers’’ as defined in§ 1915.4.

(b) This part does not apply to own-ers, operators, agents or masters ofvessels unless such persons are actingas ‘‘employers.’’ However, this part isnot intended to relieve owners, opera-tors, agents or masters of vessels whoare not ‘‘employers’’ from responsibil-ities or duties now placed upon themby law, regulation or custom.

(c) The responsibilities placed uponthe competent person herein shall bedeemed to be the responsibilities of theemployer.

§ 1915.4 Definitions.

(a) The term SHALL indicates provi-sions which are mandatory.

(b) The term Secretary means the Sec-retary of Labor.

(c) The term employer means an em-ployer, any of whose employees are em-ployed, in whole or in part, in ship re-pairing, shipbuilding, shipbreaking orrelated employments as defined in thissection on the navigable waters of theUnited States, including dry docks,graving docks and marine railways.

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29 CFR Ch. XVII (7–1–98 Edition) § 1915.4

(d) The term employee means any per-son engaged in ship repairing, ship-building, shipbreaking or related em-ployments on the navigable waters ofthe United States, including dry docks,graving docks and marine railways,other than the master, ship’s officers,crew of the vessel, or any person en-gaged by the master to repair any ves-sel under 18 net tons.

(e) The term gangway means anyramp-like or stair-like means of accessprovided to enable personnel to boardor leave a vessel including accommoda-tion ladders, gangplanks and brows.

(f) The term vessel includes every de-scription of watercraft or other artifi-cial contrivance used, or capable ofbeing used, as a means of transpor-tation on water, including special pur-pose floating structures not primarilydesigned for or used as a means oftransportation on water.

(g) For purposes of § 1915.74, the termbarge means an unpowered, flat bot-tom, shallow draft vessel includingscows, carfloats and lighters. For pur-poses of this section, the term does notinclude ship shaped or deep draftbarges.

(h) For purposes of § 1915.74, the termriver tow boat means a shallow draft,low free board, self-propelled vessel de-signed to tow river barges by pushingahead. For purposes of this section, theterm does not include other towingvessels.

(i) The term shipyard employmentmeans ship repairing, shipbuilding,shipbreaking and related employments.

(j) The terms ship repair and ship re-pairing mean any repair of a vessel in-cluding, but not restricted to, alter-ations, conversions, installations,cleaning, painting, and maintenancework.

(k) The term shipbuilding ns the con-struction of a vessel including the in-stallation of machinery and equipment.

(l) The term shipbreaking means anybreaking down of a vessel’s structurefor the purpose of scrapping the vessel,including the removal of gear, equip-ment or any component part of a ves-sel.

(m) The term related employmentmeans any employment performed asan incident to or in conjunction withship repairing, shipbuilding or

shipbreaking work, including, but notrestricted to, inspection, testing, andemployment as a watchman.

(n) The term hazardous substancemeans a substance which by reason ofbeing explosive, flammable, poisonous,corrosive, oxidizing, irritant, or other-wise harmful is likely to cause injury.

(o) The term competent person for pur-poses of this part means a person whois capable of recognizing and evaluat-ing employee exposure to hazardoussubstances or to other unsafe condi-tions and is capable of specifying thenecessary protection and precautionsto be taken to ensure the safety of em-ployees as required by the particularregulation under the condition towhich it applies. For the purposes ofsubparts B, C, and D of this part, ex-cept for § 1915.35(b)(8) and § 1915.36(a)(5),to which the above definition applies,the competent person must also meetthe additional requirements of § 1915.7.

(p) The term confined space means acompartment of small size and limitedaccess such as a double bottom tank,cofferdam, or other space which by itssmall size and confined nature canreadily create or aggravate a hazardousexposure.

(q) The term enclosed space meansany space, other than a confined space,which is enclosed by bulkheads andoverhead. It includes cargo holds,tanks, quarters, and machinery andboiler spaces.

(r) The term hot work means riveting,welding, burning or other fire or sparkproducing operations.

(s) The term cold work means anywork which does not involve riveting,welding, burning or other fire or sparkproducing operations.

(t) The term portable unfired pressurevessel means any pressure container orvessel used aboard ship, other than theship’s equipment, containing liquids orgases under pressure, excepting pres-sure vessels built to ICC regulationsunder 49 CFR part 178, subparts C andH.

(u) The term powder actuated fasten-ing tool means a tool or machine whichdrives a stud, pin, or fastener by meansof an explosive charge.

(v) For purposes of § 1915.97, the termhazardous material means a material


31


which has one or more of the followingcharacteristics:

(1) Has a flash point below 140° F.,closed cup, or is subject to spontaneousheating;

(2) Has a threshold limit value below500 p.p.m. in the case of a gas or vapor,below 500 mg./m.3for fumes, and below25 m.p.p.c.f. in case of a dust;

(3) Has a single dose oral LD50 below500 mg./kg.;

(4) Is subject to polymerization withthe release of large amounts of energy;

(5) Is a strong oxidizing or reducingagent;

(6) Causes first degree burns to skinin short time exposure, or is system-ically toxic by skin contact; or

(7) In the course of normal oper-ations, may produce dusts, gases,fumes, vapors, mists, or smokes whichhave one or more of the above charac-teristics.

§ 1915.5 Incorporation by reference.(a) Specifications, standards, and

codes of agencies of the U.S. Govern-ment, to the extent specified in thetext, form a part of the regulations ofthis part. In addition, under the au-thority vested in the Secretary underthe Act, the specifications, standards,and codes of organizations which arenot agencies of the U.S. Government,in effect on the date of the promulga-tion of the regulations of this part aslisted below, to the extent specified inthe text, form a part of the regulationsof this part.

(b) The materials listed in paragraph(d) of this section are incorporated byreference in the corresponding sectionsnoted as they exist on the date of theapproval, and a notice of any change inthese materials will be published in theFEDERAL REGISTER. Theseincorporations by reference were ap-proved by the Director of the FederalRegister in accordance with 5 U.S.C.552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.

(c) Copies of the following standardsthat are issued by the respective pri-vate standards organizations may beobtained from the issuing organiza-tions. The materials are available forpurchase at the corresponding address-es of the private standards organiza-tions noted below. In addition, all areavailable for inspection at the Office of

the Federal Register, 800 North CapitolStreet, NW., suite 700, Washington DC,and through the OSHA Docket Office,room N2625, U.S. Department of Labor,200 Constitution Ave., NW, Washing-ton, DC 20210, or any of its regional of-fices.

(d)(1) The following material is avail-able for purchase from the AmericanNational Standards Institute, 11 West42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

(i) ANSI A14.1–1959 Safety Code forPortable Wood Ladders, IBR approvedfor § 1915.72(a)(6)

(ii) ANSI A14.2–1956 Safety Code forPortable Metal Ladders, IBR approvedfor § 1995.72(a)(4)

(iii) ANSI B7.1–1964 Safety Code forthe Use, Care, and Protection of Abra-sive Wheels, IBR approval for§ 1915.134(c)

(iv) ANSI Z87.1–1989 Practice for Oc-cupational and Educational Eye andFace Protection, IBR approved for§ 1915.153(b)(1).

(v) ANSI 87.1–1979 Practice for Occu-pational and Educational Eye and FaceProtection, IBR approved for§ 1915.153(b)(2)

(vi) ANSI Z89.1–1986 Personnel Pro-tection—Protective Headgear for In-dustrial Workers Requirements, IBRapproved for § 1915.155(b)(1)

(vii) ANSI Z89.1–1969 Safety Require-ment for Industrial Head Protection,IBR approved for § 1915.155(b)(2).

(viii) ANSI Z41–1991 Personal Protec-tion—Protective Footwear, IBR ap-proved for § 1915.156(b)(1)

(ix) ANSI Z41–1983 Personal Protec-tion—Protective Footwear, IBR ap-proved for § 1915.156(b)(2).

(2) The following material is avail-able for purchase from the AmericanSociety of Mechanical Engineers, 345East 47th Street, New York, New York10017:

(i) ASME Boiler and Pressure VesselCode, Section VIII, Rules for Construc-tion of Unfired Pressure Vessels, 1963,IBR approved for § 1915.172(a).

(3) The following material is avail-able for purchase from the AmericanConference of Governmental IndustrialHygienists (ACGIH), 1014 Broadway,Cincinnati, OH 45202:


32


(i) Threshold limit values, 1970, IBRapproved for §§ 1915.12(b) and 1915.1000,table Z.

[61 FR 26359, May 24, 1996]

§ 1915.6 Commerical diving operations.Commerical diving operations shall

be subject to subpart T of part 1910,§§ 1910.401–1910.441 of this chapter.

§ 1915.7 Competent person.(a) Application. This section applies

to shipyard employment.(b) Designation. (1) One or more com-

petent persons shall be designated bythe employer in accordance with theapplicable requirements of this section,unless the requirements of subparts B,C, D and H of this part are always car-ried out by a Marine Chemist. Excep-tion: The employer may designate anyperson who meets the applicable por-tions of the criteria set forth in para-graph (c) of this section as a competentperson who is limited to performingtesting to the following situations:

(i) Repair work on small craft in boatyards where only combustible gas indi-cator tests are required for fuel tankleaks or when using flammable paintsbelow decks;

(ii) Building of wooden vessels whereonly knowledge of the precautions tobe taken when using flammable paintsis required;

(iii) The breaking of vessels wherethere is no fuel oil or other flammablehazard; and

(iv) Tests and inspections performedto comply with §§ 1915.35(b)(8) and1915.36(a)(5).

(2)(i) The employer shall maintain ei-ther a roster of designated competentpersons or a statement that a MarineChemist will perform the tests or in-spections which require a competentperson.

(ii) The employer shall make the ros-ter of designated persons or the state-ment available to employees, the em-ployee’s representative, the Director orthe Assistant Secretary upon request.

(iii) The roster shall contain, as aminimum, the following:

(A) The employers’ name,(B) The designated competent per-

son’s name(s), and(C) The date the employee was

trained as a competent person.

(c) Criteria. The employer shall en-sure that each designated competentperson has the following skills andknowledge:

(1) Ability to understand and carryout written or oral information or in-structions left by Marine Chemist,Coast Guard authorized persons andCertified Industrial Hygienists;

(2) Knowledge of subparts B, C, D andH of this part;

(3) Knowledge of the structure, loca-tion, and designation of spaces wherework is done;

(4) Ability to calibrate and use test-ing equipment including but not lim-ited to, oxygen indicators, combustiblegas indicators, carbon monoxide indi-cators, and carbon dioxide indicators,and to interpret accurately the test re-sults of that equipment;

(5) Ability to perform all requiredtests and inspections which are or maybe performed by a competent person asset forth in subparts B, C, D and H ofthis part.

(6) Ability to inspect, test, and evalu-ate spaces to determine the need forfurther testing by a Marine Chemist ora Certified Industrial Hygienist; and

(7) Ability to maintain records re-quired by this section.

(d) Recordkeeping. (1) When tests andinspections are performed by a com-petent person, Marine Chemist, or Cer-tified Industrial Hygienist as requiredby any provisions of subparts B, C, D,or H of this part, the employer shallensure that the person performing thetest and inspection records the loca-tion, time, date, location of inspectedspaces, and the operations performed,as well as the test results and any in-structions.

(2) The employer shall ensure thatthe records are posted in the imme-diate vicinity of the affected oper-ations while work in the spaces is inprogress. The records shall be kept onfile for a period of at least threemonths from the completion date ofthe specific job for which they weregenerated.

(3) The employer shall ensure thatthe records are available for inspectionby the Assistant Secretary, Director,and employees and their representa-tives.

[59 FR 37856, July 25, 1994]


33


§ 1915.8 OMB control numbers underthe Paperwork Reduction Act

The following sections or paragraphscontain a collection of information re-quirement which has been approved bythe Office of Management and Budgetunder the control number listed.

29 CFR citation OMB con-trol No.

1915.11—1915.16 ............................................... 1218–00111915.113 .............................................................. 1218–02201915.152(b) .......................................................... 1218–02151915.152(e) .......................................................... 1218–02151915.159(d) .......................................................... 1218–02151915.160(d) .......................................................... 1218–02151915.172 .............................................................. 1218–02201915.1001 ............................................................ 1218–01951915.1003 ............................................................ 1218–00851915.1004 ............................................................ 1218–00841915.1006 ............................................................ 1218–00861915.1007 ............................................................ 1218–00831915.1008 ............................................................ 1218–00871915.1009 ............................................................ 1218–00891915.1010 ............................................................ 1218–00821915.1011 ............................................................ 1218–00901915.1012 ............................................................ 1218–00801915.1013 ............................................................ 1218–00791915.1014 ............................................................ 1218–00881915.1015 ............................................................ 1218–00441915.1016 ............................................................ 1218–00811915.1017 ............................................................ 1218–00101915.1018 ............................................................ 1218–01041915.1025 ............................................................ 1218–00921915.1027 ............................................................ 1218–01851915.1028 ............................................................ 1218–01291915.1030 ............................................................ 1218–01801915.1044 ............................................................ 1218–01011915.1045 ............................................................ 1218–01261915.1047 ............................................................ 1218–01081915.1048 ............................................................ 1218–01451915.1050 ............................................................ 1218–01841915.1120 ............................................................ 1218–00651915.1200 ............................................................ 1218–00721915.1450 ............................................................ 1218–0131

[61 FR 5509, Feb. 13, 1996, as amended at 62FR 33547, June 20, 1997; 63 FR 13340, Mar. 19,1998]

Subpart B—Confined and En-closed Spaces and OtherDangerous Atmospheres inShipyard Employment

SOURCE: 59 FR 37857, July 25, 1994, unlessotherwise noted.

§ 1915.11 Scope, application and defi-nitions applicable to this subpart.

(a) Scope and application. This sub-part applies to work in confined andenclosed spaces and other dangerousatmospheres in shipyard employment,including vessels, vessel sections, and

on land-side operations regardless ofgeographic location.

(b) Definitions applicable to this sub-part.

Adjacent spaces means those spacesbordering a subject space in all direc-tions, including all points of contact,corners, diagonals, decks, tank tops,and bulkheads.

Assistant Secretary means the Assist-ant Secretary of Labor for Occupa-tional Safety and Health, or designatedrepresentative.

Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH)means an industrial hygienist who iscertified by the American Board of In-dustrial Hygiene.

Coast Guard authorized person meansan individual who meets the require-ment of appendix B to subpart B of thispart 1915 for tank vessels, for passengervessels, and for cargo and miscellane-ous vessels.

Dangerous atmosphere means an at-mosphere that may expose employeesto the risk of death, incapacitation,impairment of ability to self-rescue(i.e., escape unaided from a confined orenclosed space), injury, or acute ill-ness.

Director means the Director of theNational Institute for OccupationalSafety and Health, U.S. Department ofHealth and Human Services, or des-ignated representative.

Enter with Restrictions denotes a spacewhere entry for work is permitted onlyif engineering controls, personal pro-tective equipment, clothing, and timelimitations are as specified by the Ma-rine Chemist, Certified Industrial Hy-gienist, or the shipyard competent per-son.

Entry means the action by which aperson passes through an opening intoa space. Entry includes ensuing workactivities in that space and is consid-ered to have occurred as soon as anypart of the entrant’s body breaks theplane of an opening into the space.

Hot work means any activity involv-ing riveting, welding, burning, the useof powder-actuated tools or similarfire-producing operations. Grinding,drilling, abrasive blasting, or similarspark-producing operations are alsoconsidered hot work except when suchoperations are isolated physically fromany atmosphere containing more than


34


10 percent of the lower explosive limitof a flammable or combustible sub-stance.

Immediately dangerous to life or health(IDLH) means an atmosphere thatposes an immediate threat to life orthat is likely to result in acute or im-mediate severe health effects.

Inert or inerted atmosphere means anatmospheric condition where:

(1) The oxygen content of the atmos-phere in the space is maintained at alevel equal to or less than 8.0 percentby volume or at a level at or below 50percent of the amount required to sup-port combustion, whichever is less; or

(2) The space is flooded with waterand the vapor concentration of flam-mable or combustible materials in thefree space atmosphere above the waterline is less than 10 percent of the lowerexplosive limit for the flammable orcombustible material.

Labeled means identified with a sign,placard, or other form of written com-munication, including pictograms, thatprovides information on the status orcondition of the work space to which itis attached.

Lower explosive limit (LEL) means theminimum concentration of vapor in airbelow which propagation of a flamedoes not occur in the presence of an ig-nition source.

Marine Chemist means an individualwho possesses a current Marine Chem-ist Certificate issued by the NationalFire Protection Association.

Not Safe for Hot Work denotes a spacewhere hot work may not be performedbecause the conditions do not meet thecriteria for Safe for Hot Work.

Nationally Recognized Testing Labora-tory (NRTL) means an organizationrecognized by OSHA, in accordancewith appendix A of 29 CFR 1910.7, whichtests for safety and lists or labels oraccepts equipment and materials thatmeet all the criteria found in§ 1910.7(b)(1) through (b)(4)(ii).

Not Safe for Workers denotes a spacewhere an employee may not enter be-cause the conditions do not meet thecriteria for Safe for Workers.

Oxygen-deficient atmosphere means anatmosphere having an oxygen con-centration of less than 19.5 percent byvolume.

Oxygen-enriched atmosphere meansan atmosphere that contains 22.0 per-cent or more oxygen by volume.

Safe for Hot Work denotes a spacethat meets all of the following criteria:

(1) The oxygen content of the atmos-phere does not exceed 22.0 percent byvolume;

(2) The concentration of flammablevapors in the atmosphere is less than10 percent of the lower explosive limit;

(3) The residues or materials in thespace are not capable of producing ahigher concentration than permitted inparagraph (1) or (2) of the above, underexisting atmospheric conditions in thepresence of hot work and while main-tained as directed by the Marine Chem-ist or competent person, and

(4) All adjacent spaces have beencleaned, or inerted, or treated suffi-ciently to prevent the spread of fire.

Safe for Workers denotes a space thatmeets the following criteria:

(1) The oxygen content of the atmos-phere is at least 19.5 percent and below22 percent by volume;

(2) The concentration of flammablevapors is below 10 percent of the lowerexplosive limit (LEL);

(3) Any toxic materials in the atmos-phere associated with cargo, fuel, tankcoatings, or inerting media are withinpermissible concentrations at the timeof the inspection; and

(4) Any residues or materials associ-ated with the work authorized by theMarine Chemist, Certified IndustrialHygienist, or competent person willnot produce uncontrolled release oftoxic materials under existing atmos-pheric conditions while maintained asdirected.

Space means an area on a vessel orvessel section or within a shipyardsuch as, but not limited to: cargo tanksor holds; pump or engine rooms; stor-age lockers; tanks containing flam-mable or combustible liquids, gases, orsolids; rooms within buildings; crawlspaces; tunnels; or accessways. The at-mosphere within a space is the entirearea within its bounds.

Upper explosive limit (UEL) means themaximum concentration of flammablevapor in air above which propagationof flame does not occur on contact witha source of ignition.


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Vessel section means a sub-assembly,module, or other component of a vesselbeing built, repaired, or broken.

Visual inspection means the physicalsurvey of the space, its surroundingsand contents to identify hazards suchas, but not limited to, restricted acces-sibility, residues, unguarded machin-ery, and piping or electrical systems.

§ 1915.12 Precautions and the order oftesting before entering confinedand enclosed spaces and other dan-gerous atmospheres.

The employer shall ensure thatatmosphereic testing is performed inthe following sequence: oxygen con-tent, flammability, toxicity.

(a) Oxygen content. (1) The employershall ensure that the following spacesare visually inspected and tested by acompetent person to determine theatmosphere’s oxygen content prior toinitial entry into the space by an em-ployee:

(i) Spaces that have been sealed, suchas, but not limited to, spaces that havebeen coated and closed up, and non-ventilated spaces that have been fresh-ly painted;

(ii) Spaces and adjacent spaces thatcontain or have contained combustibleor flammable liquids or gases;

(iii) Spaces and adjacent spaces thatcontain or have contained liquids,gases, or solids that are toxic, corro-sive, or irritant;

(iv) Spaces and adjacent spaces thathave been fumigated; and

(v) Spaces containing materials orresidues of materials that create an ox-ygen-deficient atmosphere.

(2) If the space to be entered containsan oxygen deficient atmosphere, thespace shall be labeled ‘‘Not Safe forWorkers’’ or, if oxygen-enriched, ‘‘NotSafe for Workers—Not Safe for HotWork.’’ If an oxygen-deficient or oxy-gen-enriched atmosphere is found, ven-tilation shall be provided at volumesand flow rates sufficient to ensure thatthe oxygen content is maintained at orabove 19.5 percent and below 22.0 per-cent by volume. The warning label maybe removed when the oxygen content isequal to or greater than 19.5 and lessthan 22.0 percent by volume.

(3) An employee may not enter aspace where the oxygen content, by

volume, is below 19.5 percent or above22.0 percent. Exception: An employeemay enter for emergency rescue or fora short duration for installation of ven-tilation equipment necessary to startwork in the space provided:

(i) The atmosphere in the space ismonitored for oxygen content, by vol-ume, continuously; and

(ii) Respiratory protection and otherappropriate personal protective equip-ment and clothing are provided in ac-cordance with subpart I of this part.

Note to paragraph (a): Other provisions forwork in IDLH atmospheres are located insubpart I of this part.

(b) Flammable atmospheres. (1) Theemployer shall ensure that spaces andadjacent spaces that contain or havecontained combustible or flammableliquids or gases are:

(i) Inspected visually by the com-petent person to determine the pres-ence of combustible or flammable liq-uids; and

(ii) Tested by a competent personprior to entry by an employee to deter-mine the concentration of flammablevapors and gases within the space.

(2) If the concentration of flammablevapors or gases in the space to be en-tered is equal to or greater than 10 per-cent of the lower explosive limit, thespace shall be labeled ‘‘Not Safe forWorkers’’ and ‘‘Not Safe for HotWork.’’ Ventilation shall be providedat volumes and flow rates sufficient toensure that the concentration of flam-mable vapors is maintained below 10percent of the lower explosive limit.The warning labels may be removedwhen the concentration of flammablevapors is below 10 percent of the lowerexplosive limit.

(3) An employee may not enter aspace where the concentration of flam-mable vapors or gases is equal to orgreater than 10 percent of the lower ex-plosive limit. Exception: An employeemay enter for emergency rescue or fora short duration for installation of ven-tilation equipment necessary to startwork in the space, provided:

(i) No ignition sources are present;(ii) The atmosphere in the space is

monitored continuously;(iii) Atmospheres at or above the

upper explosive limit are maintained;and


36


(iv) Respiratory protection and otherappropriate personal protective equip-ment and clothing are provided in ac-cordance with subpart I of this part.

Note 1 to paragraph (b): Additional provi-sions for work in IDLH atmospheres are lo-cated in subpart I of this part.

Note 2 to paragraph (b): Additional provi-sions for work in spaces containing a flam-mable substance which also has a permis-sible exposure limit, are located in subpart Zof 29 CFR part 1915, and § 1915.12(c).

(c) Toxic, corrosive, irritant or fumi-gated atmospheres and residues. (1) Theemployer shall ensure that spaces oradjacent spaces that contain or havecontained liquids, gases, or solids thatare toxic, corrosive or irritant are:

(i) Inspected visually by the com-petent person to determine the pres-ence of toxic, corrosive, or irritant res-idue contaminants; and

(ii) Tested by a competent personprior to initial entry by an employee todetermine the air concentration oftoxics, corrosives, or irritants withinthe space.

(2) If a space contains an air con-centration of a material which exceedsa part 1915 subpart Z permissible expo-sure limit (PEL) or is IDLH, the spaceshall be labeled ‘‘Not Safe for Work-ers.’’ Ventilation shall be provided atvolumes and flow rates which will en-sure that air concentrations are main-tained within the PEL or, in the caseof contaminants for which there is noestablished PEL, below the IDLH. Thewarning label may be removed whenthe concentration of contaminants ismaintained within the PEL or belowIDLH level.

(3) If a space cannot be ventilated towithin the PELs or is IDLH, a MarineChemist or CIH must re-test until thespace can be certified ‘‘Enter with Re-strictions’’ or ‘‘Safe for Workers.’’

(4) An employee may not enter aspace whose atmosphere exceeds a PELor is IDLH. Exception: An employeemay enter for emergency rescue, or fora short duration for installation of ven-tilation equipment provided:

(i) The atmosphere in the space ismonitored continuously;

(ii) Respiratory protection and othernecessary and appropriate personalprotective equipment and clothing are

provided in accordance with subpart Iof this part.

Note to paragraph (c): Other provisions forwork in IDLH atmospheres are located insubpart I of this part.

(d) Training of employees entering con-fined and enclosed spaces or other dan-gerous atmospheres. (1) The employershall ensure that each employee thatenters a confined or enclosed space andother areas with dangerousatmospheres is trained to perform allrequired duties safely.

(2) The employer shall ensure thateach employee who enters a confinedspace, enclosed space, or other areaswith dangerous atmospheres is trainedto:

(i) Recognize the characteristics ofthe confined space;

(ii) Anticipate and be aware of thehazards that may be faced duringentry;

(iii) Recognize the adverse health ef-fects that may be caused by the expo-sure to a hazard;

(iv) Understand the physical signsand reactions related to exposures tosuch hazards;

(v) Know what personal protectiveequipment is needed for safe entry intoand exit from the space;

(vi) Use personal protective equip-ment; and

(vii) Where necessary, be aware of thepresence and proper use of barriersthat may be needed to protect an en-trant from hazards.

(3) The employer shall ensure thateach entrant into confined or enclosedspaces or other dangerous atmospheresis trained to exit the space or dan-gerous atmosphere whenever:

(i) The employer or his or her rep-resentative orders evacuation;

(ii) An evacuation signal such as analarm is activated ; or

(iii) The entrant perceives that he orshe is in danger.

(4) The employer shall provide eachemployee with training:

(i) Before the entrant begins work ad-dressed by this section; and

(ii) Whenever there is a change in op-erations or in an employee’s dutiesthat presents a hazard about which theemployee has not previously beentrained.


37


(5) The employer shall certify thatthe training required by paragraphs(d)(1) through (d)(4) of this section hasbeen accomplished.

(i) The certification shall contain theemployee’s name, the name of the cer-tifier, and the date(s) of the certifi-cation.

(ii) The certification shall be avail-able for inspection by the AssistantSecretary, the Director, employees,and their representatives.

(e) Rescue teams. The employer shalleither establish a shipyard rescue teamor arrange for an outside rescue teamwhich will respond promptly to a re-quest for rescue service.

(1) Shipyard rescue teams shall meetthe following criteria:

(i) Each employee assigned to theshipyard team shall be provided withand trained to use the personal protec-tive equipment he or she will need, in-cluding respirators and any rescueequipment necessary for making res-cues from confined and enclosed spacesand other dangerous atmospheres.

(ii) Each employee assigned to theshipyard rescue team shall be trainedto perform his or her rescue functionsincluding confined and enclosed andother dangerous atmosphere entry.

(iii) Shipyard rescue teams shallpractice their skills at least once every12 months. Practice drills shall includethe use of mannequins and rescueequipment during simulated rescue op-erations involving physical facilitiesthat approximate closely those facili-ties from which rescue may be needed.

Note to paragraph (e)(1)(iii): If the teamperforms an actual rescue during the 12month period, an additional practice drill forthat type of rescue is not required.

(iv) At least one person on each res-cue team shall maintain current cer-tification in basic first aid which in-cludes maintenance of an airway, con-trol of bleeding, maintenance of cir-culation and cardiopulmonary resus-citation (CPR) skills.

(2) The employer shall inform outsiderescue teams of the hazards that theteam may encounter when called toperform confined and enclosed space orother dangerous atmosphere rescue atthe employer’s facility so that the res-cue team can be trained and equipped.

Note to paragraph (e): The criteria for in-house rescue, listed in paragraph (e)(1) canbe used by the employer in evaluating out-side rescue services.

(f) Exchanging hazard information be-tween employers. Each employer whoseemployees work in confined and en-closed spaces or other dangerousatmospheres shall ensure that allavailable information on the hazards,safety rules, and emergency proceduresconcerning those spaces andatmospheres is exchanged with anyother employer whose employees mayenter the same spaces.

[59 FR 37857, July 25, 1994, as amended at 60FR 14219, Mar. 16, 1995]

§ 1915.13 Cleaning and other coldwork.

(a) Locations covered by this section.The employer shall ensure that manualcleaning and other cold work are notperformed in the following spaces un-less the conditions of paragraph (b) ofthis section have been met:

(1) Spaces containing or having lastcontained bulk quantities of combus-tible or flammable liquids or gases; and

(2) Spaces containing or having lastcontained bulk quantities of liquids,gases or solids that are toxic, corrosiveor irritating.

(b) Requirements for performing clean-ing or cold work. (1) Liquid residues ofhazardous materials shall be removedfrom work spaces as thoroughly aspracticable before employees startcleaning operations or cold work in aspace. Special care shall be taken toprevent the spilling or the draining ofthese materials into the water sur-rounding the vessel, or for shore-sideoperations, onto the surrounding workarea.

(2) Testing shall be conducted by acompetent person to determine theconcentration of flammable, combus-tible, toxic, corrosive, or irritant va-pors within the space prior to the be-ginning of cleaning or cold work.

(3) Continuous ventilation shall beprovided at volumes and flow rates suf-ficient to ensure that the concentra-tion(s) of:

(i) Flammable vapor is maintainedbelow 10 percent of the lower explosivelimit; and


38


Note to paragraph (b)(3)(i): Spaces contain-ing highly volatile residues may require ad-ditional ventilation to keep the concentra-tion of flammable vapors below 10 percent ofthe lower explosive limit and within the per-missible exposure limit.

(ii) Toxic, corrosive, or irritant va-pors are maintained within the permis-sible exposure limits and below IDLHlevels.

(4) Testing shall be conducted by thecompetent person as often as necessaryduring cleaning or cold work to assurethat air concentrations are below 10percent of the lower explosive limitand within the PELs and below IDLHlevels. Factors such as, but not limitedto, temperature, volatility of the resi-dues and other existing conditions inand about the spaces are to be consid-ered in determining the frequency oftesting necessary to assure a safe at-mosphere.

Note to paragraph (b)(4): See appendix Afor additional information on frequency oftesting.

(5) Spills or other releases of flam-mable, combustible, toxic, corrosive,and irritant materials shall be cleanedup as work progresses.

(6) An employee may not enter a con-fined or enclosed space or other dan-gerous atmosphere if the concentrationof flammable or combustible vapors inwork spaces exceeds 10 percent of thelower explosive limit. Exception: Anemployee may enter for emergency res-cue or for a short duration for installa-tion of ventilation equipment provided:

(i) No ignition sources are present;(ii) The atmosphere in the space is

monitored continuously;(iii) The atmosphere in the space is

maintained above the upper explosivelimit; and

(iv) Respiratory protection, personalprotective equipment, and clothing areprovided in accordance with subpart Iof this part.

Note to paragraph (b)(6): Other provisionsfor work in IDLH and other dangerousatmospheres are located in subpart I of thispart.

(7) A competent person shall testventilation discharge areas and otherareas where discharged vapors may col-lect to determine if vapors dischargedfrom the spaces being ventilated are

accumulating in concentrations haz-ardous to employees.

(8) If the tests required in paragraph(b)(7) of this section indicate that con-centrations of exhaust vapors that arehazardous to employees are accumulat-ing, all work in the contaminated areashall be stopped until the vapors havedissipated or been removed.

(9) Only explosion-proof, self-con-tained portable lamps, or other electricequipment approved by a National Rec-ognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) forthe hazardous location shall be used inspaces described in paragraph (a) ofthis section until such spaces havebeen certified as ‘‘Safe for Workers.’’

Note to paragraph (b)(9): Battery-fed, port-able lamps or other electric equipment bear-ing the approval of a NRTL for the class, anddivision of the location in which they areused are deemed to meet the requirements ofthis paragraph.

(10) The employer shall prominentlypost signs that prohibit sources of igni-tion within or near a space that hascontained flammable or combustibleliquids or gases in bulk quantities:

(i) At the entrance to those spaces;(ii) In adjacent spaces; and(iii) In the open area adjacent to

those spaces.(11) All air moving equipment and its

component parts, including duct work,capable of generating a static electricdischarge of sufficient energy to createa source of ignition, shall be bondedelectrically to the structure of a vesselor vessel section or, in the case of land-side spaces, grounded to prevent anelectric discharge in the space.

(12) Fans shall have non-sparkingblades, and portable air ducts shall beof non-sparking materials.

Note to paragraph (b): See § 1915.12(c) ofthis part and applicable requirements of 29CFR part 1915, subpart Z for other provisionsaffecting cleaning and cold work.

§ 1915.14 Hot work.(a) Hot work requiring testing by a Ma-

rine Chemist or Coast Guard authorizedperson. (1) The employer shall ensurethat hot work is not performed in or onany of the following confined and en-closed spaces and other dangerousatmospheres, boundaries of spaces orpipelines until the work area has been


39


tested and certified by a Marine Chem-ist or a U.S. Coast Guard authorizedperson as ‘‘Safe for Hot Work’’:

(i) Within, on, or immediately adja-cent to spaces that contain or havecontained combustible or flammableliquids or gases.

(ii) Within, on, or immediately adja-cent to fuel tanks that contain or havelast contained fuel; and

(iii) On pipelines, heating coils, pumpfittings or other accessories connectedto spaces that contain or have last con-tained fuel.

(iv) Exception: On dry cargo, mis-cellaneous and passenger vessels and inthe landside operations within spaceswhich meet the standards for oxygen,flammability and toxicity in § 1915.12,but are adjacent to spaces containingflammable gases or liquids, as long asthe gases or liquids have a flash pointbelow 150° F (65.6° C) and the distancebetween such spaces and the work is 25feet (7.5m) or greater.’’

NOTE: For flammable liquids with flashpoints above 150° F (65.6° C), see paragraph(b) of this section.

Note to paragraph (a)(1): The criteriafor safe for hot work is located in thedefinition section of subpart B.

(2) The certificate issued by the Ma-rine Chemist or Coast Guard author-ized person shall be posted in the im-mediate vicinity of the affected oper-ations while they are in progress andkept on file for a period of at leastthree months from the date of the com-pletion of the operation for which thecertificate was generated.

(b) Hot work requiring testing by a com-petent person. (1) Hot work is not per-mitted in or on the following spaces oradjacent spaces or other dangerousatmospheres until they have been test-ed by a competent person and deter-mined to contain no concentrations offlammable vapors equal to or greaterthan 10 percent of the lower explosivelimit:

(i) Dry cargo holds,(ii) The bilges,(iii) The engine room and boiler

spaces for which a Marine Chemist or aCoast Guard authorized person certifi-cate is not required under paragraph(a)(1)(i) of this section, and

(iv) Vessels and vessel sections forwhich a Marine Chemist or CoastGuard authorized person certificate isnot required under paragraph (a)(1)(i)of this section, and

(v) Land-side confined and enclosedspaces or other dangerous atmospheresnot covered by paragraph (a)(1) of thissection.

(2) If the concentration of flammablevapors or gases is equal to or greaterthan 10 percent of the lower explosivelimit in the space or an adjacent spacewhere the hot work is to be done, thenthe space shall be labeled ‘‘Not Safe forHot Work’’ and ventilation shall beprovided at volumes and flow rates suf-ficient to ensure that the concentra-tion of flammable vapors or gases isbelow 10 percent by volume of thelower explosive limit. The warninglabel may be removed when the con-centration of flammable vapors andgases are below 10 percent lower explo-sive limit.

Note to § 1915.14: See appendix A for addi-tional information relevant to performinghot work safely.


§ 1915.15 Maintenance of safe condi-tions.

(a) Preventing hazardous materials fromentering. Pipelines that could carryhazardous materials into spaces thathave been certified ‘‘Safe for Workers’’or ‘‘Safe for Hot Work’’ shall be discon-nected, blanked off, or otherwiseblocked by a positive method to pre-vent hazardous materials from beingdischarged into the space.

(b) Alteration of existing conditions.When a change that could alter condi-tions within a tested confined or en-closed space or other dangerous atmos-phere occurs, work in the affectedspace or area shall be stopped. Workmay not be resumed until the affectedspace or area is visually inspected andretested and found to comply with§§ 1915.12, 1915.13, and 1915.14 of thispart, as applicable.

Note to paragraph (b): Examples of changesthat would warrant the stoppage of work in-clude: The opening of manholes or other clo-sures or the adjusting of a valve regulatingthe flow of hazardous materials.


40


(c) Tests to maintain the conditions of aMarine Chemist’s or Coast Guard author-ized person’s certificates. A competentperson shall visually inspect and testeach space certified as ‘‘Safe for Work-ers’’ or ‘‘Safe for Hot Work,’’ as oftenas necessary to ensure that atmos-pheric conditions within that space ismaintained within the conditions es-tablished by the certificate after thecertificate has been issued.

(d) Change in the conditions of a Ma-rine Chemist’s or Coast Guard authorizedperson’s certificate. If a competent per-son finds that the atmospheric condi-tions within a certified space fail tomeet the applicable requirements of§§ 1915.12, 1915.13, and 1915.14 of thispart, work in the certified space shallbe stopped and may not be resumeduntil the space has been retested by aMarine Chemist or Coast Guard au-thorized person and a new certificateissued in accordance with § 1915.14(a).

(e) Tests to maintain a competentperson’s findings. After a competentperson has conducted a visual inspec-tion and tests required in §§ 1915.12,1915.13, and 1915.14 of this part and de-termined a space to be safe for an em-ployee to enter, he or she shall con-tinue to test and visually inspectspaces as often as necessary to ensurethat the required atmospheric condi-tions within the tested space are main-tained.’’

(f) Changes in conditions determined bycompetent person’s findings. After thecompetent person has determined ini-tially that a space is safe for an em-ployee to enter and he or she finds sub-sequently that the conditions withinthe tested space fail to meet the re-quirements of §§ 1915.12, 1915.13, and1915.14, of this part, as applicable, workshall be stopped until the conditions inthe tested space are corrected to com-ply with §§ 1915.12, 1915.13, and 1915.14,as applicable.


§ 1915.16 Warning signs and labels.

(a) Employee comprehension of signsand labels. The Employer shall ensurethat each sign or label posted to com-ply with the requirements of this sub-part is presented in a manner that can

be perceived and understood by all em-ployees.

(b) Posting of large work areas. Awarning sign or label required by para-graph (a) of this section need not beposted at an individual tank, compart-ment or work space within a work areaif the entire work area has been testedand certified: not safe for workers, notsafe for hot work, and if the sign orlabel to this effect is posted conspicu-ously at each means of access to thework area.

APPENDIX A TO SUBPART B—COMPLI-ANCE ASSISTANCE GUIDELINES FORCONFINED AND ENCLOSED SPACESAND OTHER DANGEROUSATMOSPHERES

This appendix is a non-mandatory set ofguidelines provided to assist employers incomplying with the requirements of this sub-part. This appendix neither creates addi-tional obligations nor detracts from obliga-tions otherwise contained in the standard. Itis intended to provide explanatory informa-tion and educational material to employersand employees to foster understanding of,and compliance with, the standard.

Sections 1915.11 through 1915.16. These stand-ards are minimum safety standards for en-tering and working safely in vessel tanksand compartments.

Section 1915.11(b) Definition of ‘‘Hot work.’’There are several instances in which cir-cumstances do not necessitate that grinding,drilling, abrasive blasting be regarded as hotwork. Some examples are:

1. Abrasive blasting of the hull for paintpreparation does not necessitate pumpingand cleaning the tanks of a vessel.

2. Prior to hot work on any hollow struc-ture, the void space should be tested and ap-propriate precautions taken.

Section 1915.11(b) Definition of ‘‘Lower ex-plosive limit.’’ The terms lower flammablelimit (LFL) and lower explosive limit (LEL)are used interchangeably in fire science lit-erature.

Section 1915.11(b) Definition of ‘‘Upper ex-plosive limit.’’ The terms upper flammablelimit (UFL) and upper explosive limit (UEL)are used interchangeably in fire science lit-erature.

Section 1915.12(a)(4). After a tank has beenproperly washed and ventilated, the tankshould contain 20.8 percent oxygen by vol-ume. This is the same amount found in ournormal atmosphere at sea level. However, itis possible that the oxygen content will belower. When this is the case, the reasons forthis deficiency should be determined andcorrective action taken.


41

Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor Pt. 1915, Subpt. B, App. A

An oxygen content of 19.5 percent can sup-port life and is adequate for entry. However,any oxygen level less than 20.8 percent andgreater than 19.5 percent level should alsoalert the competent person to look for thecauses of the oxygen deficiency and to cor-rect them prior to entry.

Section 1915.12(b)(4) Flammable atmospheres.Atmospheres with a concentration of flam-mable vapors at or above 10 percent of thelower explosive limit (LEL) are consideredhazardous when located in confined spaces.However, atmospheres with flammable va-pors below 10 percent of the LEL are not nec-essarily safe.

Such atmospheres are too lean to burn.Nevertheless, when a space contains or pro-duces measurable flammable vapors belowthe 10 percent LEL, it might indicate thatflammable vapors are being released or in-troduced into the space and could present ahazard in time. Therefore, the cause of thevapors should be investigated and, if pos-sible, eliminated prior to entry.

Some situations that have produced meas-urable concentrations of flammable vaporsthat could exceed 10 percent of the LEL intime are:

1. Pipelines that should have been blankedor disconnected have opened, allowing prod-uct into the space.

2. The vessel may have shifted, allowingproduct not previously cleaned and removedduring washing to move into other areas ofthe vessel.

3. Residues may be producing the atmos-phere by releasing flammable vapor.

Section 1915.12(b)(6) Flammable atmospheresthat are toxic. An atmosphere with a measur-able concentration of a flammable substancebelow 10 percent of the LEL may be abovethe OSHA permissible exposure limit forthat substance. In that case, refer to§ 1915.12(c) (2), (3), and (4).

Sections 1915.13(b)(4), 1915.15(c), and1915.15(e). The frequency with which a tankis monitored to determine if atmosphericconditions are being maintained is a func-tion of several factors that are discussedbelow:

1. Temperature. Higher temperatures willcause a combustible or flammable liquid tovaporize at a faster rate than lower tempera-tures. This is important since hotter daysmay cause tank residues to produce more va-pors and that may result in the vapors ex-ceeding 10 percent of the LEL or an over-exposure to toxic contaminants.

2. Work in the tank. Any activity in thetank could change the atmospheric condi-tions in that tank. Oxygen from a leakingoxyfuel hose or torch could result in an oxy-gen-enriched atmosphere that would moreeasily propagate a flame. Some welding oper-ations use inert gas, and leaks can result inan oxygen-deficient atmosphere. Manualtank cleaning with high pressure spray de-

vices can stir up residues and result in expo-sures to toxic contaminants. Simple clean-ing or mucking out, where employees walkthrough and shovel residues and sludge, cancreate a change in atmospheric conditions.

3. Period of time elapsed. If a period of timehas elapsed since a Marine Chemist or CoastGuard authorized person has certified a tankas safe, the atmospheric condition should berechecked by the competent person prior toentry and starting work.

4. Unattended tanks or spaces. When a tankor space has been tested and declared safe,then subsequently left unattended for a pe-riod of time, it should be retested prior toentry and starting work. For example, whenbarges are left unattended at night, uniden-tified products from another barge are some-times dumped into their empty tanks. Sincethis would result in a changed atmosphere,the tanks should be retested prior to entryand starting work.

5. Work break. When workers take a breakor leave at the end of the shift, equipmentsometimes is inadvertently left in the tanks.At lunch or work breaks and at the end ofthe shift are the times when it is most likelysomeone will leave a burning or cuttingtorch in the tank, perhaps turned on andleaking oxygen or an inert gas. Since theformer can produce an oxygen-enriched at-mosphere, and the latter an oxygen-deficientatmosphere, tanks should be checked forequipment left behind, and atmosphere,monitored if necessary prior to re-enteringand resuming work. In an oxygen-enrichedatmosphere, the flammable range is severelybroadened. This means that an oxygen-en-riched atmosphere can promote very rapidburning.

6. Ballasting or trimming. Changing the posi-tion of the ballast, or trimming or in anyway moving the vessel so as to expose cargothat had been previously trapped, canproduce a change in the atmosphere of thetank. The atmosphere should be retestedafter any such move and prior to entry orwork.

Section 1915.14 (a) and (b) Hot work. This isa reminder that other sections of the OSHAshipyard safety and health standards in part1915 should be reviewed prior to starting anyhot work. Most notably, subpart D, Welding,Cutting and Heating, places additional re-strictions on hot work: The requirements of§§ 1915.51 and 1915.53 must be met before hotwork is begun on any metal that is toxic oris covered by a preservative coating respec-tively; the requirements of § 1915.54 must bemet before welding, cutting, or heating isbegun on any structural voids.

Section 1915.12(a)(2). During hot work, morethan 20.8 percent oxygen by volume can beunsafe since it extends the normal flam-mable range. The standard permits the oxy-gen level to reach 22 percent by volume in


42

29 CFR Ch. XVII (7–1–98 Edition) Pt. 1915, Subpt. B, App. B

order to account for instrument error. How-ever, the cause of excess oxygen should be in-vestigated and the source removed.

Section 1915.16(b). If the entire vessel hasbeen found to be in the same condition, thenemployers shall be considered to be in com-pliance with this requirement when signsusing appropriate warning language in ac-cordance with § 1915.16(a) are posted at thegangway and at all other means of access tothe vessel.

APPENDIX B TO SUBPART B—REPRINT OFU.S. COAST GUARD REGULATIONSREFERENCED IN SUBPART B, FOR DE-TERMINATION OF COAST GUARD AU-THORIZED PERSONS

This appendix provides a complete reprintof U.S. Coast Guard regulations as of Octo-ber 1, 1993, referenced in subpart B for pur-poses of determining who is a Coast Guardauthorized person.

1. Title 46 CFR 35.01–1 (a) through (c) cover-ing hot work on tank vessels reads as fol-lows:

(a) The provisions of ‘‘Standard for theControl of Gas Hazards on Vessels to be Re-paired,’’ NFPA No. 306, published by Na-tional Fire Protection Association, 1Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269, shallbe used as a guide in conducting the inspec-tions and issuance of certificates required bythis section.

(b) Until an inspection has been made todetermine that such operation can be under-taken with safety, no alterations, repairs, orother such operations involving riveting,welding, burning, or like fire-producing ac-tions shall be made:

(1) Within or on the boundaries of cargotanks that have been used to carry flam-mable or combustible liquid or chemicals inbulk, or within spaces adjacent to such cargotanks; or

(2) Within or on the boundaries of fueltanks; or

(3) To pipe lines, heating coils, pumps, fit-tings, or other appurtenances connected tosuch cargo or fuel tanks.

(c) Such inspections shall be made and evi-denced as follows:

(1) In ports or places in the United Statesor its territories and possessions, the inspec-tion shall be made by a Marine Chemist cer-tificated by the National Fire Protection As-sociation; however, if the services of suchcertified Marine Chemists are not reasonablyavailable, the Officer in Charge, Marine In-spection, upon the recommendation of thevessel owner and his contractor or their rep-resentative, shall select a person who, in thecase of an individual vessel, shall be author-ized to make such inspection. If the inspec-tion indicates that such operations can beundertaken with safety, a certificate settingforth the fact in writing and qualified as

may be required, shall be issued by the cer-tified Marine Chemist or the authorized per-son before the work is started. Such quali-fications shall include any requirements asmay be deemed necessary to maintain, inso-far as can reasonably be done, the safe condi-tions in the spaces certified, throughout theoperation and shall include such additionaltests and certifications as considered re-quired. Such qualifications and requirementsshall include precautions necessary to elimi-nate or minimize hazards that may bepresent from protective coatings or residuesfrom cargoes.

2. Title 46 CFR 71.60(c)(1) covering hotwork on passenger vessels reads as follows:



(1) Within or on the boundaries of cargotanks which have been used to carry flam-mable or combustible liquid or chemicals inbulk, or within spaces adjacent to such cargotanks; or

(2) Within or on the boundaries of fueltanks; or



(1) In ports or places in the United Statesor its territories and possessions the inspec-tion shall be made by a Marine Chemist cer-tificated by the National Fire Protection As-sociation; however, if the services of suchcertified Marine Chemist are not reasonablyavailable, the Officer in Charge, Marine In-spection, upon the recommendation of thevessel owner and his contractor or their rep-resentative, shall select a person who, in thecase of an individual vessel, shall be author-ized to make such inspection. If the inspec-tion indicated that such operations can beundertaken with safety, a certificate settingforth the fact in writing and qualified asmay be required, shall be issued by the cer-tified Marine Chemist or the authorized per-son before the work is started. Such quali-fications shall include any requirements asmay be deemed necessary to maintain, inso-far as can reasonably be done, the safe condi-tions in the spaces certified throughout theoperation and shall include such additionaltests and certifications as considered re-quired. Such qualifications and requirements


43


shall include precautions necessary to elimi-nate or minimize hazards that may bepresent from protective coatings or residuesfrom cargoes.

3. Title 46 CFR 91.50–1(c)(1) covering hotwork on cargo and miscellaneous vessels asfollows:



(1) Within or on the boundaries of cargotanks which have been used to carry flam-mable or combustible liquid or chemicals inbulk, or within spaces adjacent to such cargotanks; or,

(2) Within or on the boundaries of fueltanks; or,



(1) In ports or places in the United Statesor its territories and possessions the inspec-tion shall be made by a Marine Chemist cer-tificated by the National Fire Protection As-sociation; however, if the services of suchcertified Marine Chemist are not reasonablyavailable, the Officer in Charge, Marine In-spection, upon the recommendation of thevessel owner and his contractor or their rep-resentative, shall select a person who, in thecase of an individual vessel, shall be author-ized to make such inspection. If the inspec-tion indicated that such operations can beundertaken with safety, a certificate settingforth the fact in writing and qualified asmay be required, shall be issued by the cer-tified Marine Chemist or the authorized per-son before the work is started. Such quali-fications shall include any requirements asmay be deemed necessary to maintain, inso-far as can reasonably be done, the safe condi-tions in the spaces certified throughout theoperation and shall include such additionaltests and certifications as considered re-quired. Such qualifications and requirementsshall include precautions necessary to elimi-nate or minimize hazards that may bepresent from protective coatings or residuesfrom cargoes.

Subpart C—Surface Preparationand Preservation

§ 1915.31 Scope and application of sub-part.

The standards contained in this sub-part shall apply to ship repairing andshipbuilding and shall not apply toshipbreaking.

§ 1915.32 Toxic cleaning solvents.

(a) When toxic solvents are used, theemployer shall employ one or more ofthe following measures to safeguardthe health of employees exposed tothese solvents.

(1) The cleaning operation shall becompletely enclosed to prevent the es-cape of vapor into the working space.

(2) Either natural ventilation or me-chanical exhaust ventilation shall beused to remove the vapor at the sourceand to dilute the concentration of va-pors in the working space to a con-centration which is safe for the entirework period.

(3) Employees shall be protectedagainst toxic vapors by suitable res-piratory protective equipment in ac-cordance with the requirements of sub-part I of this part and, where nec-essary, against exposure of skin andeye contact with toxic solvents andtheir vapors by suitable clothing andequipment.

(b) The principles in the thresholdlimit values to which attention is di-rected in § 1915.4 will be used by the De-partment of Labor in enforcement pro-ceedings in defining a safe concentra-tion of air contaminants.

(c) When flammable solvents areused, precautions shall be taken in ac-cordance with the requirements of§ 1915.36.

[47 FR 16986, Apr. 20, 1982, as amended at 61FR 26351, May 24, 1996]

§ 1915.33 Chemical paint and preserva-tive removers.

(a) Employees shall be protectedagainst skin contact during the han-dling and application of chemical paintand preservative removers and shall beprotected against eye injury by gogglesor face shields in accordance with therequirements of subpart I of this part.


44


(b) When using flammable paint andpreservative removers, precautionsshall be taken in accordance with therequirements of § 1915.36.

(c) When using chemical paint andpreservative removers which containvolatile and toxic solvents, such asbenzol, acetone and amyl acetate, theprovisions of § 1915.32 shall be applica-ble.

(d) When using paint and rust remov-ers containing strong acids or alkalies,employees shall be protected by suit-able face shields to prevent chemicalburns on the face and neck.

(e) When steam guns are used, all em-ployees working within range of theblast shall be protected by suitableface shields. Metal parts of the steamgun itself shall be insulated to protectthe operator against heat burns.


§ 1915.34 Mechanical paint removers.

(a) Power tools. (1) Employees en-gaged in the removal of paints, preserv-atives, rusts, or other coatings bymeans of power tools shall be protectedagainst eye injury by using goggles orface shields in accordance with the re-quirements of subpart I of this part.

(2) All portable rotating tools usedfor the removal of paints, preserva-tives, rusts or other coatings shall beadequately guarded to protect both theoperator and nearby workers from fly-ing missiles.

(3) Portable electric tools shall begrounded in accordance with the re-quirements of § 1915.132.

(4) In a confined space, mechanicalexhaust ventilation sufficient to keepthe dust concentration to a minimumshall be used, or employees shall beprotected by respiratory protectiveequipment in accordance with the re-quirements of subpart I of this part.

(b) Flame removal. (1) Hardened pre-servative coatings shall not be removedby flame in enclosed spaces unless theemployees exposed to fumes are pro-tected by air line respirators in accord-ance with the requirements of subpartI. Employees performing such an oper-ation in the open air, and those ex-posed to the resulting fumes shall beprotected by a fume filter type res-

pirator in accordance with the require-ments of subpart I of this part.

(2) Flame or heat shall not be used toremove soft and greasy preservativecoatings.

(c) Abrasive blasting—(1) Equipment.Hoses and fittings used for abrasiveblasting shall meet the following re-quirements:

(i) Hoses. Hose of a type to preventshocks from static electricity shall beused.

(ii) Hose couplings. Hose lengths shallbe joined by metal couplings secured tothe outside of the hose to avoid erosionand weakening of the couplings.

(iii) Nozzles. Nozzles shall be attachedto the hose by fittings that will pre-vent the nozzle from unintentionallybecoming disengaged. Nozzle attach-ments shall be of metal and shall fitonto the hose externally.

(iv) Dead man control. A dead mancontrol device shall be provided at thenozzle end of the blasting hose eitherto provide direct cutoff or to signal thepot tender by means of a visual and au-dible signal to cut off the flow, in theevent the blaster loses control of thehose. The pot tender shall be availableat all times to respond immediately tothe signal.

(2) Replacement. Hoses and all fittingsused for abrasive blasting shall be in-spected frequently to insure timely re-placement before an unsafe amount ofwear has occurred.

(3) Personal protective equipment. (i)Abrasive blasters working in enclosedspaces shall be protected by hoods andair line respirators, or by air helmetsof a positive pressure type in accord-ance with the requirements of subpartI of this part.

(ii) Abrasive blasters working in theopen shall be protected as indicated inparagraph (c)(3)(i) of this section ex-cept that when synthetic abrasive con-taining less than one percent free silicaare used, filter type respirators ap-proved jointly by the National Insti-tute for Occupational Safety andHealth and the Mine Safety and HealthAdministration for exposure to leaddusts, used in conjunction with theproper eye, face and head protection,may be used in accordance with sub-part I of this part.


45


(iii) Employees, other than blasters,including machine tenders and abrasiverecovery men, working in areas whereunsafe concentrations of abrasive ma-terials and dusts are present shall beprotected by eye and respiratory pro-tective equipment in accordance withthe requirements of subpart I of thispart.

(iv) The blaster shall be protectedagainst injury from exposure to theblast by appropriate protective cloth-ing, including gloves.

(v) Since surges from drops in pres-sure in the hose line can be of suffi-cient proportions to throw the blasteroff the staging, the blaster shall be pro-tected by a safety belt when blasting isbeing done from elevations where ade-quate protection against falling cannotbe provided by railings.


§ 1915.35 Painting.(a) Paints mixed with toxic vehicles or

solvents. (1) When paints mixed withtoxic vehicles or solvents are sprayed,the following conditions shall apply:

(i) In confined spaces, employees con-tinuously exposed to such sprayingshall be protected by air line res-pirators in accordance with the re-quirements of subpart I of this part.

(ii) In tanks or compartments, em-ployees continuously exposed to suchspraying shall be protected by air linerespirators in accordance with the re-quirements of subpart I. Where me-chanical ventilation is provided, em-ployees shall be protected by res-pirators in accordance with the re-quirements of subpart I of this part.

(iii) In large and well ventilatedareas, employees exposed to suchspraying shall be protected by res-pirators in accordance with the re-quirements of subpart I of this part.

(2) Where brush application of paintswith toxic solvents is done in confinedspaces or in other areas where lack ofventilation creates a hazard, employ-ees shall be protected by filter res-pirators in accordance with the re-quirements of subpart I of this part.

(3) When flammable paints or vehi-cles are used, precautions shall betaken in accordance with the require-ments of § 1915.36.

(4) The metallic parts of air movingdevices, including fans, blowers, andjet-type air movers, and all duct workshall be electrically bonded to the ves-sel’s structure.

(b) Paints and tank coatings dissolvedin highly volatile, toxic and flammablesolvents. Several organic coatings, ad-hesives and resins are dissolved inhighly toxic, flammable and explosivesolvents with flash points below 80° F.Work involving such materials shall bedone only when all of the following spe-cial precautions have been taken:

(1) Sufficient exhaust ventilationshall be provided to keep the con-centration of solvent vapors below ten(10) percent of the lower explosivelimit. Frequent tests shall be made bya competent person to ascertain theconcentration.

(2) If the ventilation fails or if theconcentration of solvent vapors risesabove ten (10) percent of the lower ex-plosive limit, painting shall be stoppedand the compartment shall be evacu-ated until the concentration again fallsbelow ten (10) percent of the lower ex-plosive limit. If the concentration doesnot fall when painting is stopped, addi-tional ventilation to bring the con-centration down to ten (10) percent ofthe lower explosive limit shall be pro-vided.

(3) Ventilation shall be continuedafter the completion of painting untilthe space or compartment is gas free.The final determination as to whetherthe space or compartment is gas freeshall be made after the ventilatingequipment has been shut off for atleast 10 minutes.

(4) Exhaust ducts shall dischargeclear of working areas and away fromsources of possible ignition. Periodictests shall be made to ensure that theexhausted vapors are not accumulatingin other areas within or around thevessel or dry dock.

(5) All motors and control equipmentshall be of the explosion-proof type.Fans shall have nonferrous blades.Portable air ducts shall also be of non-ferrous materials. All motors and asso-ciated control equipment shall be prop-erly maintained and grounded.

(6) Only non-sparking paint buckets,spray guns and tools shall be used.Metal parts of paint brushes and rollers


46


shall be insulated. Staging shall beerected in a manner which ensures thatit is non-sparking.

(7) Only explosion proof lights, ap-proved by the Underwriters’ Labora-tories for use in Class I, Group Datmospheres, or approved as permis-sible by the Mine Safety and HealthAdministration or the U.S. CoastGuard, shall be used.

(8) A competent person shall inspectall power and lighting cables to ensurethat the insulation is in excellent con-dition, free of all cracks and wornspots, that there are no connectionswithin fifty (50) feet of the operation,that lines are not overloaded, and thatthey are suspended with sufficientslack to prevent undue stress or chaf-ing.

(9) The face, eyes, head, hands, andall other exposed parts of the bodies ofemployees handling such highly vola-tile paints shall be protected. All foot-wear shall be non-sparking, such asrubbers, rubber boots or rubber soledshoes without nails. Coveralls or otherouter clothing shall be of cotton. Rub-ber, rather than plastic, gloves shall beused because of the danger of staticsparks.

(10) No matches, lighted cigarettes,cigars, or pipes, and no cigarette light-ers or ferrous articles shall be takeninto the area where work is being done.

(11) All solvent drums taken into thecompartment shall be placed on non-ferrous surfaces and shall be groundedto the vessel. Metallic contact shall bemaintained between containers anddrums when materials are being trans-ferred from one to another.

(12) Spray guns, paint pots, and me-tallic parts of connecting tubing shallbe electrically bonded, and the bondedassembly shall be grounded to the ves-sel.

(13) All employees continuously in acompartment in which such painting isbeing performed shall be protected byair line respirators in accordance withthe requirements of subpart I of thispart and by suitable protective cloth-ing. Employees entering such compart-ments for a limited time shall be pro-tected by filter cartridge type res-

pirators in accordance with the re-quirements of subpart I of this part.

(14) All employees doing exteriorpaint spraying with such paints shallbe protected by suitable filter car-tridge type respirators in accordancewith the requirements of subpart I ofthis part and by suitable protectiveclothing.


§ 1915.36 Flammable liquids.

(a) In all cases when liquid solvents,paint and preservative removers,paints or vehicles, other than thosecovered by §1915.35(b), are capable ofproducing a flammable atmosphereunder the conditions of use, the follow-ing precautions shall be taken:

(1) Smoking, open flames, arcs andspark-producing equipment shall beprohibited in the area.

(2) Ventilation shall be provided insufficient quantities to keep the con-centration of vapors below ten (10) per-cent of their lower explosive limit. Fre-quent tests shall be made by a com-petent person to ascertain the con-centration.

(3) Scrapings and rags soaked withthese materials shall be kept in a cov-ered metal container.

(4) Only explosion proof lights, ap-proved by the Underwriters’ Labora-tories for use in Class I, Group Datmospheres, or approved as permis-sible by the Mine Safety and HealthAdministration or the U.S. CoastGuard, shall be used.

(5) A competent person shall inspectall power and lighting cables to ensurethat the insulation is in excellent con-dition, free of all cracks and wornspots, that there are no connectionswithin fifty (50) feet of the operation,that lines are not overloaded, and thatthey are suspended with sufficientslack to prevent undue stress or chaf-ing.

(6) Suitable fire extinguishing equip-ment shall be immediately available inthe work area and shall be maintainedin a state of readiness for instant use.


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Subpart D—Welding, Cutting andHeating

§ 1915.51 Ventilation and protection inwelding, cutting and heating.

(a) The provisions of this sectionshall apply to all ship repairing, ship-building, and shipbreaking operations;except that paragraph (e) of this sec-tion shall apply only to ship repairingand shipbuilding. Paragraph (g) of thissection shall apply only to ship repair-ing.

(b) Mechanical ventilation require-ments. (1) For purposes of this section,mechanical ventilation shall meet thefollowing requirements:

(i) Mechanical ventilation shall con-sist of either general mechanical ven-tilation systems or local exhaust sys-tems.

(ii) General mechanical ventilationshall be of sufficient capacity and soarranged as to produce the number ofair changes necessary to maintainwelding fumes and smoke within safelimits.

(iii) Local exhaust ventilation shallconsist of freely movable hoods in-tended to be placed by the welder orburner as close as practicable to thework. This system shall be of sufficientcapacity and so arranged as to removefumes and smoke at the source andkeep the concentration of them in thebreathing zone within safe limits.

(iv) Contaminated air exhausted froma working space shall be dischargedinto the open air or otherwise clear ofthe source of intake air.

(v) All air replacing that withdrawnshall be clean and respirable.

(vi) Oxygen shall not be used for ven-tilation purposes, comfort cooling,blowing dust or dirt from clothing, orfor cleaning the work area.

(c) Welding, cutting and heating in con-fined spaces. (1) Except as provided inparagraphs (c)(3) and (d)(2) of this sec-tion either general ventilation meetingthe requirements of paragraph (b) ofthis section shall be provided wheneverwelding, cutting or heating is per-formed in a confined space.

(2) The means of access shall be pro-vided to a confined space and ventila-tion ducts to this space shall be ar-ranged in accordance with § 1915.76(b)(1) and (2).

(3) When sufficient ventilation can-not be obtained without blocking themeans of access, employees in the con-fined space shall be protected by airline respirators in accordance with therequirements of § 1915.152(a), and anemployee on the outside of such a con-fined space shall be assigned to main-tain communication with those work-ing within it and to aid them in anemergency.

(d) Welding, cutting or heating of met-als of toxic significance. (1) Welding, cut-ting or heating in any enclosed spacesaboard the vessel involving the metalsspecified below shall be performed witheither general mechanical or local ex-haust ventilation meeting the require-ments of paragraph (a) of this section:

(i) Zinc-bearing base or filler metalsor metals coated with zinc-bearing ma-terials.

(ii) Lead base metals.(iii) Cadmium-bearing filler mate-

rials.(iv) Chromium-bearing metals or

metals coated with chromium-bearingmaterials.

(2) Welding, cutting or heating in anyenclosed spaces aboard the vessel in-volving the metals specified belowshall be performed with local exhaustventilation in accordance with the re-quirements of paragraph (b) of this sec-tion or employees shall be protected byair line respirators in accordance withthe requirements of § 1915.152(a):

(i) Metals containing lead, other thanas an inpurity, or metals coated withlead-bearing materials.

(ii) Cadmium-bearing or cadmiumcoated base metals.

(iii) Metals coated with mercury-bearing metals.

(iv) Beryllium-containing base orfiller metals. Because of its high tox-icity, work involving beryllium shallbe done with both local exhaust ven-tilation and air line respirators.

(3) Employees performing such oper-ations in the open air shall be pro-tected by filter type respirators in ac-cordance with the requirements ofparagraphs (a) and (d)(2)(iv) of§ 1915.152, except that employees per-forming such operations on beryllium-containing base or filler metals shallbe protected by air line respirators in


48


1 46 CFR 146.02–20 contains Coast Guard reg-ulations pertaining to welding and cuttingwhile explosives and dangerous cargoes arebeing handled.

accordance with the requirements of§ 1915.152(a).

(4) Other employees exposed to thesame atmosphere as the welders orburners shall be protected in the samemanner as the welder or burner.

(e) Inert-gas metal-arc welding. (1)Since the inert-gas metal-arc weldingprocess involves the production of ul-traviolet radiation of intensities of 5 to30 times that produced during shieldedmetal-arc welding, the decompositionof chlorinated solvents by ultravioletrays, and the liberation of toxic fumesand gases, employees shall not be per-mitted to engage in, or be exposed tothe process until the following specialprecautions have been taken:

(i) The use of chlorinated solventsshall be kept at least two hundred (200)feet from the exposed arc, and surfacesprepared with chlorinated solventsshall be thoroughly dry before weldingis permitted on such surfaces.

(ii) Helpers and other employees inthe area not protected from the arc byscreening as provided in § 1915.56(e)shall be protected by filter lensesmeeting the requirements of § 1915.151(a) and (c). When two or more weldersare exposed to each other’s arc, filterlens goggles of a suitable type meetingthe requirements of § 1915.151 (a) and (c)shall be worn under welding helmets orhand shields to protect the welderagainst flashes and radiant energywhen either the helmet is lifted or theshield is removed.

(iii) Welders and other employeeswho are exposed to radiation shall besuitably protected so that the skin iscovered completely to prevent burnsand other damage by ultraviolet rays.Welding helmets and hand shields shallbe free of leaks and openings, and freeof highly reflective surfaces.

(iv) When inert-gas metal-arc weld-ing is being performed on stainlesssteel, the requirements of paragraph(d)(2) of this section shall be met toprotect against dangerous concentra-tions of nitrogen dioxide.

(f) General welding, cutting, and heat-ing. (1) Welding, cutting and heatingnot involving conditions or materialsdescribed in paragraph (c), (d) or (e) ofthis section may normally be donewithout mechanical ventilation or res-piratory protective equipment, but

where, because of unusual physical oratmospheric conditions, an unsafe ac-cumulation of contaminants exists,suitable mechanical ventilation or res-piratory protective equipment shall beprovided.

(2) Employees performing any type ofwelding, cutting or heating shall beprotected by suitable eye protectiveequipment in accordance with the re-quirements of § 1915.151 (a) and (c).

(g) Residues and cargoes of metallicores. (1) Residues and cargoes of metal-lic ores of toxic significance shall beremoved from the area or protectedfrom the heat before ship repair workwhich involves welding, cutting orheating is begun.

§ 1915.52 Fire prevention.1

(a) Paragraph (a) applies to ship re-pairing, shipbuilding and shipbreaking,and paragraph (b) applies to ship re-pairing and shipbuilding only.

(1) When practical, objects to bewelded, cut or heated shall be moved toa designated safe location or, if the ob-ject to be welded, cut or heated cannotbe readily moved, all movable fire haz-ards including residues of combustiblebulk cargoes in the vicinity shall betaken to a safe place.

(2) If the object to be welded, cut orheated cannot be moved and if all thefire hazards including combustible car-goes cannot be removed, positivemeans shall be taken to confine theheat, sparks, and slag, and to protectthe immovable fire hazards from them.

(3) When welding, cutting or heatingis performed on tank shells, decks,overheads and bulkheads, since directpenetration of sparks or heat tranfermay introduce a fire hazard to an adja-cent compartment, the same pre-cautions shall be taken on the oppositeside as are taken on the side on whichthe welding is being performed.

(4) In order to eliminate the possibil-ity of fire in confined spaces as a resultof gas escaping through leaking or im-properly closed torch valves, the gassupply to the torch shall be positively


49


shut off at some point outside the con-fined space whenever the torch is notto be used or whenever the torch is leftunattended for a substantial period oftime, such as during the lunch hour.Overnight and at the change of shifts,the torch and hose shall be removedfrom the confined space. Open end fuelgas and oxygen hoses shall be imme-diately removed from confined spaceswhen they are disconnected from thetorch or other gas consuming device.

(b) The provisions of this paragraphshall apply to ship repairing and ship-building only.

(1) No welding, cutting or heatingshall be done where the application offlammable paints or the presence ofother flammable compounds or ofheavy dust concentrate creates a haz-ard.

(2) Suitable fire extinguishing equip-ment shall be immediately available inthe work area and shall be maintainedin a state of readiness for instant use.In addition, when hot work is beingperformed aboard a vessel and pressureis not available on the vessel’s fire sys-tem, an auxiliary supply of water shallbe made available where practicable,consistent with avoiding freezing of thelines or hose.

(3) When the welding, cutting, orheating operation is such that normalfire prevention precautions are not suf-ficient, additional personnel shall beassigned to guard against fire while theactual welding, cutting, or heating op-eration is being performed and for asufficient period of time after comple-tion of the work to insure that no pos-sibility of fire exists. Such personnelshall be instructed as to the specificanticipated fire hazards and how thefire fighting equipment provided is tobe used.

(4) Vaporizing liquid extinguishersshall not be used in enclosed spaces.

(5) Except when the contents arebeing removed or transferred, drums,pails, and other containers which con-tain or have contained flammable liq-uids shall be kept closed. Empty con-tainers shall be removed to a safe areaapart from hot work operations, oropen flames.

(c) In all cases, suitable fire extin-guishing equipment shall be imme-diately available in the work area and

shall be maintained in a state of readi-ness for instant use. Personnel as-signed to contain fires within control-lable limits shall be instructed as tothe specific anticipated fire hazardsand how the fire fighting equipmentprovided is to be used. The provisionsof this paragraph shall apply toshipbreaking only.

§ 1915.53 Welding, cutting and heatingin way of preservative coatings.

(a) The provisions in this sectionshall apply to all ship repairing, ship-building and shipbreaking operationsexcept for paragraphs (e) and (f) of thissection which shall apply to ship re-pairing and shipbulding and shall notapply to shipbreaking.

(b) Before welding, cutting or heatingis commenced on any surface coveredby a preservative coating whose flam-mability is not known, a test shall bemade by a competent person to deter-mine its flammability. Preservativecoatings shall be considered to be high-ly flammable when scrapings burn withextreme rapidity.

(c) Precautions shall be taken to pre-vent ignition of highly flammablehardened preservative coatings. Whencoatings are determined to be highlyflammable they shall be stripped fromthe area to be heated to prevent igni-tion, or, where shipbreaking is in-volved, the coatings may be burnedaway under controlled conditions. A 11⁄2inch or larger fire hose with fog nozzle,which has been uncoiled and placedunder pressure, shall be immediatelyavailable for instant use in the imme-diate vicinity, consistent with avoidingfreezing of the hose.

(d) Protection against toxic preservativecoatings. (1) In enclosed spaces, all sur-faces covered with toxic preservativesshall be stripped of all toxic coatingsfor a distance of at least 4 inches fromthe area of heat application or the em-ployees shall be protected by air linerespirators meeting the requirementsof § 1915.152(a).

(2) In the open air, employees shall beprotected by a filter type respirator inaccordance with the requirements of§ 1915.152 (a) and (d).

(e) Before welding, cutting or heatingis commenced in enclosed spaces on


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metals covered by soft and greasy pre-servatives, the following precautionsshall be taken:

(1) A competent person shall test theatmosphere in the space to ensure thatit does not contain explosive vapors,since there is a possibility that somesoft and greasy preservatives may haveflash points below temperatures whichmay be expected to occur naturally. Ifsuch vapors are determined to bepresent, no hot work shall be com-menced until such precautions havebeen taken as will ensure that thewelding, cutting or heating can be per-formed in safety.

(2) The preservative coatings shall beremoved for a sufficient distance fromthe area to be heated to ensure thatthe temperature of the unstrippedmetal will not be appreciably raised.Artificial cooling of the metal sur-rounding the heated area may be usedto limit the size of the area required tobe cleaned. The prohibition containedin § 1915.34(b)(2) shall apply.

(f) Immediately after welding, cut-ting or heating is commenced in en-closed spaces on metal covered by softand greasy preservatives, and at fre-quent intervals thereafter, a competentperson shall make tests to ensure thatno flammable vapors are being pro-duced by the coatings. If such vaporsare determined to be present, the oper-ation shall be stopped immediately andshall not be resumed until such addi-tional precautions have been taken asare necessary to ensure that the oper-ation can be resumed safely.

§ 1915.54 Welding, cutting and heatingof hollow metal containers andstructures not covered by § 1915.12.

The provisions of this section shallapply to ship repairing, shipbuildingand shipbreaking.

(a) Drums, containers, or hollowstructures which have contained flam-mable substances shall, before welding,cutting, or heating is undertaken onthem, either be filled with water orthoroughly cleaned of such substancesand ventilated and tested.

(b) Before heat is applied to a drum,container, or hollow structure, a ventor opening shall be provided for the re-lease of any built-up pressure duringthe application of heat.

(c) Before welding, cutting, heatingor brazing is begun on structural voidssuch as skegs, bilge keels, fair waters,masts, booms, support stanchions, pipestanchions or railings, a competentperson shall inspect the object and, ifnecessary, test it for the presence offlammable liquids or vapors. If flam-mable liquids or vapors are present, theobject shall be made safe.

(d) Objects such as those listed inparagraph (c) of this section shall alsobe inspected to determine whetherwater or other non-flammable liquidsare present which, when heated, wouldbuild up excessive pressure. If such liq-uids are determined to be present, theobject shall be vented, cooled, or other-wise made safe during the applicationof heat.

(e) Jacketed vessels shall be ventedbefore and during welding, cutting orheating operations in order to releaseany pressure which may build up dur-ing the application of heat.

§ 1915.55 Gas welding and cutting.The provisions of this section shall

apply to ship repairing, shipbuildingand shipbreaking.

(a) Transporting, moving and storingcompressed gas cylinders. (1) Valve pro-tection caps shall be in place and se-cure. Oil shall not be used to lubricateprotection caps.

(2) When cylinders are hoisted, theyshall be secured on a cradle, slingboardor pallet. They shall not be hoisted bymeans of magnets or choker slings.

(3) Cylinders shall be moved by tilt-ing and rolling them on their bottomedges. They shall not be intentionallydropped, struck, or permitted to strikeeach other violently.

(4) When cylinders are transported byvehicle, they shall be secured in posi-tion.

(5) Valve protection caps shall not beused for lifting cylinders from one ver-tical position to another. Bars shallnot be used under valves or valve pro-tection caps to pry cylinders loosewhen frozen. Warm, not boiling, watershall be used to thaw cylinders loose.

(6) Unless cylinders are firmly se-cured on a special carrier intended forthis purpose, regulators shall be re-moved and valve protection caps put inplace before cylinders are moved.


51


(7) A suitable cylinder truck, chain,or other steadying device shall be usedto keep cylinders from being knockedover while in use.

(8) When work is finished, when cyl-inders are empty or when cylinders aremoved at any time, the cylinder valvesshall be closed.

(9) Acetylene cylinders shall be se-cured in an upright position at alltimes except, if necessary, for short pe-riods of time while cylinders are actu-ally being hoisted or carried.

(b) Placing cylinders. (1) Cylindersshall be kept far enough away from theactual welding or cutting operation sothat sparks, hot slag or flame will notreach them. When this is impractical,fire resistant shields shall be provided.

(2) Cylinders shall be placed wherethey cannot become part of an elec-trical circuit. Electrodes shall not bestruck against a cylinder to strike anarc.

(3) Fuel gas cylinders shall be placedwith valve end up whenever they are inuse. They shall not be placed in a loca-tion where they would be subject toopen flame, hot metal, or other sourcesof artificial heat.

(4) Cylinders containing oxygen oracetylene or other fuel gas shall not betaken into confined spaces.

(c) Treatment of cylinders. (1) Cyl-inders, whether full or empty, shall notbe used as rollers or supports.

(2) No person other than the gas sup-plier shall attempt to mix gases in acylinder. No one except the owner ofthe cylinder or person authorized byhim shall refill a cylinder. No one shalluse a cylinder’s contents for purposesother than those intended by the sup-plier. Only cylinders bearing InterstateCommerce Commission identificationand inspection markings shall be used.

(3) No damaged or defective cylindershall be used.

(d) Use of fuel gas. The employer shallthoroughly instruct employees in thesafe use of fuel gas, as follows:

(1) Before connecting a regulator to acylinder valve, the valve shall beopened slightly and closed imme-diately. (This action is generallytermed ‘‘cracking’’ and is intended toclear the valve of dust or dirt thatmight otherwise enter the regulator.)The person cracking the valve shall

stand to one side of the outlet, not infront of it. The valve of a fuel gas cyl-inder shall not be cracked where thegas would reach welding work, sparks,flame or other possible sources of igni-tion.

(2) The cylinder valve shall always beopened slowly to prevent damage tothe regulator. To permit quick closing,valves on fuel gas cylinders shall notbe opened more than 11⁄2 turns. When aspecial wrench is required, it shall beleft in position on the stem of the valvewhile the cylinder is in use so that thefuel gas flow can be shut off quickly incase of an emergency. In the case ofmanifolded or coupled cylinders, atleast one such wrench shall always beavailable for immediate use. Nothingshall be placed on top of a fuel gas cyl-inder, when in use, which may damagethe safety device or interfere with thequick closing of the valve.

(3) Fuel gas shall not be used fromcylinders through torches or other de-vices which are equipped with shut-offvalves without reducing the pressurethrough a suitable regulator attachedto the cylinder valve or manifold.

(4) Before a regulator is removedfrom a cylinder valve, the cylindervalve shall always be closed and thegas released from the regulator.

(5) If, when the valve on a fuel gascylinder is opened, there is found to bea leak around the valve stem, the valveshall be closed and the gland nut tight-ened. If this action does not stop theleak, the use of the cylinder shall bediscontinued, and it shall be properlytagged and removed from the vessel. Inthe event that fuel gas should leakfrom the cylinder valve rather thanfrom the valve stem and the gas cannotbe shut off, the cylinder shall be prop-erly tagged and removed from the ves-sel. If a regulator attached to a cyl-inder valve will effectively stop a leakthrough the valve seat, the cylinderneed not be removed from the vessel.

(6) If a leak should develop at a fuseplug or other safety device, the cyl-inder shall be removed from the vessel

(e) Fuel gas and oxygen manifolds. (1)Fuel gas and oxygen manifolds shallbear the name of the substance theycontain in letters at least one (1) inchhigh which shall be either painted on


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the manifold or on a sign permanentlyattached to it.

(2) Fuel gas and oxygen manifoldsshall be placed in safe and accessiblelocations in the open air. They shallnot be located within enclosed spaces.

(3) Manifold hose connections, in-cluding both ends of the supply hosethat lead to the manifold, shall be suchthat the hose cannot be interchangedbetween fuel gas and oxygen manifoldsand supply header connections. Adapt-ers shall not be used to permit theinterchange of hose. Hose connectionsshall be kept free of grease and oil.

(4) When not in use, manifold andheader hose connections shall becapped.

(5) Nothing shall be placed on top ofa manifold, when in use, which willdamage the manifold or interfere withthe quick closing of the valves.

(f) Hose. (1) Fuel gas hose and oxygenhose shall be easily distinguishablefrom each other. The contrast may bemade by different colors or by surfacecharacteristics readily distinguishableby the sense of touch. Oxygen and fuelgas hoses shall not be interchangeable.A single hose having more than one gaspassage, a wall failure of which wouldpermit the flow of one gas into theother gas passage, shall not be used.

(2) When parallel sections of oxygenand fuel gas hose are taped togethernot more than 4 inches out of 8 inchesshall be covered by tape.

(3) All hose carrying acetylene, oxy-gen, natural or manufactured fuel gas,or any gas or substance which may ig-nite or enter into combustion or be inany way harmful to employees, shall beinspected at the beginning of eachshift. Defective hose shall be removedfrom service.

(4) Hose which has been subjected toflashback or which shows evidence ofsevere wear or damage shall be testedto twice the normal pressure to whichit is subject, but in no case less thantwo hundered (200) psi. Defective hoseor hose in doubtful condition shall notbe used.

(5) Hose couplings shall be of the typethat cannot be unlocked or discon-nected by means of a straight pullwithout rotary motion.

(6) Boxes used for the stowage of gashose shall be ventilated.

(g) Torches. (1) Clogged torch tipopenings shall be cleaned with suitablecleaning wires, drills or other devicesdesigned for such purpose.

(2) Torches shall be inspected at thebeginning of each shift for leakingshutoff valves, hose couplings, and tipconnections. Defective torches shallnot be used.

(3) Torches shall be lighted by fric-tion lighters or other approved devices,and not by matches or from hot work.

(h) Pressure regulators. Oxygen andfuel gas pressure regulators includingtheir related gauges shall be in properworking order while in use.

§ 1915.56 Arc welding and cutting.


(a) Manual electrode holders. (1) Onlymanual electrode holders which arespecifically designed for arc weldingand cutting and are of a capacity capa-ble of safely handling the maximumrated current required by the elec-trodes shall be used.

(2) Any current carrying parts pass-ing through the portion of the holderwhich the arc welder or cutter grips inhis hand, and the outer surfaces of thejaws of the holder, shall be fully insu-lated against the maximum voltage en-countered to ground.

(b) Welding cables and connectors. (1)All arc welding and cutting cables shallbe of the completely insulated, flexibletype, capable of handling the maxi-mum current requirements of the workin progress, taking into account theduty cycle under which the arc welderor cutter is working.

(2) Only cable free from repair orsplices for a minimum distance of ten(10) feet from the cable end to whichthe electrode holder is connected shallbe used, except that cables with stand-ard insulated connectors or withsplices whose insulating quality isequal to that of the cable are per-mitted.

(3) When it becomes necessary to con-nect or splice lengths of cable one toanother, substantial insulated connec-tors of a capacity at least equivalent tothat of the cable shall be used. If con-nections are effected by means of cable


53


lugs, they shall be securely fastened to-gether to give good electrical contact,and the exposed metal parts of the lugsshall be completely insulated.

(4) Cables in poor repair shall not beused. When a cable other than thecable lead referred to in paragraph(b)(2) of this section becomes worn tothe extent of exposing bare conductors,the portion thus exposed shall be pro-tected by means of rubber and frictiontapes or other equivalent insulation.

(c) Ground returns and machinegrounding. (1) A ground return cableshall have a safe current carrying ca-pacity equal to or exceeding the speci-fied maximum output capacity of thearc welding or cutting unit which itservices. When a single ground returncable services more than one unit, itssafe current carrying capacity shallequal or exceed the total specifiedmaximum output capacities of all theunits which it services.

(2) Structures or pipe lines, exceptpipe lines containing gases of flam-mable liquids or conduits containingelectrical circuits, may be used as partof the ground return circuit, providedthat the pipe or structure has a currentcarrying capacity equal to that re-quired by paragraph (c)(1) of this sec-tion.

(3) When a structure or pipe line isemployed as a ground return circuit, itshall be determined that the requiredelectrical contact exists at all joints.The generation of an arc, sparks orheat at any point shall cause rejectionof the structure as a ground circuit.

(4) When a structure or pipe line iscontinuously employed as a ground re-turn circuit, all joints shall be bonded,and periodic inspections shall be con-ducted to ensure that no condition ofelectrolysis or fire hazard exists by vir-tue of such use.

(5) The frames of all arc welding andcutting machines shall be grounded ei-ther through a third wire in the cablecontaining the circuit conductor orthrough a separate wire which isgrounded at the source of the current.Grounding circuits, other than bymeans of the vessel’s structure, shallbe checked to ensure that the circuitbetween the ground and the groundedpower conductor has resistance lowenough to permit sufficient current to

flow to cause the fuse or circuit break-er to interrupt the current.

(6) All ground connections shall beinspected to ensure that they are me-chanically strong and electrically ade-quate for the required current.

(d) Operating instructions. Employersshall instruct employees in the safemeans of arc welding and cutting asfollows:

(1) When electrode holders are to beleft unattended, the electrodes shall beremoved and the holders shall be soplaced or protected that they cannotmake electrical contact with employ-ees or conducting objects.

(2) Hot electrode holders shall not bedipped in water, since to do so may ex-pose the arc welder or cutter to elec-tric shock.

(3) When the arc welder or cutter hasoccasion to leave his work or to stopwork for any appreciable length oftime, or when the arc welding or cut-ting machine is to be moved, the powersupply switch to the equipment shallbe opened.

(4) Any faulty or defective equipmentshall be reported to the supervisor.

(e) Shielding. Whenever practicable,all arc welding and cutting operationsshall be shielded by noncombustible orflame-proof screens which will protectemployees and other persons workingin the vicinity from the direct rays ofthe arc.

§ 1915.57 Uses of fissionable materialin ship repairing and shipbuilding.

The provisions of this section applyto ship repairing and shipbuilding only.

(a) In activities involving the use ofand exposure to sources of ionizing ra-diation not only on conventionallypowered but also on nuclear poweredvessels, the applicable provisions of theNuclear Regulatory Commission’sStandards for Protection Against Radi-ation (10 CFR part 20), relating to pro-tection against occupational radiationexposure, shall apply.

(b) Any activity which involves theuse of radiocative material, whether ornot under license from the NuclearRegulatory Commission, shall be per-formed by competent persons speciallytrained in the proper and safe oper-ation of such equipment. In the case of


54


materials used under Commission li-cense, only persons actually licensed,or competent persons under directionand supervision of the licensee, shallperform such work.

Subpart E—Scaffolds, Ladders andOther Working Surfaces

§ 1915.71 Scaffolds or staging.

(a) Scope and application. The provi-sions of this section shall apply to allship repairing, shipbuilding andshipbreaking operations except thatparagraphs (b)(8) through (b)(10) andparagraphs (c) through (f) of this sec-tion shall only apply to ship repairingand shipbuilding operations and shallnot apply to shipbreaking.

(b) General requirements. (1) All scaf-folds and their supports whether oflumber, steel or other material, shallbe capable of supporting the load theyare designed to carry with a safety fac-tor of not less than four (4).

(2) All lumber used in the construc-tion of scaffolds shall be spruce, fir,long leaf yellow pine, Oregon pine orwood of equal strength. The use ofhemlock, short leaf yellow pine, orshort fiber lumber is prohibited.

(3) Lumber dimensions as given inthis subpart are nominal except wheregiven in fractions of an inch.

(4) All lumber used in the construc-tion of scaffolds shall be sound,straight-grained, free from cross grain,shakes and large, loose or dead knots.It shall also be free from dry rot, largechecks, worm holes or other defectswhich impair its strength or durabil-ity.

(5) Scaffolds shall be maintained in asafe and secure condition. Any compo-nent of the scaffold which is broken,burned or otherwise defective shall bereplaced.

(6) Barrels, boxes, cans, loose bricks,or other unstable objects shall not beused as working platforms or for thesupport of planking intended as scaf-folds or working platforms.

(7) No scaffold shall be erected,moved, dismantled or altered exceptunder the supervision of competentpersons.

(8) No welding, burning, riveting oropen flame work shall be performed on

any staging suspended by means offiber rope.

(9) Lifting bridles on working plat-forms suspended from cranes shall con-sist of four legs so attached that thestability of the platform is assured.

(10) Unless the crane hook has a safe-ty latch or is moused, the lifting bri-dles on working platforms suspendedfrom cranes shall be attached byshackles to the lower lifting block orother positive means shall be taken toprevent them from becoming acciden-tally disengaged from the crane hook.

(c) Independent pole wood scaffolds. (1)All pole uprights shall be set plump.Poles shall rest on a foundation of suf-ficient size and strength to distributethe loan and to prevent displacement.

(2) In light-duty scaffolds, not morethan 24 feet in height, poles may bespliced by overlapping the ends not lessthan 4 feet and securely nailing themtogether. A substantial cleat shall benailed to the lower section to form asupport for the upper section exceptwhen bolted connections are used.

(3) All other poles to be spliced shallbe squared at the ends of each splice,abutted, and rigidly fastened togetherby not less than two cleats securelynailed or bolted thereto. Each cleatshall overlap each pole end by at least24 inches and shall have a width equalto the face of the pole to which it is at-tached. The combined cross sectionalarea of the cleats shall be not less thanthe cross sectional area of the pole.

(4) Ledgers shall extend over two con-secutive pole spaces and shall overlapthe poles at each end by not less than4 inches. They shall be left in positionto brace the poles as the platform israised with the progress of the work.Ledgers shall be level and shall be se-curely nailed or bolted to each pole andshall be placed against the inside faceof each pole.

(5) All bearers shall be set with theirgreater dimension vertical and shallextend beyond the ledgers upon whichthey rest.

(6) Diagonal bracing shall be providedbetween the parallel poles, and crossbracing shall be provided between theinner and outer poles or from the outerpoles to the ground.


55


(7) Minimum dimensions and spacingof members shall be in accordance withTable E–1 in § 1915.118.

(8) Platform planking shall be in ac-cordance with the requirements ofparagraph (i) of this section.

(9) Backrails and toeboards shall bein accordance with the requirements ofparagraph (j) of this section.

(d) Independent pole metal scaffolds. (1)Metal scaffold members shall be main-tained in good repair and free of corro-sion.

(2) All vertical and horizontal mem-bers shall be fastened together with acoupler or locking device which willform a positive connection. The lock-ing device shall be of a type which hasno loose parts.

(3) Posts shall be kept plumb duringerection and the scaffold shall be sub-sequently kept plumb and rigid bymeans of adequate bracing.

(4) Posts shall be fitted with basessupported on a firm foundation to dis-tribute the load. When wooden sills areused, the bases shall be fastened there-to.

(5) Bearers shall be located at eachset of posts, at each level, and at eachintermediate level where working plat-forms are installed.

(6) Tubular bracing shall be appliedboth lengthwise and crosswise as re-quired.

(7) Platform planking shall be in ac-cordance with the requirements ofparagraph (h) of this section.


(e) Wood trestle and extension trestleladders. (1) The use of trestle ladders,or extension sections or base sectionsof extension trestle ladders longer than20 feet is prohibited. The total heightof base and extension may, however, bemore than 20 feet.

(2) The minimum dimensions of theside rails of the trestle ladder, or thebase sections of the extension trestleladder, shall be as follows:

(i) Ladders up to and including those16 feet long shall have side rails of notless than 15⁄16 x 23⁄4 inch lumber.

(ii) Ladders over 16 feet long and upto and including those 20 feet longshall have side tails of not less than15⁄16 x 3 inch lumber.

(3) The side rails of the extension sec-tion of the extension trestle laddershall be parallel and shall have mini-mum dimensions as follows:

(i) Ladders up to and including 12 feetlong shall have side rails of not lessthan 15⁄16 x 21⁄4 inch lumber.

(ii) Ladders over 12 feet long and upto and including those 16 feet longshall have side rails of not less than15⁄16 x 21⁄2 inch lumber.

(iii) Ladders over 16 feet long and upto and including those 20 feet longshall have side rails of not less than15⁄16 x 23⁄4 inch lumber.

(4) Trestle ladders and base sectionsof extension trestle ladders shall be sospread that when in an open positionthe spread of the trestle at the bottom,inside to inside, shall be not less than51⁄2 inches per foot of the length of theladder.

(5) The width between the side railsat the bottom of the trestle ladder orof the base section of the extensiontrestle ladder shall be not less than 21inches for all ladders and sections 6feet or less in length. For longerlengths of ladder, the width shall be in-creased at least 1 inch for each addi-tional foot of length. The width be-tween the side rails of the extensionsection of the trestle ladder shall benot less than 12 inches.

(6) In order to limit spreading, thetop ends of the side rails of both thetrestle ladder and of the base section ofthe extension trestle ladder shall bebeveled, or of equivalent construction,and shall be provided with a metalhinge.

(7) A metal spreader or locking de-vice to hold the front and back sectionsin an open position, and to hold the ex-tension section securely in the elevatedposition, shall be a component of eachtrestle ladder or extension ladder.

(8) Rungs shall be parallel and level.On the trestle ladder, or on the basesection of the extension trestle ladder,rungs shall be spaced not less than 8inches nor more than 18 inches apart;on the extension section of the exten-sion trestle ladder, rungs shall bespaced not less than 6 inches nor morethan 12 inches apart.

(9) Platform planking shall be in ac-cordance with the requirements ofparagraph (i) of this section, except


56


that the width of the platform plank-ing shall not exceed the distance be-tween the siderails.


(f) Painters’ suspended scaffolds. (1)The supporting hooks of swinging scaf-folds shall be constructed to be equiva-lent in strength to mild steel orwrought iron, shall be forged with care,shall be not less than 7⁄8 inch in diame-ter, and shall be secured to a safe an-chorage at all times.

(2) The ropes supporting a swingingscaffold shall be equivalent in strengthto first-grade 3⁄4 inch diameter manilarope properly rigged into a set ofstandard 6 inch blocks consisting of atleast one double and one single block.

(3) Manila and wire ropes shall becarefully examined before each oper-ation and thereafter as frequently asmay be necessary to ensure their safecondition.

(4) Each end of the scaffold platformshall be supported by a wrought iron ormild steel stirrup or hanger, which inturn is supported by the suspensionropes.

(5) Stirrups shall be constructed so asto be equivalent in strength to wroughtiron 3⁄4 inch in diameter.

(6) The stirrups shall be formed witha horizontal bottom member to supportthe platform, shall be provided withmeans to support the guardrail andmidrail and shall have a loop or eye atthe top for securing the supportinghook on the block.

(7) Two or more swinging scaffoldsshall not at any time be combined intoone by bridging the distance betweenthem with planks or any other form ofplatform.

(8) No more than two men shall bepermitted to work at one time on aswinging scaffold built to the mini-mum specifications contained in thisparagraph. Where heavier constructionis used, the number of men permittedto work on the scaffold shall be deter-mined by the size and the safe workingload of the scaffold.


(10) The swinging scaffold platformshall be one of the three types de-

scribed in paragraphs (f)(11), (12), and(13) of this section.

(11) The ladder-type platform con-sists of boards upon a horizontal lad-der-like structure, referred to herein asthe ladder, the side rails of which areparallel. If this type of platform is usedthe following requirements shall bemet.

(i) The width between the side railsshall be no more than 20 inches.

(ii) The side rails of ladders in ladder-type platforms shall be equivalent instrength to a beam of clear straight-grained spruce of the dimensions con-tained in Table E–2 in § 1915.118.

(iii) The side rails shall be tied to-gether with tie rods. The tie rods shallbe not less than 5⁄16 inch in diameter,located no more than 5 feet apart, passthrough the rails, and be riveted uptight against washers at both ends.

(iv) The rungs shall be of straight-grained oak, ash, or hickory, not lessthan 11⁄8 inches diameter, with 7⁄8 inchtenons mortised into the side rails notless than 7⁄8 inch and shall be spaced nomore than 18 inches on centers.

(v) Flooring strips shall be spaced nomore than 5⁄8 inch apart except at theside rails, where 1 inch spacing is per-missible.

(vi) Flooring strips shall be cleatedon their undersides.

(12) The plank-type platform consistsof planks supported on the stirrups orhangers. If this type of platform isused, the following requirements shallbe met:

(i) The planks of plank-type plat-forms shall be of not less than 2 x 10inch lumber.

(ii) The platform shall be no morethan 24 inches in width.

(iii) The planks shall be tied togetherby cleats of not less than 1 x 6 inchlumber, nailed on their undersides atintervals of not more than 4 feet.

(iv) The planks shall extend not lessthan 6 inches nor more than 18 inchesbeyond the supporting stirrups.

(v) A cleat shall be nailed across theplatform on the underside at each endoutside the stirrup to prevent the plat-form from slipping off the stirrup.

(vi) Stirrup supports shall be notmore than 10 feet apart.

(13) The beam-type platform consistsof longitudinal side stringers with


57


cross beams set on edge and spaced notmore than 4 feet apart on which longi-tudinal platform planks are laid. If thistype platform is used, the following re-quirements shall be met:

(i) The side stringers shall be ofsound, straight-grained lumber, freefrom knots, and of not less than 2 x 6inch lumber, set on edge.

(ii) The stringers shall be supportedon the stirrups with a clear span be-tween stirrups of not more than 16 feet.

(iii) The stringers shall be bolted tothe stirrups by U-bolts passing aroundthe stirrups and bolted through thestringers with nuts drawn up tight onthe inside face.

(iv) The ends of the stringers shallextend beyond the stirrups not lessthan 6 inches nor more than 12 inchesat each end of the platform.

(v) The platform shall be supportedon cross beams of 2 x 6 inch lumber be-tween the side stringers securely nailedthereto and spaced not more than 4feet on centers.

(vi) The platform shall be not morethan 24 inches wide.

(vii) The platform shall be formed ofboards 7⁄8 inch in thickness by not lessthan 6 inches in width, nailed tightlytogether, and extending to the outsideface of the stringers.

(viii) The ends of all platform boardsshall rest on the top of the crossbeams, shall be securely nailed, and atno intermediate points in the length ofthe platform shall there be any canti-lever ends.

(g) Horse scaffolds. (1) The minimumdimensions of lumber used in the con-struction of horses shall be in accord-ance with Table E–3 in § 1915.118.

(2) Horses constructed of materialsother than lumber shall provide thestrength, rigidity and security requiredof horses constructed of lumber.

(3) The lateral spread of the legs shallbe equal to not less than one-third ofthe height of the horse.

(4) All horses shall be kept in goodrepair, and shall be properly securedwhen used in staging or in locationswhere they may be insecure.

(5) Platform planking shall be in ac-cordance with the requirements ofparagraph (i) of this section.

(6) Backrails and toeboards shall bein accordance with paragraph (j) of thissection.

(h) Other types of scaffolds. (1) Scaf-folds of a type for which specificationsare not contained in this section shallmeet the general requirements of para-graphs (b), (i), and (j) of this section,shall be in accordance with recognizedprinciples of design and shall be con-structed in accordance with acceptedstandards covering such equipment.

(i) Scaffold or platform planking. (1)Except as otherwise provided in para-graphs (f)(11) and (13) of this section,platform planking shall be of not lessthan 2 x 10 inch lumber. Platformplanking shall be straight-grained andfree from large or loose knots and maybe either rough or dressed.

(2) Platforms of staging shall be notless than two 10 inch planks in widthexcept in such cases as the structure ofthe vessel or the width of the trestleladders make it impossible to providesuch a width.

(3) Platform planking shall projectbeyond the supporting members at ei-ther end by at least 6 inches but in nocase shall project more than 12 inchesunless the planks are fastened to thesupporting members.

(4) Table E–4 in § 1915.118 shall be usedas a guide in determining safe loads forscaffold planks.

(j) Backrails and toeboards. (1) Scaf-folding, staging, runways, or workingplatforms which are supported or sus-pended more than 5 feet above a solidsurface, or at any distance above thewater, shall be provided with a railingwhich has a top rail whose upper sur-face is from 42 to 45 inches above theupper surface of the staging, platform,or runway and a midrail located half-way between the upper rail and thestaging, platform, or runway.

(2) Rails shall be of 2 x 4 inch lumber,flat bar or pipe. When used with rigidsupports, taut wire or fiber rope of ade-quate strength may be used. If the dis-tance between supports is more than 8feet, rails shall be equivalent instrength to 2 x 4 inch lumber. Railsshall be firmly secured. Where exposedto hot work or chemicals, fiber roperails shall not be used.

(3) Rails may be omitted where thestructure of the vessel prevents their


58


use. When rails are omitted, employeesworking more than 5 feet above solidsurfaces shall be protected by safetybelts and life lines meeting the require-ments of § 1915.154(b), and employeesworking over water shall be protectedby buoyant work vests meeting the re-quirements of § 1915.154(a).

(4) Employees working from swingingscaffolds which are triced out of a ver-tical line below their supports or fromscaffolds on paint floats subject tosurging, shall be protected against fall-ing toward the vessel by a railing or asafety belt and line attached to thebackrail.

(5) When necessary, to prevent toolsand materials from falling on menbelow, toeboards of not less than 1 x 4inch lumber shall be provided.

(k) Access to staging. (1) Access frombelow to staging more than 5 feetabove a floor, deck or the ground shallconsist of well secured stairways,cleated ramps, fixed or portable laddersmeeting the applicable requirements of§ 1915.72 or rigid type non-collapsibletrestles with parallel and level rungs.

(2) Ramps and stairways shall be pro-vided with 36-inch handrails withmidrails.

(3) Ladders shall be so located orother means shall be taken so that it isnot necessary for employees to stepmore than one foot from the ladder toany intermediate landing or platform.

(4) Ladders forming integral parts ofprefabricated staging are deemed tomeet the requirements of these regula-tions.

(5) Access from above to stagingmore than 3 feet below the point of ac-cess shall consist of a straight, port-able ladder meeting the applicable re-quirements of § 1915.72 or a Jacob’s lad-der properly secured, meeting the re-quirements of § 1915.74(d).

§ 1915.72 Ladders.The provisions of this section shall


(a) General requirements. (1) The use ofladders with broken or missing rungsor steps, broken or split side rails, orother faulty or defective constructionis prohibited. When ladders with suchdefects are discovered, they shall beimmediately withdrawn from service.

Inspection of metal ladders shall in-clude checking for corrosion of interi-ors of open end, hollow rungs.

(2) When sections of ladders arespliced, the ends shall be abutted, andnot fewer than 2 cleats shall be se-curely nailed or bolted to each rail.The combined cross sectional area ofthe cleats shall be not less than thecross sectional area of the side rail.The dimensions of side rails for theirtotal length shall be those specified inparagraph (b) or (c) of this section.

(3) Portable ladders shall be lashed,blocked or otherwise secured to pre-vent their being displaced. The siderails of ladders used for access to anylevel shall extend not less than 36inches above that level. When this isnot practical, grab rails which will pro-vide a secure grip for an employeemoving to or from the point of accessshall be installed.

(4) Portable metal ladders shall be ofstrength equivalent to that of woodladders. Manufactured portable metalladders provided by the employer shallbe in accordance with the provisions ofthe American National Standards In-stitute Safety Code for Portable MetalLadders, A14.2—1972.

(5) Portable metal ladders shall notbe used near electrical conductors norfor electric arc welding operations.

(6) Manufactured portable wood lad-ders provided by the employer shall bein accordance with the provisions ofthe American National Standards In-stitute Safety Code for Portable WoodLadders, A14—1975.

(b) Construction of portable woodcleated ladders up to 30 feet in length. (1)Wood side rails shall be made fromWest Coast hemlock, Eastern spruce,Sitka spruce, or wood of equivalentstrength. Material shall be seasoned,straight-grained wood, and free fromshakes, checks, decay or other defectswhich will impair its strength. The useof low density woods is prohibited.

(2) Side rails shall be dressed on allsides and kept free of splinters.

(3) All knots shall be sound and hard.The use of material containing looseknots is prohibited. Knots shall not ap-pear on the narrow face of the rail and,when in the side face, shall be not morethan 1⁄2 inch in diameter or within 1⁄2


59


inch of the edge of the rail or nearerthan 3 inches to a tread or rung.

(4) Pitch pockets not exceeding 1⁄8inch in width, 2 inches in length and 1⁄2inch in depth are permissible in woodside rails, provided that not more thanone such pocket appears in each 4 feetof length.

(5) The width between side rails atthe base shall be not less than 111⁄2inches for ladders 10 feet or less inlength. For longer ladders this widthshall be increased at least 1⁄4 inch foreach additional 2 feet in length.

(6) Side rails shall be at least 15⁄8 x 35⁄8inches in cross section.

(7) Cleats (meaning rungs rectangularin cross section with the wide dimen-sion parallel to the rails) shall be ofthe material used for side rails,straight-grained and free from knots.Cleats shall be mortised into the edgesof the side rails 1⁄2 inch, or filler blocksshall be used on the rails between thecleats. The cleats shall be secured toeach rail with three 10d common wirenails or fastened with through bolts orother fasteners of equivalent strength.Cleats shall be uniformly spaced notmore than 12 inches apart.

(8) Cleats 20 inches or less in lengthshall be at least 25/32 x 3 inches in crosssection. Cleats over 20 inches but notmore than 30 inches in length shall beat least 25/32 x 33⁄4 inches in cross sec-tion.

(c) Construction of portable woodcleated ladders from 30 to 60 feet inlength. (1) Ladders from 30 to 60 feet inlength shall be in accordance with thespecifications of paragraph (b) of thissection with the following exceptions:

(i) Rails shall be of not less than 2 x6 inch lumber.

(ii) Cleats shall be of not less than 1x 4 inch lumber.

(iii) Cleats shall be nailed to eachrail with five 10d common wire nails orfastened with through bolts or otherfastenings of equivalent strength.

§ 1915.73 Guarding of deck openingsand edges.

(a) The provisions of this sectionshall apply to ship repairing and ship-building operations and shall not applyto shipbreaking.

(b) When employees are working inthe vicinity of flush manholes and

other small openings of comparablesize in the deck and other working sur-faces, such openings shall be suitablycovered or guarded to a height of notless than 30 inches, except where theuse of such guards is made impractica-ble by the work actually in progress.

(c) When employees are workingaround open hatches not protected bycoamings to a height of 24 inches oraround other large openings, the edgeof the opening shall be guarded in theworking area to height of 36 to 42inches, except where the use of suchguards is made impracticable by thework actually in progress.

(d) When employees are exposed tounguarded edges of decks, platforms,flats, and similar flat surfaces, morethan 5 feet above a solid surface, theedges shall be guarded by adequateguardrails meeting the requirements of§ 1915.71(j) (1) and (2), unless the natureof the work in progress or the physicalconditions prohibit the use or installa-tion of such guardrails.

(e) When employees are working nearthe unguarded edges of decks of vesselsafloat, they shall be protected by per-sonal flotation devices, meeting the re-quirements of § 1915.154(a).

(f) Sections of bilges from which floorplates or gratings have been removedshall be guarded by guardrails exceptwhere they would interfere with workin progress. If these open sections arein a walkway at least two 10-inchplanks placed side by side, or equiva-lent, shall be laid across the opening toprovide a safe walking surface.

(g) Gratings, walkways, and cat-walks, from which sections or laddershave been removed, shall be barricadedwith adequate guardrails.

§ 1915.74 Access to vessels.(a) Access to vessels afloat. The em-

ployer shall not permit employees toboard or leave any vessel, except abarge or river towboat, until the fol-lowing requirements have been met:

(1) Whenever practicable, a gangwayof not less than 20 inches walking sur-face of adequate strength, maintainedin safe repair and safely secured shallbe used. If a gangway is not prac-ticable, a substantial straight ladder,extending at least 36 inches above theupper landing surface and adequately


60


secured against shifting or slippingshall be provided. When conditions aresuch that neither a gangway nor astraight ladder can be used, a Jacob’sladder meeting the requirements ofparagraphs (d) (1) and (2) of this sectionmay be used.

(2) Each side of such gangway, andthe turn table if used, shall have a rail-ing with a minimum height of approxi-mately 33 inches measured perpendicu-larly from rail to walking surface atthe stanchion, with a mid rail. Railsshall be of wood, pipe, chain, wire orrope and shall be kept taut at alltimes.

(3) Gangways on vessels inspectedand certificated by the U.S. CoastGuard are deemed to meet the fore-going requirements, except in caseswhere the vessel’s regular gangway isnot being used.

(4) The gangway shall be kept prop-erly trimmed at all times.

(5) When a fixed tread accommoda-tions ladder is used, and the angle islow enough to require employees towalk on the edge of the treads, cleatedduckboards shall be laid over and se-cured to the ladder.

(6) When the lower end of a gangwayoverhangs the water between the shipand the dock in such a manner thatthere is danger of employees falling be-tween the ship and the dock, a net orother suitable protection shall berigged at the foot of the gangway insuch a manner as to prevent employeesfrom falling from the end of the gang-way.

(7) If the foot of the gangway is morethan one foot away from the edge ofthe apron, the space between themshall be bridged by a firm walkwayequipped with railings, with a mini-mum height of approximately 33 incheswith midrails on both sides.

(8) Supporting bridles shall be keptclear so as to permit unobstructed pas-sage for employees using the gangway.

(9) When the upper end of the meansof access rests on or flush with the topof the bulwark, substantial steps prop-erly secured and equipped with at leastone substantial handrail approximately33 inches in height shall be provided be-tween the top of the bulwark and thedeck.

(10) Obstructions shall not be laid onor across the gangway.

(11) The means of access shall be ade-quately illuminated for its full length.

(12) Unless the construction of thevessel makes it impossible, the meansof access shall be so located that draftsof cargo do not pass over it. In anyevent, loads shall not be passed overthe means of access while employeesare on it.

(b) Access to vessels in drydock or be-tween vessels. Gangways meeting the re-quirements of paragraphs (a) (1), (2),(9), (10), (11) of this section shall be pro-vided for access from wingwall to ves-sel or, when two or more vessels, otherthan barges or river towboats, arelying abreast, from one vessel to an-other.

(c) Access to barges and river towboats.(1) Ramps for access of vehicles to orbetween barges shall be of adequatestrength, provided with side boards,well maintained and properly secured.

(2) Unless employees can step safelyto or from the wharf, float, barge, orriver towboat, either a ramp in accord-ance with the requirements of para-graph (a)(7) of this section shall be pro-vided. When a walkway is impractica-ble, a substantial straight ladder, ex-tending at least 36 inches above theupper landing surface and adequatelysecured against shifting or slipping,shall be provided. When conditions aresuch that neither a walkway nor astraight ladder can be used, a Jacob’sladder in accordance with the require-ments of paragraph (d) of this sectionmay be used.

(3) The means of access shall be in ac-cordance with the requirements ofparagraphs (a) (9), (10), and (11) of thissection.

(d) Jacob’s ladders. (1) Jacob’s laddersshall be of the double rung or flat treadtype. They shall be well maintainedand properly secured.

(2) A Jacob’s ladder shall either hangwithout slack from its lashings or bepulled up entirely.

§ 1915.75 Access to and guarding ofdry docks and marine railways.



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(a) A gangway, ramp or permanentstairway of not less than 20 incheswalking surface, of adequate strength,maintained in safe repair and securelyfastened, shall be provided between afloating dry dock and the pier or bulk-head.

(b) Each side of such gangway, rampor permanent stairway, including thosewhich are used for access to wing wallsfrom dry dock floors, shall have a rail-ing with a mid rail. Such railings ongangways or ramps shall be approxi-mately 42 inches in height; and railingson permanent stairways shall be notless than approximately 30 or morethan approximately 34 inches in height.Rails shall be of wood, pipe, chain,wire, or rope, and shall be kept taut atall times.

(c) Railings meeting the require-ments of paragraph (b) of this sectionshall be provided on the means of ac-cess to and from the floors of gravingdocks.

(d) Railings approximately 42 inchesin height, with a mid rail, shall be pro-vided on the edges of wing walls offloating dry docks and on edges ofgraving docks. Sections of the railingsmay be temporarily removed wherenecessary to permit line handling whilea vessel is entering or leaving the dock.

(e) When employees are working onthe floor of a floating dry dock wherethey are exposed to the hazard of fall-ing into the water, the end of the drydock shall be equipped with portablestanchions and 42 inch railings with amid rail. When such a railing would beimpracticable or ineffective, other ef-fective means shall be provided to pre-vent men from falling into the water.

(f) Access to wing walls from floors ofdry docks shall be by ramps, perma-nent stairways or ladders meeting theapplicable requirements of § 1915.72.

(g) Catwalks on stiles of marine rail-ways shall be no less than 20 incheswide and shall have on at least one sidea guardrail and midrail meeting the re-quirements of § 1915.71(j) (1) and (2).

§ 1915.76 Access to cargo spaces andconfined spaces.

The provisions of this section applyto ship repairing, shipbuilding andshipbreaking except that paragraph

(a)(4) of this section applies to ship re-pairing only.

(a) Cargo spaces. (1) There shall be atleast one safe and accessible ladder inany cargo space which employees mustenter.

(2) When any fixed ladder is visiblyunsafe, the employer shall prohibit itsuse by employees.

(3) Straight ladders of adequatestrength and suitably secured againstshifting or slipping shall be provided asnecessary when fixed ladders in cargospaces do not meet the requirements ofparagraph (a)(1) of this section. Whenconditions are such that a straight lad-der cannot be used, a Jacob’s laddermeeting the requirements of § 1915.74(d)may be used.

(4) When cargo is stowed within 4inches of the back of ladder rungs, theladder shall be deemed ‘‘unsafe’’ for thepurpose of this section.

(5) Fixed ladders or straight laddersprovided for access to cargo spacesshall not be used at the same time thatcargo drafts, equipment, materials,scrap or other loads are entering orleaving the hold. Before using theseladders to enter or leave the hold, theemployee shall be required to informthe winchman or crane signalman ofhis intention.

(b) Confined spaces. (1) More than onemeans of access shall be provided to aconfined space in which employees areworking and in which the work maygenerate a hazardous atmosphere inthe space except where the structure orarrangement of the vessel makes thisprovision impractical.

(2) When the ventilation ducts re-quired by these regulations must passthrough these means of access, theducts shall be of such a type and so ar-ranged as to permit free passage of anemployee through at least two of thesemeans of access.

§ 1915.77 Working surfaces.(a) Paragraphs (b) through (d) of this

section shall apply to ship repairing,shipbuilding operations and shall notapply to shipbreaking. Paragraph (e) ofthis section shall apply to shipbuilding,ship repairing and shipbreaking oper-ations.

(b) When firebox floors present trip-ping hazards of exposed tubing or of


62


missing or removed refractory, suffi-cient planking to afford safe footingshall be laid while work is being car-ried on within the boiler.

(c) When employees are workingaloft, or elsewhere at elevations morethan 5 feet above a solid surface, eitherscaffolds or a sloping ladder, meetingthe requirements of this subpart, shallbe used to afford safe footing, or theemployees shall be protected by safetybelts and lifelines meeting the require-ments of § 1915.154(b). Employees vis-ually restricted by blasting hoods,welding helmets, and burning gogglesshall work from scaffolds, not from lad-ders, except for the initial and finalwelding or burning operation to startor complete a job, such as the erectionand dismantling of hung scaffolding, orother similar, nonrepetitive jobs ofbrief duration.

(d) For work performed in restrictedquarters, such as behind boilers and inbetween congested machinery unitsand piping, work platforms at least 20inches wide meeting the requirementsof § 1915.71(i)(1) shall be used. Backrailsmay be omitted if bulkheading, boilers,machinery units, or piping afford prop-er protection against falling.

(e) When employees are boarding,leaving, or working from small boatsor floats, they shall be protected bypersonal flotation devices meeting therequirements of § 1915.154.

Subpart F—General WorkingConditions

§ 1915.91 Housekeeping.The provisions of this section shall

apply to ship repairing, shipbuildingand shipbreaking except that para-graphs (c) and (e) of this section do notapply to shipbreaking.

(a) Good housekeeping conditionsshall be maintained at all times. Ade-quate aisles and passageways shall bemaintained in all work areas. All stag-ing platforms, ramps, stairways, walk-ways, aisles, and passageways on ves-sels or dry docks shall be kept clear ofall tools, materials, and equipment ex-cept that which is in use, and all debrissuch as welding rod tips, bolts, nuts,and similar material. Hose and electricconductors shall be elevated over orplaced under the walkway or working

surfaces or covered by adequate cross-over planks.

(b) All working areas on or imme-diately surrounding vessels and drydocks, graving docks, or marine rail-ways shall be kept reasonably free ofdebris, and construction material shallbe so piled as not to present a hazardto employees.

(c) Slippery conditions on walkwaysor working surfaces shall be eliminatedas they occur.

(d) Free access shall be maintained atall times to all exits and to all fire-alarm boxes or fire-extinguishingequipment.

(e) All oils, paints thinners, solvents,waste, rags, or other flammable sub-stances shall be kept in fire resistantcovered containers when not in use.

§ 1915.92 Illumination.


(a) All means of access and walkwaysleading to working areas as well as theworking areas themselves shall be ade-quately illuminated.

(b) Temporary lights shall meet thefollowing requirements:

(1) Temporary lights shall beequipped with guards to prevent acci-dental contact with the bulb, exceptthat guards are not required when theconstruction of the reflector is suchthat the bulb is deeply recessed.

(2) Temporary lights shall beequipped with heavy duty electriccords with connections and insulationmaintained in safe condition. Tem-porary lights shall not be suspended bytheir electric cords unless cords andlights are designed for this means ofsuspension. Splices which have insula-tion equal to that of the cable are per-mitted.

(3) Cords shall be kept clear of work-ing spaces and walkways or other loca-tions in which they are readily exposedto damage.

(c) Exposed non-current-carryingmetal parts of temporary lights fur-nished by the employer shall begrounded either through a third wire inthe cable containing the circuit con-ductors or through a separate wirewhich is grounded at the source of the


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current. Grounding shall be in accord-ance with the requirements of§ 1915.132(b).

(d) Where temporary lighting fromsources outside the vessel is the onlymeans of illumination, portable emer-gency lighting equipment shall beavailable to provide illumination forsafe movement of employees.

(e) Employees shall not be permittedto enter dark spaces without a suitableportable light. The use of matches andopen flame lights is prohibited. Innongas free spaces, portable lightsshall meet the requirements of § 1915.13.

(f) Temporary lighting stringers orstreamers shall be so arranged as toavoid overloading of branch circuits.Each branch circuit shall be equippedwith overcurrent protection of capac-ity not exceeding the rated currentcarrying capacity of the cord used.

§ 1915.93 Utilities.The provisions of this section shall

apply to ship repairing, shipbuilding,and shipbreaking except that para-graph (c) of this section applies to shiprepairing and shipbuilding only.

(a) Steam supply and hoses. (1) Priorto supplying a vessel with steam froma source outside the vessel, the em-ployer shall ascertain from responsiblevessel’s representatives, having knowl-edge of the condition of the plant, thesafe working pressure of the vessel’ssteam system. The employer shall in-stall a pressure gauge and a relief valveof proper size and capacity at the pointwhere the temporary steam hose joinsthe vessel’s steam piping system orsystems. The relief valve shall be setand capable of relieving at a pressurenot exceeding the safe working pres-sure of the vessel’s system in itspresent condition, and there shall be nomeans of isolating the relief valve fromthe system which it protects. The pres-sure gauge and relief valve shall be lo-cated so as to be visible and readily ac-cessible.

(2) Steam hose and fittings shall havea safety factor of not less than five (5).

(3) When steam hose is hung in abight or bights, the weight shall be re-lieved by appropriate lines. The hoseshall be protected against chafing.

(4) Steam hose shall be protectedfrom damage and hose and temporary

piping shall be so shielded where pass-ing through normal work areas as toprevent accidental contact by employ-ees.

(b) Electric power. (1) When the vesselis supplied with electric power from asource outside the vessel, the followingprecautions shall be taken prior to en-ergizing the vessel’s circuits:

(i) If in dry dock, the vessel shall beadequately grounded.

(ii) The employer shall ascertainfrom responsible vessel’s representa-tives, having knowledge of the condi-tion of the vessel’s electrical system,that all circuits to be energized are ina safe condition.

(iii) All circuits to be energized shallbe equipped with overcurrent protec-tion of capacity not exceeding therated current carrying capacity of thecord used.

(c) Infrared electrical heat lamps. (1)All infrared electrical heat lamps shallbe equipped with guards that surroundthe lamps with the exception of theface, to minimize accidental contactwith the lamps.

§ 1915.94 Work in confined or isolatedspaces.

The provisions of this section shallapply to ship repairing, shipbuildingand shipbreaking. When any work isperformed in a confined space, exceptas provided in § 1915.51(c)(3), or when anemployee is working alone in an iso-lated location, frequent checks shall bemade to ensure the safety of the em-ployees.

§ 1915.95 Ship repairing and shipbuild-ing work on or in the vicinity ofradar and radio.

The provisions of this section shallapply to ship repairing and shipbuild-ing.

(a) No employees other than radar orradio repairmen shall be permitted towork on masts, king posts or otheraloft areas unless the radar and radioare secured or otherwise made incapa-ble of radiation. In either event, theradio and radar shall be appropriatelytagged.

(b) Testing of radar or radio shall notbe done until the employer can sched-ule such tests at a time when no workis in progress aloft or personnel can be


64


cleared from the danger area accordingto minimum safe distances establishedfor and based on the type, model, andpower of the equipment.

[47 FR 16986, Apr. 20, 1982, as amended at 49FR 18295, Apr. 30, 1984; 54 FR 24334, June 7,1989]

§ 1915.96 Work in or on lifeboats.The provisions of this section shall

apply to ship repairing, shipbuilding,and shipbreaking except that para-graph (b) of this section applies to shiprepairing and shipbuilding only.

(a) Before employees are permittedto work in or on a lifeboat, eitherstowed or in a suspended position, theemployer shall ensure that the boat issecured independently of the releasinggear to prevent the boat from fallingdue to accidental tripping of the re-leasing gear and movement of thedavits or capsizing of a boat in chocks.

(b) Employees shall not be permittedto remain in boats while the boats arebeing hoisted into final stowed posi-tion.

(c) Employees shall not be permittedto work on the outboard side of life-boats stowed on their chocks unlessthe boats are secured by gripes or oth-erwise secured to prevent them fromswinging outboard.

§ 1915.97 Health and sanitation.The provisions of this section shall

apply to ship repairing, shipbuildingand shipbreaking, except where indi-cated otherwise.

(a) The employer shall provide allnecessary controls, and the employeesshall be protected by suitable personalprotective equipment against the haz-ards identified under § 1915.99 of thispart and those hazards for which spe-cific precautions are required in sub-parts B, C, and D of this part.

(b) The employer shall provide ade-quate washing facilities for employeesengaged in the application of paints orcoatings or in other operations wherecontaminants can, by ingestion or ab-sorption, be detrimental to the healthof the employees. The employer shallencourage good personal hygiene prac-tices by informing the employees of theneed for removing surface contami-nants by thorough washing or handsand face prior to eating or smoking.

(c) The employer shall not permitemployees to eat or smoke in areas un-dergoing surface preparation or preser-vation or where shipbreaking oper-ations produce atmospheric contami-nants.

(d) The employer shall not permitemployees engaged in ship repair workon a vessel to work in the immediatevicinity of uncovered garbage and shallensure that employees working be-neath or on the outboard side of a ves-sel are not subject to contamination bydrainage or waste from overboard dis-charges.

(e) No minor under 18 years of ageshall be employed in shipbreaking orrelated employments.

[52 FR 31886, Aug. 24, 1987]

§ 1915.98 First aid.


(a) Unless a first aid room and aqualified attendant are close at handand prepared to render first aid to em-ployees on behalf of the employer, theemployer shall furnish a first aid kitfor each vessel on which work is beingperformed, except that when work isbeing performed on more than onesmall vessel at one pier, only one kitshall be required. The kit, when re-quired, shall be kept close to the vesseland at least one employee, close athand, shall be qualified to administerfirst aid to the injured.

(b) The first aid kit shall consist of aweatherproof container with individualsealed packages for each type of item.The contents of such kit shall containa sufficient quantity of at least the fol-lowing types of items:

Gauze roller bandages, 1 inch and 2 inch.Gauze compress bandages, 4 inch.Adhesive bandages, 1 inch.Triangular bandage, 40 inch.Ammonia inhalants and ampules.Antiseptic applicators or swabs.Burn dressing.Eye dressing.Wire or thin board splints.Forceps and tourniquet.

(c) The contents of the first aid kitshall be checked before being sent outon each job and at least weekly on each


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job to ensure that the expended itemsare replaced.

(d) There shall be available for eachvessel on which ten (10) or more em-ployees are working one Stokes basketstretcher, or equivalent, permanentlyequipped with bridles for attaching tothe hoisting gear, except that no morethan two strechers are required oneach job location. A blanket or otherliner suitable for transferring the pa-tient to and from the stretcher shall beprovided. Stretchers shall be kept closeto the vessels. This paragraph does notapply where ambulance services whichare available are known to carry suchstretchers.

§ 1915.100 Retention of DOT markings,placards and labels.

(a) Any employer who receives apackage of hazardous material which isrequired to be marked, labeled or plac-arded in accordance with the U. S. De-partment of Transportation’s Hazard-ous Materials Regulations (49 CFRparts 171 through 180) shall retain thosemarkings, labels and placards on thepackage until the packaging is suffi-ciently cleaned of residue and purgedof vapors to remove any potential haz-ards.

(b) Any employer who receives afreight container, rail freight car,motor vehicle, or transport vehiclethat is required to be marked or plac-arded in accordance with the Hazard-ous Materials Regulations shall retainthose markings and placards on thefreight container, rail freight car,motor vehicle or transport vehicleuntil the hazardous materials which re-quire the marking or placarding aresufficiently removed to prevent any po-tential hazards.

(c) Markings, placards and labelsshall be maintained in a manner thatensures that they are readily visible.

(d) For non-bulk packages which willnot be reshipped, the provisions of thissection are met if a label or other ac-ceptable marking is affixed in accord-ance with the Hazard CommunicationStandard (29 CFR 1910.1200).

(e) For the purposes of this section,the term ‘‘hazardous material’’ andany other terms not defined in this sec-tion have the same definition as in the

Hazardous Materials Regulations (49CFR parts 171 through 180).

[59 FR 36700, July 19, 1994]

Subpart G—Gear and Equipmentfor Rigging and MaterialsHandling

§ 1915.111 Inspection.The provisions of this section shall


(a) All gear and equipment providedby the employer for rigging and mate-rials handling shall be inspected beforeeach shift and when necessary, at in-tervals during its use to ensure that itis safe. Defective gear shall be removedand repaired or replaced before furtheruse.

(b) The safe working load of gear asspecified in §§ 1915.112 and 1915.113 shallnot be exceeded.

§ 1915.112 Ropes, chains and slings.The provisions of this section shall


(a) Manila rope and manila rope slings.(1) Table G–1 in § 1915.118 shall be usedto determine the safe working load ofvarious sizes of manila rope and manilarope slings at various angles, exceptthat higher safe working loads are per-missible when recommended by themanufacturer for specific, identifiableproducts, provided that a safety factorof not less than five (5) is maintained.

(b) Wire rope and wire rope slings. (1)Tables G–2 through G–5 in § 1915.118shall be used to determine the safeworking loads of various sizes and clas-sifications of improved plow steel wirerope and wire rope slings with varioustypes of terminals. For sizes, classi-fications and grades not included inthese tables, the safe working load rec-ommended by the manufacturer forspecific, identifiable products shall befollowed, provided that a safety factorof not less than five (5) is maintained.

(2) Protruding ends of strands insplices on slings and bridles shall becovered or blunted.

(3) Where U-bolt wire rope clips areused to form eyes, Table G–6 in§ 1915.118 shall be used to determine thenumber and spacing of clips. The U-


66


bolt shall be applied so that the ‘‘U’’section is in contact with the dead endof the rope.

(4) Wire rope shall not be secured byknots.

(c) Chains and chain slings. (1) TablesG–7 and G–8 in § 1915.118 shall be used todetermine the working load limit ofvarious sizes of wrought iron and alloysteel chains and chain slings, exceptthat higher safe working loads are per-missible when recommended by themanufacturer for specific, identifiableproducts.

(2) All sling chains, including end fas-tenings, shall be given a visual inspec-tion before being used on the job. Athorough inspection of all chains in useshall be made every 3 months. Eachchain shall bear an indication of themonth in which it was thoroughly in-spected. The thorough inspection shallinclude inspection for wear, defectivewelds, deformation and increase inlength or stretch.

(3) Interlink wear, not accompaniedby stretch in excess of 5 percent, shallbe noted and the chain removed fromservice when maximum allowable wearat any point of link, as indicated inTable G–9 in § 1915.18 has been reached.

(4) Chain slings shall be removedfrom service when, due to stretch, theincrease in length of a measured sec-tion exceeds five (5) percent; when alink is bent, twisted or otherwise dam-aged; or when raised scarfs or defectivewelds appear.

(5) All repairs to chains shall be madeunder qualified supervision. Links orportions of the chain found to be defec-tive as described in paragraph (c)(4) ofthis section shall be replaced by linkshaving proper dimensions and made ofmaterial similar to that of the chain.Before repaired chains are returned toservice, they shall be proof tested tothe proof test load recommended bythe manufacturer.

(6) Wrought iron chains in constantuse shall be annealed or normalized atintervals not exceeding six monthswhen recommended by the manufac-turer. The chain manufacturer shall beconsulted for recommended proceduresfor annealing or normalizing. Alloychains shall never be annealed.

(7) A load shall not be lifted with achain having a kink or knot in it. A

chain shall not be shortened by bolt-ing, wiring or knotting.

§ 1915.113 Shackles and hooks.The provisions of this section shall


(a) Shackles. (1) Table G–10 in§ 1915.118 shall be used to determine thesafe working loads of various sizes ofshackles, except that higher safe work-ing loads are permissible when rec-ommended by the manufacturer forspecific, identifiable products, providedthat a safety factor of not less than (5)is maintained.

(b) Hooks. (1) The manufacturer’s rec-ommendations shall be followed in de-termining the safe working loads of thevarious sizes and types of specific andidentifiable hooks. All hooks for whichno applicable manufacturer’s rec-ommendations are available shall betested to twice the intended safe work-ing load before they are initially putinto use. The employer shall maintainand keep readily available a certifi-cation record which includes the dateof such tests, the signature of the per-son who performed the test and anidentifier for the hook which was test-ed.

(2) Loads shall be applied to thethroat of the hook since loading thepoint overstresses and bends or springsthe hook.

(3) Hooks shall be inspected periodi-cally to see that they have not beenbent by overloading. Bent or sprunghooks shall not be used.

[47 FR 16986, Apr. 20, 1982, as amended at 51FR 34562, Sept. 29, 1986]

§ 1915.114 Chain falls and pull-lifts.The provisions of this section shall


(a) Chain falls and pull-lifts shall beclearly marked to show the capacityand the capacity shall not be exceeded.

(b) Chain falls shall be regularly in-spected to ensure that they are safe,particular attention being given to thelift chain, pinion, sheaves and hooksfor distortion and wear. Pull-lifts shallbe regularly inspected to ensure thatthey are safe, particular attentionbeing given to the ratchet, pawl, chainand hooks for distortion and wear.


67


(c) Straps, shackles, and the beam oroverhead structure to which a chainfall or pull-lift is secured shall be ofadequate strength to support theweight of load plus gear. The upperhook shall be moused or otherwise se-cured against coming free of its sup-port.

(d) Scaffolding shall not be used as apoint of attachment for lifting devicessuch as tackles, chain falls, and pull-lifts unless the scaffolding is specifi-cally designed for that purpose.

§ 1915.115 Hoisting and hauling equip-ment.


(a) Derrick and crane certification. (1)Derricks and cranes which are part of,or regularly placed aboard barges,other vessels, or on wingwalls of float-ing drydocks, and are used to transfermaterials or equipment from or to avessel or drydock, shall be tested andcertificated in accordance with thestandards provided in part 1919 of thistitle by persons accredited for the pur-pose.

(b) The moving parts of hoisting andhauling equipment shall be guarded.

(c) Mobile crawler or truck cranes usedon a vessel. (1) The maximum manufac-turer’s rated safe working loads for thevarious working radii of the boom andthe maximum and minimum radii atwhich the boom may be safely usedwith and without outriggers shall beconspicuously posted near the controlsand shall be visible to the operator. Aradius indicator shall be provided.

(2) The posted safe working loads ofmobile crawler or truck cranes underthe conditions of use shall not be ex-ceeded.

(d) Accessible areas within the swingradius of the outermost part of thebody of a revolving derrick or cranewither permanently or temporarilymounted, shall be guarded in such amanner as to prevent an employeefrom being in such a position as to bestruck by the crane or caught betweenthe crane and fixed parts of the vesselor of the crane itself.

(e) Marine railways. (1) The cradle orcarriage on the marine railway shall bepositively blocked or secured when in

the hauled position to prevent it frombeing accidentally released.

§ 1915.116 Use of gear.(a) The provisions of this section

shall apply to ship repairing, shipbuild-ing and shipbreaking except that para-graphs (c) and (d) of this section shallapply to ship repairing and shipbuild-ing only.

(b) Loads shall be safely rigged beforebeing hoisted.

(c) Plates shall be handled on and offhulls by means of shackles wheneverpossible. Clips or pads of ample sizeshall be welded to the plate to receivethe shackle pins when there are noholes in the plate. When it is not pos-sible to make holes in or to weld padsto the plate, alligator tongs, grabclamps or screw clamps may be used.In such cases special precautions shallbe taken to keep employees from undersuch lifts.

(d) Tag lines shall be provided onloads likely to swing or to need guid-ance.

(e) When slings are secured to eye-bolts, the slings shall be so arranged,using spreaders if necessary, that thepull is within 20 degrees of the axis ofthe bolt.

(f) Slings shall be padded by means ofwood blocks or other suitable materialwhere they pass over sharpe edges orcorners of loads so as to prevent cut-ting or kinking.

(g) Skips shall be rigged to be han-dled by not less than 3 legged bridles,and all legs shall always be used. Whenopen end skips are used, means shall betaken to prevent the contents fromfalling.

(h) Loose ends of idle legs of slings inuse shall be hung on the hook.

(i) Employees shall not be permittedto ride the hook or the load.

(j) Loads (tools, equipment or othermaterials) shall not be swung or sus-pended over the heads of employees.

(k) Pieces of equipment or structuresusceptible to falling or dislodgementshall be secured or removed as early aspossible.

(l) An individual who is familiar withthe signal code in use shall be assignedto act as a signalman when the hoistoperator cannot see the load being han-dled. Communications shall be made by


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means of clear and distinct visual orauditory signals except that verbal sig-nals shall not be permitted.

(m) Pallets, when used, shall be ofsuch material and contruction and somaintained as to safely support andcarry the loads being handled on them.

(n) A section of hatch through whichmaterials or equipment are beingraised, lowered, moved, or otherwiseshifted manually or by a crane, winch,hoist, or derrick, shall be completelyopened. The beam or pontoon left inplace adjacent to an opening shall besufficiently lashed, locked or otherwisesecured to prevent it from beingunshipped so that it cannot be dis-placed by accident.

(o) Hatches shall not be open orclosed while employees are in thesquare of the hatch below.

(p) Before loads or empty lifting gearare raised, lowered, or swung, clear andsufficient advance warning shall begiven to employees in the vincinity ofsuch operations.

(q) At no time shall an employee bepermitted to place himself in a hazard-ous position between a swinging loadand a fixed object.

§ 1915.117 Qualifications of operators.Paragraphs (a) and (d) of this section

shall apply to ship repairing and ship-building only. Paragraphs (b) and (c) of

this section shall apply to ship repair-ing, shipbuilding and shipbreaking.

(a) When ship’s gear is used to hoistmaterials aboard, a competent personshall determine that the gear is prop-erly rigged, that it is in safe condition,and that it will not be overloaded bythe size and weight of the lift.

(b) Only those employees who under-stand the signs, notices, and operatinginstructions, and are familiar with thesignal code in use, shall be permittedto operate a crane, winch, or otherpower operated hoisting apparatus.

(c) No employee known to have defec-tive uncorrected eyesight or hearing,or to be suffering from heart disease,epilepsy, or similar ailments whichmay suddenly incapacitate him, shallbe permitted to operate a crane, winchor other power operated hoisting appa-ratus.

(d) No minor under eighteen (18)years of age shall be employed in occu-pations involving the operation of anypower-driven hoisting apparatus or as-sisting in such operations by work suchas hooking on, loading slings, rigginggear, etc.

§ 1915.118 Tables.

The provisions of this section applyto ship repairing, shipbuilding andshipbreaking.

TABLE E–1—DIMENSIONS AND SPACING OF WOOD INDEPENDENT-POLE SCAFFOLD MEMBERS

Structural members

Light duty (Up to 25 pounds per squarefoot)—Height in feet

Heavy duty (25 to 75 pounds per squarefoot)—Height in feet

24 or less 24–40 40–60 24 or less 24–40 40–60

Poles or uprights (in inches) ...... 2 x 4 3 x 4 or 2 x 6 4 x 4 3 x 4 4 x 4 4 x 6Bearers (in inches) ..................... 2 x 6 2 x 6 2 x 6 2 x 8 2 x 8 2 x 10Ledgers (in inches) ..................... 2 x 6 2 x 6 2 x 6 2 x 8 2 x 8 2 x 8Stringers (not supporting bear-

ers) (in inches) ........................ 1 x 6 1 x 6 1 x 6 1 x 6 1 x 6 1 x 6Braces (in inches) ....................... 1 x 4 1 x 6 1 x 6 1 x 6 1 x 6 1 x 6Pole spacing—longitudinally (in

feet) ......................................... 71⁄2 71⁄2 71⁄2 7 7 7Pole spacing—transversely (in

feet) ......................................... 61⁄2 min 71⁄2 min 81⁄2 min 61⁄2 10 10Ledger spacing—vertically (in

feet) ......................................... 7 7 7 41⁄2 41⁄2 41⁄2

TABLE E–2—SPECIFICATIONS FOR SIDE RAILSOF LADDERS

Length (in feet)Cross section (in inches)

At ends At center

15 ........................................... 17⁄8 x 23⁄4 17⁄8 x 33⁄416 ........................................... 17⁄8 x 23⁄4 17⁄8 x 33⁄418 ........................................... 17⁄8 x 3 17⁄8 x 4

TABLE E–2—SPECIFICATIONS FOR SIDE RAILSOF LADDERS—Continued

Length (in feet)Cross section (in inches)

At ends At center

20 ........................................... 17⁄8 x 3 17⁄8 x 424 ........................................... 17⁄8 x 3 17⁄8 x 41⁄2


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TABLE E–3—SPECIFICATIONS FOR THECONSTRUCTION OF HORSES

Structural membersHeight in feet

Up to 10 10 to 16 16 to 20

inches inches inchesLegs .......................... 2 x 4 3 x 4 4 x 6Bearers or headers .. 2 x 6 2 x 8 4 x 6Crossbraces ............. 2 x 4 2 x 4 2 x 6

or

TABLE E–3—SPECIFICATIONS FOR THECONSTRUCTION OF HORSES—Continued

Structural membersHeight in feet

Up to 10 10 to 16 16 to 20

inches inches inches1 x 8

Longitudinal braces .. 2 x 4 2 x 6 2 x 6

TABLE E–4—SAFE CENTER LOADS FOR SCAFFOLD PLANK OF 1,100 POUNDS FIBRE STRESS

Span in feetLumber dimensions in inches

A B A B A B A B A B

2 x 10 15⁄8 x 91⁄2 2 x 12 15⁄8 x 111⁄2 3 x 8 25⁄8 x 71⁄2 3 x 10 25⁄8 x 91⁄2 3 x 12 25⁄8 x 111⁄2

6 ....................................... 256 309 526 667 8078 ....................................... 192 232 395 500 60510 ..................................... 153 186 316 400 48412 ..................................... 128 155 263 333 40414 ..................................... 110 133 225 286 34616 ..................................... ............ 116 197 250 303

(A)—Rough lumber.(B)—Dressed lumber.

TABLE G–1—MANILA ROPE[In pounds or tons of 2,000 pounds]

Circumferences Diameter ininches Single leg 60° bridle 45° bridle 30° bridle

lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs.3⁄4 ...................................................... 1⁄4 120 204 170 1201 ........................................................ 5⁄16 200 346 282 20011⁄8 .................................................... 3⁄8 270 467 380 27011⁄4 .................................................... 7⁄16 350 605 493 35013⁄8 .................................................... 115⁄32 450 775 635 45011⁄2 .................................................... 1⁄2 530 915 798 53013⁄4 .................................................... 9⁄16 690 1190 973 6902 ........................................................ 5⁄8 880 1520 1240 88021⁄4 .................................................... 3⁄4 1080 1870 1520 108021⁄2 .................................................... 113⁄16 1300 2250 1830 130023⁄4 .................................................... 7⁄8 1540 2660 2170 15403 ........................................................ 1 1800 3120 2540 1800

Tons Tons Tons Tons31⁄4 .................................................... 11⁄16 1.0 1.7 1.4 1.031⁄2 .................................................... 11⁄8 1.2 2.1 1.7 1.233⁄4 .................................................... 11⁄4 1.35 2.3 1.9 1.354 ........................................................ 15⁄16 1.5 2.6 2.1 1.541⁄2 .................................................... 11⁄2 1.8 3.1 2.5 1.85 ........................................................ 15⁄8 2.25 3.9 3.2 2.2551⁄2 .................................................... 13⁄4 2.6 4.5 3.7 2.66 ........................................................ 2 3.1 5.4 4.4 3.161⁄2 .................................................... 21⁄8 3.6 6.2 5.1 3.6

TABLE G–2—RATED CAPACITIES FOR IMPROVED PLOW STEEL, INDEPENDENT WIRE ROPE CORE,WIRE ROPE AND WIRE ROPE SLINGS

[In tons of 2,000 pounds]

Rope diameter

Single leg

Vertical Choker

A B C A B C

6 x 19 Classification

1⁄4″ ............................................... .59 .56 .53 .44 .42 .403⁄8″ ............................................... 1.3 1.2 1.1 .98 .93 .861⁄2″ ............................................... 2.3 2.2 2.0 1.7 1.6 1.5


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TABLE G–2—RATED CAPACITIES FOR IMPROVED PLOW STEEL, INDEPENDENT WIRE ROPE CORE,WIRE ROPE AND WIRE ROPE SLINGS—Continued


Rope diameter

Single leg

Vertical Choker

A B C A B C

5⁄8″ ............................................... 3.6 3.4 3.0 2.7 2.5 2.23⁄4″ ............................................... 5.1 4.9 4.2 3.8 3.6 3.17⁄8″ ............................................... 6.9 6.6 5.5 5.2 4.9 4.11″ ................................................ 9.0 8.5 7.2 6.7 6.4 5.411⁄8″ ............................................. 11 10 9.0 8.5 7.8 6.8


11⁄4″ ............................................. 13 12 10 9.9 9.2 7.913⁄8″ ............................................. 16 15 13 12 11 9.611⁄2″ ............................................. 19 17 15 14 13 1113⁄4″ ............................................. 26 24 20 19 18 152″ ................................................ 33 30 26 25 23 2021⁄4″ ............................................. 41 38 33 31 29 25

(A)—Socket or Swaged Terminal attachment.(B)—Mechanical Sleeve attachment.(C)—Hand Tucked Splice attachment.

TABLE G–3—RATED CAPACITIES FOR IMPROVED PLOW STEEL, INDEPENDENT WIRE ROPE CORE,WIRE ROPE SLINGS[in tons of 2,000 pounds]

Two-leg bridle or basket hitch

Rope di-ameter

Vertical 60° bridle 45° bridle 30° bridle

A B C A B C A B C A B C


1⁄4″ ............ 1.2 1.1 1.0 1.0 .97 .92 .83 .79 .75 .59 .56 .533⁄8″ ............ 2.6 2.5 2.3 2.3 2.1 2.0 1.8 1.8 1.6 1.3 1.2 1.11⁄2″ ............ 4.6 4.4 3.9 4.0 3.8 3.4 3.2 3.1 2.8 2.3 2.2 2.05⁄8″ ............ 7.2 6.8 6.0 6.2 5.9 5.2 5.1 4.8 4.2 3.6 3.4 3.03⁄4″ ............ 10 9.7 8.4 8.9 8.4 7.3 7.2 6.9 5.9 5.1 4.9 4.27⁄8″ ............ 14 13 11 12 11 9.6 9.8 9.3 7.8 6.9 6.6 5.51″ ............. 18 17 14 15 15 12 13 12 10 9.0 8.5 7.211⁄8″ .......... 23 21 18 19 18 16 16 15 13 11 10 9.0


11⁄4″ .......... 26 24 21 23 21 18 19 17 15 13 12 1013⁄8″ .......... 32 29 25 28 25 22 22 21 18 16 15 1311⁄2″ .......... 38 35 30 33 30 26 27 25 21 19 17 1513⁄4″ .......... 51 47 41 44 41 35 36 33 29 26 24 202″ ............. 66 621 53 57 53 46 47 43 37 33 30 2621⁄4″ .......... 83 76 66 72 66 57 58 54 47 41 38 33

(A)—Socket or Swaged Terminal Attachment.(B)—Mechanical Sleeve Attachment.(C)—Hand Tucked Splice Attachment.


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TABLE G–4—RATED CAPACITIES FOR IMPROVED PLOW STEEL, FIBER CORE, WIRE ROPE AND WIREROPE SLINGS

[in tons of 2,000 pounds]

Rope diameter

Single leg

Vertical Choker

A B C A B C


1⁄4″ ............................................... .55 .51 .49 .41 .38 .373⁄8″ ............................................... 1.2 1.1 1.1 .91 .85 .801⁄2″ ............................................... 2.1 2.0 1.8 1.6 1.5 1.45⁄8″ ............................................... 3.3 3.1 2.8 2.5 2.3 2.13⁄4″ ............................................... 4.8 4.4 3.9 3.6 3.3 2.97⁄8″ ............................................... 6.4 5.9 5.1 4.8 4.5 3.91″ ................................................ 8.4 7.7 6.7 6.3 5.8 5.011⁄8″ ............................................. 10 9.5 8.4 7.9 7.1 6.3


11⁄4″ ............................................. 12 11 9.8 9.2 8.3 7.413⁄8″ ............................................. 15 13 12 11 10 8.911⁄2″ ............................................. 17 16 14 13 12 1013⁄4″ ............................................. 24 21 19 18 16 142″ ................................................ 31 28 25 23 21 18


TABLE G–5—RATED CAPACITIES FOR IMPROVED PLOW STEEL, FIBER CORE, WIRE ROPE SLINGS[In tons of 2,000 pounds]

Two-leg bridle or basket hitch

Rope diameterVertical 60° bridle 45° bridle 30° bridle

A B C A B C A B C A B C

6 × 19 Classification

1⁄4″ .................................... 1.1 1.0 .99 .95 .88 .85 .77 .72 .70 .55 .51 .493⁄8″ .................................... 2.4 2.2 2.1 2.1 1.9 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.2 1.1 1.11⁄2″ .................................... 4.3 3.9 3.7 3.7 3.4 3.2 3.0 2.8 2.6 2.1 2.0 1.85⁄8″ .................................... 6.7 6.2 5.6 5.8 5.3 4.8 4.7 4.4 4.0 3.3 3.1 2.83⁄4″ .................................... 9.5 8.8 7.8 8.2 7.6 6.8 6.7 6.2 5.5 4.8 4.4 3.97⁄8″ .................................... 13 12 10 11 10 8.9 9.1 8.4 7.3 6.4 5.9 5.11″ ..................................... 17 15 13 14 13 11 12 11 9.4 8.4 7.7 6.711⁄8″ .................................. 21 19 17 18 16 14 15 13 12 10 9.5 8.4

6 × 37 Classification

11⁄4″ .................................. 25 22 20 21 19 17 17 16 14 12 11 9.813⁄8″ .................................. 30 27 24 26 23 20 21 19 17 15 13 1211⁄2″ .................................. 35 32 28 30 27 24 25 22 20 17 16 1413⁄4″ .................................. 48 43 38 41 37 33 34 30 27 24 21 192″ ..................................... 62 55 49 53 48 43 43 39 35 31 28 25


TABLE G–6—NUMBER AND SPACING OF U-BOLTWIRE ROPE CLIPS

Improved plow steel, rope di-ameter, inches

Number of clips Mini-mum

spacing,inches

Dropforged

Othermaterial

(1) ......................................... .............. .............. ..............1⁄2 .......................................... 3 4 3

TABLE G–6—NUMBER AND SPACING OF U-BOLTWIRE ROPE CLIPS—Continued



spacing,inches

Dropforged

Othermaterial

5⁄8 .......................................... 3 4 33⁄43⁄4 .......................................... 4 5 41⁄2


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TABLE G–6—NUMBER AND SPACING OF U-BOLTWIRE ROPE CLIPS—Continued



spacing,inches

Dropforged

Othermaterial

7⁄8 .......................................... 4 5 51⁄41 ........................................... 4 6 611⁄8 ........................................ 5 6 63⁄411⁄4 ........................................ 5 7 71⁄213⁄8 ........................................ 6 7 81⁄411⁄2 ........................................ 6 8 9

1 Three clips shall be used on wire size less than 1⁄2-inchdiameter.

TABLE G–7—WROUGHT IRON CHAIN[In pounds or tons of 2,000 pounds]

Nominal size chains stock Singleleg

60°bridle

45°bridle

30°bridle

1⁄4″ 1 .................................... 1060 1835 1500 10605⁄16″ 1 ................................... 1655 2865 2340 16553⁄8″ 1 .................................... 2385 2.1 3370 23857⁄16″ 1 ................................... 3250 2.8 2.3 32501⁄2″ ...................................... 2.1 3.7 3.0 2.19⁄16″ 1 ................................... 2.7 4.6 3.8 2.75⁄8″ ...................................... 3.3 5.7 4.7 3.33⁄4″ ...................................... 4.8 8.3 6.7 4.87⁄8″ ...................................... 6.5 11.2 9.2 6.51″ ........................................ 8.5 14.7 12.0 8.511⁄8″ .................................... 10.0 17.3 14.2 10.011⁄4″ .................................... 12.4 21.4 17.5 12.413⁄8″ .................................... 15.0 25.9 21.1 15.011⁄2″ .................................... 17.8 30.8 25.2 17.815⁄8″ .................................... 20.9 36.2 29.5 20.913⁄4″ .................................... 24.2 42.0 34.3 24.217⁄8″ .................................... 27,6 47.9 39.1 27.62″ ........................................ 31.6 54.8 44.8 31.6

1 These sizes of wrought iron chain are no longer manufac-tured in the United States.

TABLE G–8—ALLOY STEEL CHAIN(In tons of 2,000 pounds)

Nominal size chain stock Singleleg

60°bridle

45°bridle

30°bridle

1⁄4″ ...................................... 1.62 2.82 2.27 1.623⁄8″ ...................................... 3.30 5.70 4.65 3.301⁄2″ ...................................... 5.62 9.75 7.90 5.625⁄8″ ...................................... 8.25 14.25 11.65 8.253⁄4″ ...................................... 11.5 19.9 16.2 11.57⁄8″ ...................................... 14.3 24.9 20.3 14.31″ ........................................ 19.3 33.5 27.3 19.811⁄8″ .................................... 22.2 38.5 31.5 22.211⁄4″ .................................... 28.7 49.7 40.5 28.713⁄8″ .................................... 33.5 58.0 47.0 33.511⁄2″ .................................... 39.7 68.5 56.0 39.715⁄8″ .................................... 42.5 73.5 59.5 42.513⁄4″ .................................... 47.0 81.5 62.0 47.0

TABLE G–9—MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE WEAR ATANY POINT OF LINK

Chain size in inches

Maxi-mum al-lowablewear infraction

ofinches

1⁄4(9⁄32) ..................................................................... 3⁄643⁄8 ............................................................................. 5⁄641⁄2 ............................................................................. 7⁄645⁄8 ............................................................................. 9⁄643⁄4 ............................................................................. 5⁄327⁄8 ............................................................................. 11⁄64

1 ............................................................................... 3⁄16

11⁄6 ........................................................................... 7⁄32

11⁄4 ........................................................................... 1⁄413⁄8 ........................................................................... 9⁄32

11⁄2 ........................................................................... 5⁄16

13⁄4 ........................................................................... 11⁄32

TABLE G–10—SAFE WORKING LOADS FORSHACKLES


Material size (inches)Pin di-ameter(inches)

Safeworking

load

1⁄2 ........................................................... 5⁄8 1.45⁄8 ........................................................... 3⁄4 2.23⁄4 ........................................................... 7⁄8 3.27⁄8 ........................................................... 1 4.31 ............................................................. 11⁄8 5.611⁄8 ......................................................... 11⁄4 6.711⁄4 ......................................................... 13⁄8 8.213⁄8 ......................................................... 11⁄2 10.011⁄2 ......................................................... 15⁄8 11.913⁄4 ......................................................... 2 16.22 ............................................................. 21⁄4 21.2


Subpart H—Tools and RelatedEquipment

§ 1915.131 General precautions.The provisions of this section shall


(a) Hand lines, slings, tackles of ade-quate strength, or carriers such as toolbags with shoulder straps shall be pro-vided and used to handle tools, mate-rials, and equipment so that employeeswill have their hands free when usingship’s ladders and access ladders. Theuse of hose or electric cords for thispurpose is prohibited.

(b) When air tools of the reciprocat-ing type are not in use, the dies andtools shall be removed.

(c) All portable, power-driven cir-cular saws shall be equipped with


73


guards above and below the base plateor shoe. The upper guard shall coverthe saw to the depth of the teeth, ex-cept for the minimum are required topermit the base to be tilted for bevelcuts. The lower guard shall cover thesaw to the depth of the teeth, exceptfor the minimum are required to allowproper retraction and contact with thework. When the tool is withdrawn fromthe work, the lower guard shall auto-matically and instantly return to thecovering position.

(d) The moving parts of machinery ondry dock shall be guarded.

(e) Before use, pneumatic tools shallbe secured to the extension hose orwhip by some positive means to pre-vent the tool from becoming acciden-tally disconnected from the whip.

(f) The moving parts of drive mecha-nisms, such as gearing and belting onlarge portable tools, shall be ade-quately guarded.

(g) Headers, manifolds and widelyspaced hose connection on compressedair lines shall bear the work ‘‘air’’ inletters at least 1 inch high, which shallbe painted either on the manifold orseparate hose connections, or on signspermanently attached to the manifoldsor connections. Grouped air connec-tions may be marked in one location.

(h) Before use, compressed air hoseshall be examined. Visibly damagedand unsafe hose shall not be used.

§ 1915.132 Portable electric tools.

The provisions of this section shallapply to ship repairing, shipbuildingand shipbreaking except that para-graph (e) of this section applies to shiprepairing only.

(a) The frames of portable electrictools and appliances, except double in-sulated tools approved by Under-writers’ Laboratories, shall be ground-ed either through a third wire in thecable containing the circuit conductorsor through a separate wire which isgrounded at the source of the current.

(b) Grounding circuits, other than bymeans of the structure of the vessel onwhich the tool is being used, shall bechecked to ensure that the circuit be-tween the ground and the groundedpower conductor has resistance whichis low enough to permit sufficient cur-

rent to flow to cause the fuse or circuitbreaker to interrupt the current.

(c) Portable electric tools which areheld in the hand shall be equipped withswitches of a type which must bemanually held in the closed position.

(d) Worn or frayed electric cablesshall not be used.

(e) The employer shall notify the of-ficer in charge of the vessel beforeusing electric power tools operatedwith the vessel’s current.

§ 1915.133 Hand tools.


(a) Employers shall not issue or per-mit the use of unsafe hand tools.

(b) Wrenches, including crescent,pipe, end and socket wrenches, shallnot be used when jaws are sprung tothe point that slippage occurs.

(c) Impact tools, such as drift pins,wedges, and chisels, shall be kept freeof mushroomed heads.

(d) The wooden handles of tools shallbe kept free of splinters or cracks andshall be kept tight in the tool.

§ 1915.134 Abrasive wheels.

This section shall apply to ship re-pairing, shipbuilding and shipbreaking.

(a) Floor stand and bench mountedabrasive wheels used for externalgrinding shall be provided with safetyguards (protection hoods). The maxi-mum angular exposure of the grindingwheel periphery and sides shall be notmore than 90 degrees, except that whenwork requires contact with the wheelbelow the horizontal plane of the spin-dle, the angular exposure shall not ex-ceed 125 degrees. In either case the ex-posure shall begin not more than 65 de-grees above the horizontal plane of thespindle. Safety guards shall be strongenough to withstand the effect of abursting wheel.

(b) Floor and bench mounted grindersshall be provided with work restswhich are rigidly supported and readilyadjustable. Such work rests shall bekept a distance not to exceed 1⁄8 inchfrom the surface of the wheel.

(c) Cup type wheels used for externalgrinding shall be protected by either arevolving cup guard or a band type


74


guard in accordance with the provi-sions of the United States of AmericaStandard Safety Code for the Use,Care, and Protection of AbrasiveWheels, B7.1. All other portable abra-sive wheels used for external grindingshall be provided with safety guards(protection hoods) meeting the require-ments of paragraph (e) of this section,except as follows:

(1) When the work location makes itimpossible, in which case a wheelequipped with safety flanges as de-scribed in paragraph (f) of this sectionshall be used.

(2) When wheels 2 inches or less in di-ameter which are securely mounted onthe end of a steel mandrel are used.

(d) Portable abrasive wheels used forinternal grinding shall be providedwith safety flanges (protection flanges)meeting the requirements of paragraph(f) of this section, except as follows:

(1) When wheels 2 inches or less in di-ameter which are securely mounted onthe end of a steel mandrel are used.

(2) If the wheel is entirely within thework being ground while in use.

(e) When safety guards are required,they shall be so mounted as to main-tain proper alignment with the wheel,and the guard and its fastenings shallbe of sufficient strength to retain frag-ments of the wheel in case of acciden-tal breakage. The maximum angularexposure of the grinding wheel periph-ery and sides shall not exceed 180 de-grees.

(f) When safety flanges are required,they shall be used only with wheels de-signed to fit the flanges. Only safetyflanges of a type and design and prop-erly assembled so as to insure that thepieces of the wheel will be retained incase of accidental breakage shall beused.

(g) All abrasive wheels shall be close-ly inspected and ring tested beforemounting to ensure that they are freefrom cracks or defects.

(h) Grinding wheels shall fit freely onthe spindle and shall not be forced on.The spindle nut shall be tightened onlyenough to hold the wheel in place.

(i) The power supply shall be suffi-cient to maintain the rated spindlespeed under all conditions of normalgrinding. The rated maximum speed ofthe wheel shall not be exceeded.

(j) All employees using abrasivewheels shall be protected by eye pro-tection equipment in accordance withthe requirements of subpart I of thispart except when adequate eye protec-tion is afforded by eye shields whichare permanently attached to the benchor floor stand.


§ 1915.135 Powder actuated fasteningtools.

(a) The section shall apply to ship re-pairing and shipbuilding only.

(b) General precautions. (1) Powder ac-tuated fastening tools shall be testedeach day before loading to ensure thatthe safety devices are in proper work-ing condition. Any tool found not to bein proper working order shall be imme-diately removed from service until re-pairs are made.

(2) Powder actuated fastening toolsshall not be used in an explosive orflammable atmosphere.

(3) All tools shall be used with thetype of shield or muzzle guard appro-priate for a particular use.

(4) Fasteners shall not be driven intovery hard or brittle materials such ascast iron, glazed tile, surface hardenedsteel, glass block, live rock, face brickor hollow title.

(5) Fasteners shall not be driven intosoft materials unless such materialsare backed by a substance that willprevent the pin or fastener from pass-ing completely through and creating aflying missile hazard on the oppositeside.

(6) Unless a special guard, fixture orjig is used, fasteners shall not be drivendirectly into materials such as brick orconcrete within 3 inches of the unsup-ported edge or corner, or into steel sur-faces within 1⁄2 inch of the unsupportededge or corner. When fastening othermaterial, such as 2 x 4 inch lumber toa concrete surface, fasteners of greaterthan 7⁄32 inch shank diameter shall notbe used and fasteners shall not be driv-en within 2 inches of the unsupportededge or corner of the work surface.

(7) Fasteners shall not be driventhrough existing holes unless a positiveguide is used to secure accurate align-ment.


75


(8) No attempt shall be made to drivea fastener into a spalled area caused byan unsatisfactory fastening.

(9) Employees using powder actuatedfastening tools shall be protected bypersonal protective equipment in ac-cordance with the requirements of sub-part I of this part.

(c) Instruction of operators. Before em-ployees are permitted to use powder ac-tuated tools, they shall have been thor-oughly instructed by a competent per-son with respect to the requirements ofparagraph (b) of this section and thesafe use of such tools as follows:

(1) Before using a tool, the operatorshall inspect it to determine that it isclean, that all moving parts operatefreely and that the barrel is free fromobstructions.

(2) When a tool develops a defect dur-ing use, the operator shall immediatelycease to use it and shall notify his su-pervisor.

(3) Tools shall not be loaded untiljust prior to the intended firing timeand the tool shall not be left unat-tended while loaded.

(4) The tool, whether loaded orempty, shall not be pointed at any per-son, and hands shall be kept clear ofthe open barrel end.

(5) In case of a misfire, the operatorshall hold the tool in the operating po-sition for at least 15 seconds and shallcontinue to hold the muzzle againstthe work surface during disassembly oropening of the tool and removal of thepowder load.

(6) Neither tools nor powder chargesshall be left unattended in places wherethey would be available to unauthor-ized persons.


§ 1915.136 Internal combustion en-gines, other than ship’s equipment.


(a) When internal combustion en-gines furnished by the employer areused in a fixed position below decks,for such purposes as driving pumps,generators, and blowers, the exhaustshall be led to the open air, clear ofany ventilation intakes and openings

through which it might enter the ves-sel.

(b) All exhaust line joints and con-nections shall be checked for tightnessimmediately upon starting the engine,and any leaks shall be corrected atonce.

(c) When internal combustion engineson vehicles, such as forklifts and mo-bile cranes, or on portable equipmentsuch as fans, generators, and pumps ex-haust into the atmosphere below decks,the competent person shall make testsof the carbon monoxide content of theatmosphere as frequently as conditionsrequire to ensure that dangerous con-centrations do not develop. Employeesshall be removed from the compart-ment involved when the carbon mon-oxide concentration exceeds 50 partsper million (0.005%). The employershall use blowers sufficient in size andnumber and so arranged as to maintainthe concentration below this allowablelimit before work is resumed.

Subpart I—Personal ProtectiveEquipment (PPE)

SOURCE: 61 FR 26352, May 24, 1996, unlessotherwise noted.

§ 1915.151 Scope, application and defi-nitions.

(a) Scope and application. This sub-part applies to all work in shipyardemployment regardless of geographiclocation.

(b) Definitions applicable to this sub-part.

Anchorage means a secure point of at-tachment for lifelines, lanyards, or de-celeration devices.

Body belt means a strap with meansfor both securing it about the waistand attaching it to a lanyard, lifeline,or deceleration device.

Body harness means straps whichmay be secured about the employee ina manner that will distribute the fallarrest forces over at least the thighs,shoulders, chest and pelvis with meansfor attaching it to other components ofa personal fall arrest system.

Connector means a device which isused to couple (connect) parts of a per-sonal fall arrest system or parts of apositioning device system together. Itmay be an independent component of


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the system, such as a carabiner, or itmay be an integral component of partof the system (such as a buckle or D-ring sewn into a body belt or body har-ness or a snaphook spliced or sewn to alanyard or self-retracting lanyard).

Deceleration device means any mecha-nism, such as a rope grab, ripstitchlanyard, specially woven lanyard, tear-ing or deforming lanyard, or automaticself-retracting lifeline/lanyard, whichserves to dissipate a substantialamount of energy during a fall arrest,or otherwise limit the energy imposedon an employee during fall arrest.

Deceleration distance means the addi-tional vertical distance a falling em-ployee travels, excluding lifeline elon-gation and free fall distance, beforestopping, from the point at which thedeceleration device begins to operate.It is measured as the distance betweenthe location of an employee’s body beltor body harness attachment point atthe moment of activation (at the onsetof fall arrest forces) of the decelerationdevice during a fall, and the location ofthat attachment point after the em-ployee comes to a full stop.

Equivalent means alternative designs,materials, or methods to protectagainst a hazard which the employercan demonstrate will provide an equalor greater degree of safety for employ-ees than the method or item specifiedin the standard.

Free fall means the act of falling be-fore a personal fall arrest system be-gins to apply force to arrest the fall.

Free fall distance means the verticaldisplacement of the fall arrest attach-ment point on the employee’s body beltor body harness between onset of thefall and just before the system beginsto apply force to arrest the fall. Thisdistance excludes deceleration dis-tance, and lifeline/lanyard elongation,but includes any deceleration deviceslide distance or self-retracting life-line/lanyard extension before the de-vice operates and fall arrest forcesoccur.

Lanyard means a flexible line of rope,wire rope, or strap which generally hasa connector at each end for connectingthe body belt or body harness to a de-celeration device, lifeline, or anchor-age.

Lifeline means a component consist-ing of a flexible line for connection toan anchorage at one end to hang verti-cally (vertical lifeline), or for connec-tion to anchorages at both ends tostretch horizontally (horizontal life-line), and which serves as a means forconnecting other components of a per-sonal fall arrest system to the anchor-age.

Lower levels means those areas or sur-faces to which an employee can fall.Such areas or surfaces include but arenot limited to ground levels, floors,ramps, tanks, materials, water, exca-vations, pits, vessels, structures, orportions thereof.

Personal fall arrest system means asystem used to arrest an employee in afall from a working level. It consists ofan anchorage, connectors, body belt orbody harness and may include a lan-yard, a deceleration device, a lifeline,or a suitable combination of these. Asof January 1, 1998, the use of a bodybelt for fall arrest is prohibited.

Positioning device system means a bodybelt or body harness system rigged toallow an employee to be supported atan elevated vertical surface, such as awall or window, and to be able to workwith both hands free while leaning.

Qualified person means a person whoby possession of a recognized degree orcertificate of professional standing, orwho, by extensive knowledge, training,and experience, has successfully dem-onstrated the ability to solve or re-solve problems related to the subjectmatter and work.

Restraint (tether) line means a linefrom an anchorage, or between anchor-ages, to which the employee is securedin such a way as to prevent the em-ployee from walking or falling off anelevated work surface. Note: A re-straint line is not necessarily designedto withstand forces resulting from afall.

Rope grab means a deceleration de-vice which travels on a lifeline andautomatically, by friction, engages thelifeline and locks so as to arrest thefall of an employee. A rope grab usu-ally employs the principle of inertiallocking, cam/level locking or both.


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§ 1915.152 General requirements.(a) Provision and use of equipment. The

employer shall provide and shall ensurethat each affected employee uses theappropriate personal protective equip-ment (PPE) for the eyes, face, head, ex-tremities, torso, and respiratory sys-tem, including protective clothing,protective shields, protective barriers,personal fall protection equipment, andlife saving equipment, meeting the ap-plicable provisions of this subpart,wherever employees are exposed towork activity hazards that require theuse of PPE.

(b) Hazard assessment and equipment.The employer shall assess its work ac-tivity to determine whether there arehazards present, or likely to bepresent, which necessitate the employ-ee’s use of PPE. If such hazards arepresent, or likely to be present, theemployer shall:

(1) Select the type of PPE that willprotect the affected employee from thehazards identified in the occupationalhazard assessment;

(2) Communicate selection decisionsto affected employees;

(3) Select PPE that properly fits eachaffected employee; and

(4) Verify that the required occupa-tional hazard assessment has been per-formed through a document that con-tains the following information: occu-pation, the date(s) of the hazard assess-ment, and the name of the person per-forming the hazard assessment.

Note 1 to paragraph (b): A hazard assess-ment conducted according to the trade or oc-cupation of affected employees will be con-sidered to comply with paragraph (b) of thissection, if the assessment addresses anyPPE-related hazards to which employees areexposed in the course of their work activi-ties.

Note 2 to paragraph (b): Non-mandatoryappendix A to this subpart contains exam-ples of procedures that will comply with therequirement for an occupational hazard as-sessment.

(c) Defective and damaged equipment.Defective or damaged PPE shall not beused.

(d) Reissued equipment. The employershall ensure that all unsanitary PPE,including that which has been used byemployees, be cleaned and disinfectedbefore it is reissued.

(e) Training. (1) The employer shallprovide training to each employee whois required, by this section, to use PPE(exception: training in the use of per-sonal fall arrest systems and position-ing device systems training is coveredin §§ 1915.159 and 1915.160). Each em-ployee shall be trained to understandat least the following:

(i) When PPE is necessary;(ii) What PPE is necessary;(iii) How to properly don, doff, ad-

just, and wear PPE;(iv) The limitations of the PPE; and,(v) The proper care, maintenance,

useful life and disposal of the PPE.(2) The employer shall ensure that

each effected employee demonstratesthe ability to use PPE properly beforebeing allowed to perform work requir-ing the use of PPE.

(3) The employer shall retrain anyemployee who does not understand ordisplay the skills required by para-graph (e)(2) of this section. Cir-cumstances where retraining is re-quired include, but are not limited to,situations where:

(i) Changes in occupation or workrender previous training obsolete; or

(ii) Changes in the types of PPE to beused render previous training obsolete;or

(iii) Inadequacies in an affected em-ployee’s knowledge or use of assignedPPE indicate that the employee hasnot retained the requisite understand-ing or skill.

(4) The employer shall verify thateach affected employee has receivedthe required training through a docu-ment that contains the following infor-mation: name of each employeetrained, the date(s) of training, andtype of training the employee received.

[61 FR 26352, May 24, 1996; 61 FR 29957, June13, 1996]

§ 1915.153 Eye and face protection.(a) General requirements. (1) The em-

ployer shall ensure that each affectedemployee uses appropriate eye or faceprotection where there are exposuresto eye or face hazards caused by flyingparticles, molten metal, liquid chemi-cals, acid or caustic liquids, chemicalgases or vapors, or potentially injuri-ous light radiation.


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(2) The employer shall ensure thateach affected employee uses eye or faceprotection that provides side protec-tion when there is a hazard from flyingobjects. Detachable side protectors(e.g., a clip-on or slide-on side shield)meeting the pertinent requirements ofthis section are acceptable.

(3) The employer shall ensure thateach affected employee who wears pre-scription lenses while engaged in oper-ations that involve eye hazards wearseye protection that incorporates theprescription in its design, unless theemployee is protected by eye protec-tion that can be worn over prescription

lenses without disturbing the properposition of either the PPE or the pre-scription lenses.

(4) The employer shall ensure thateach affected employee uses equipmentwith filter lenses that have a shadenumber that provides appropriate pro-tection from injurious light radiation.Table I–1 is a listing of appropriateshade numbers for various operations.If filter lenses are used in goggles wornunder a helmet which has a lens, theshade number of the lens in the helmetmay be reduced so that the shade num-bers of the two lenses will equal thevalue as shown in Table I–1, § 1915.153.

TABLE I–1—FILTER LENSES FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RADIANT ENERGY

Operations Electrode size 1⁄32 in. Arc currentMinimumprotective

shade

Shielded metal arc welding .............. Less than 3 ...................................... Less than ......................................... 73–5 ................................................... 60 ..................................................... 85–8 ................................................... 60–160 ............................................. 10More than 8 ...................................... 160–250 ........................................... 11.......................................................... 250–550 ........................................... ....................

Gas metal arc welding and fluxcored arc welding.

.......................................................... Less than ......................................... 7

.......................................................... 60 ..................................................... 10

.......................................................... 60–160 ............................................. 10

.......................................................... 160–250 ........................................... 10

.......................................................... 250–500 ........................................... ....................Gas Tungsten arc welding ............... .......................................................... Less than ......................................... 8

.......................................................... 50 ..................................................... 8

.......................................................... 50–150 ............................................. 10

.......................................................... 150–500 ........................................... ....................Air carbon ......................................... (Light) ............................................... Less than ......................................... 10Arc cutting ......................................... (Heavy) ............................................. 500 ................................................... 11

500–1000 ......................................... ....................Plasma arc welding .......................... .......................................................... Less than ......................................... 6

.......................................................... 20 ..................................................... 8

.......................................................... 20¥ .................................................. 10

.......................................................... 100 ................................................... 11

.......................................................... 100¥ ................................................ ....................

.......................................................... 400 ................................................... ....................

.......................................................... 400¥ ................................................ ....................

.......................................................... 800 ................................................... ....................Plasma arc cutting ............................ (light)** ............................................. Less than 300 .................................. 8

(medium)** ....................................... 300–400 ........................................... 9(heavy)** .......................................... 400–800 ........................................... 10

Torch brazing .................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... 3Torch soldering ................................. .......................................................... .......................................................... 2Carbon Arc welding .......................... .......................................................... .......................................................... 14

** These values apply where the actual arc is clearly seen. Lighter filters may be used when the arc is hidden by theworkpiece.

FILTER LENSES FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RADIANT ENERGY

Operations Plate thickness— inches Plate thickness— mmMinimum*protective

shade

Gas welding:Light ........................................... Under 1⁄8 .......................................... Under 3.2 ......................................... 4Medium ...................................... 1⁄8 to 1⁄2 ............................................ 3.2 to 12.7 ........................................ 5Heavy ........................................ Over 1⁄2 ............................................ Over 12.7 ......................................... 6

Oxygen cuttingLight ........................................... Under 1 ............................................ Under 25 .......................................... 3Medium ...................................... 1 to 6 ................................................ 25 to 150 .......................................... 4


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FILTER LENSES FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RADIANT ENERGY—Continued

Operations Plate thickness— inches Plate thickness— mmMinimum*protective

shade

Heavy ........................................ Over 6 .............................................. Over 150 .......................................... 5

* As a rule of thumb, start with a shade that is too dark to see the weld zone. Then go to a lighter shade which gives sufficientview of the weld zone without going below the minimum. In oxyfuel gas welding or cutting where the torch produces a high yel-low light, it is desirable to use a filter lens that absorbs the yellow or sodium line in the visible light of the (spectrum) operation.

(b) Criteria for protective eye and facedevices. (1) Protective eye and face de-vices purchased after May 20, 1982,shall comply with the American Na-tional Standards Institute, ANSI Z87.1–1989, ‘‘Practice for Occupational andEducational Eye and Face Protection,’’which is incorporated by reference asspecified in § 1915.5, or shall be dem-onstrated by the employer to be equal-ly effective.

(2) Eye and face protective devicespurchased before May 20, 1982, shallcomply with ‘‘American NationalStandard Practice for Occupationaland Educational Eye and Face Protec-tion, Z87.1 –1979,’’ which is incorporatedby reference as specified in § 1915.5, orshall be demonstrated by the employerto be equally effective.

§ 1915.154 Respiratory protection.

Respiratory protection for shipyardemployment is covered by 29 CFR1910.134.

§ 1915.155 Head protection.

(a) Use. (1) The employer shall ensurethat each affected employee wears aprotective helmet when working inareas where there is a potential for in-jury to the head from falling objects.

(2) The employer shall ensure thateach affected employee wears a protec-tive helmet designed to reduce elec-trical shock hazards where there is po-tential for electric shock or burns dueto contact with exposed electrical con-ductors which could contact the head.

(b) Criteria for protective helmets. (1)Protective helmets purchased after Au-gust 22, 1996, shall comply with ANSIZ89.l–1986, ‘‘Personnel Protection—Pro-tective Headwear for Industrial Work-ers-Requirements,’’ which is incor-porated by reference, as specified in§ 1915.5, or shall be demonstrated by theemployer to be equally effective.

(2) Protective helmets purchased be-fore August 22, 1996, shall comply withthe ‘‘American National StandardSafety Requirements for IndustrialHead Protection, Z89.1–1969,’’ which isincorporated by reference as specifiedin 1915.5, or shall be demonstrated bythe employer to be equally effective.

§ 1915.156 Foot protection.

(a) Use. The employer shall ensurethat each affected employee wears pro-tective footwear when working in areaswhere there is a danger of foot injuriesdue to falling or rolling objects or ob-jects piercing the sole.

(b) Criteria for protective footwear. (1)Protective footwear purchased afterAugust 22, 1996, shall comply withANSI Z41–1991, ‘‘American NationalStandard for Personal Protection-Pro-tective Footwear,’’ which is incor-porated by reference, as specified in§ 1915.5, or shall be demonstrated by theemployer to be equally as effective.

(2) Protective footwear purchased be-fore August 22, 1996, shall comply withthe ‘‘American National Standard forPersonal Protection- Protective Foot-wear Z41–1983,’’ which is incorporatedby reference, as specified in § 1915.5, orshall be demonstrated by the employerto be equally effective.

§ 1915.157 Hand and body protection.

(a) Use. The employer shall ensurethat each affected employee uses ap-propriate hand protection and otherprotective clothing where there is ex-posure to hazards such as skin absorp-tion of harmful substances, severe cutsor lacerations, severe abrasions, punc-tures, chemical burns, thermal burns,harmful temperature extremes, andsharp objects.

(b) Hot work operations. The employershall ensure that no employee wearsclothing impregnated or covered in full


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or in part with flammable or combus-tible materials (such as grease or oil)while engaged in hot work operationsor working near an ignition source.

(c) Electrical protective devices. Theemployer shall ensure that each af-fected employee wears protective elec-trical insulating gloves and sleeves orother electrical protective equipment,if that employee is exposed to elec-trical shock hazards while working onelectrical equipment.

§ 1915.158 Lifesaving equipment.(a) Personal flotation devices. (1) Per-

sonal flotation devices (PFD) (life pre-servers, life jackets and work vests)worn by each affected employee shallbe any United States Coast Guard(USCG) approved and marked Type IPFD, Type II PFD, or Type III PFD; orPFDs shall be a USCG approved Type VPFD which is marked for use as a workvest, for commercial use, or for use onvessels. USCG approval is pursuant to46 CFR part 160, subpart Q, CoastGuard Lifesaving Equipment Specifica-tions.

(2) Prior to each use, personal floata-tion devices shall be inspected for dryrot, chemical damage, or other defectswhich may affect their strength andbuoyancy. Defective personal floata-tion devices shall not be used.

(b) Ring life buoys and ladders. (1)When work is being performed on afloating vessel 200 feet (61 m) or morein length, at least three 30-inch (0.76 m)U.S. Coast Guard approved ring lifebuoys with lines attached shall be lo-cated in readily visible and accessibleplaces. Ring life buoys shall be locatedone forward, one aft, and one at the ac-cess to the gangway.

(2) On floating vessels under 200 feet(61 m) in length, at least one 30-inch(0.76 m) U.S. Coast Guard approved ringlife buoy with line attached shall be lo-cated at the gangway.

(3) At least one 30-inch (0.76 m) U. S.Coast Guard approved ring life buoywith a line attached shall be located oneach staging alongside of a floatingvessel on which work is being per-formed.

(4) At least 90 feet (27 m) of line shallbe attached to each ring life buoy.

(5) There shall be at least one port-able or permanent ladder in the vicin-

ity of each floating vessel on whichwork is being performed. The laddershall be of sufficient length to assistemployees to reach safety in the eventthey fall into the water.

§ 1915.159 Personal fall arrest systems(PFAS).

The criteria of this section apply toPFAS and their use. Effective January1, 1998, body belts and non-lockingsnaphooks are not acceptable as part ofa personal fall arrest system.

(a) Criteria for connectors and anchor-ages. (1) Connectors shall be made ofdrop forged, pressed, or formed steel orshall be made of materials with equiva-lent strength.

(2) Connectors shall have a corrosion-resistant finish, and all surfaces andedges shall be smooth to prevent dam-age to the interfacing parts of the sys-tem.

(3) D-rings and snaphooks shall be ca-pable of sustaining a minimum tensileload of 5,000 pounds (22.2 Kn).

(4) D-rings and snaphooks shall beproof-tested to a minimum tensile loadof 3,600 pounds (16 Kn) without crack-ing, breaking, or being permanently de-formed.

(5) Snaphooks shall be sized to becompatible with the member to whichthey are connected to prevent uninten-tional disengagement of the snaphookcaused by depression of the snaphookkeeper by the connected member, orshall be of a locking type that is de-signed and used to prevent disengage-ment of the snap-hook by contact ofthe snaphook keeper by the connectedmember.

(6) Snaphooks, unless of a lockingtype designed and used to prevent dis-engagement from the following connec-tions, shall not be engaged:

(i) Directly to webbing, rope or wirerope;

(ii) To each other;(iii) To a D-ring to which another

snaphook or other connector is at-tached;

(iv) To a horizontal lifeline; or(v) To any object that is incompati-

bly shaped or dimensioned in relationto the snaphook such that uninten-tional disengagement could occur by


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the connected object being able to de-press the snaphook keeper and releaseitself.

(7) On suspended scaffolds or similarwork platforms with horizontal life-lines that may become vertical life-lines, the devices used for connectionto the horizontal lifeline shall be capa-ble of locking in any direction on thelifeline.

(8) Anchorages used for attachmentof personal fall arrest equipment shallbe independent of any anchorage beingused to support or suspend platforms.

(9) Anchorages shall be capable ofsupporting at least 5,000 pounds (22.2Kn) per employee attached, or shall bedesigned, installed, and used as follows:

(i) As part of a complete personal fallarrest system which maintains a safetyfactor of at least two; and

(ii) Under the direction and super-vision of a qualified person.

(b) Criteria for lifelines, lanyards, andpersonal fall arrest systems. (1) When ver-tical lifelines are used, each employeeshall be provided with a separate life-line.

(2) Vertical lifelines and lanyardsshall have a minimum tensile strengthof 5,000 pounds (22.2 Kn).

(3) Self-retracting lifelines and lan-yards that automatically limit free falldistances to 2 feet (0.61 m) or less shallbe capable of sustaining a minimumtensile load of 3000 pounds (13.3 Kn) ap-plied to a self-retracting lifeline or lan-yard with the lifeline or lanyard in thefully extended position.

(4) Self-retracting lifelines and lan-yards which do not limit free fall dis-tance to 2 feet (0.61 m) or less, ripstitchlanyards and tearing and deforminglanyards shall be capable of sustaininga minimum static tensile load of 5,000pounds (22.2 Kn) applied to the devicewhen they are in the fully extended po-sition.

(5) Horizontal lifelines shall be de-signed, installed, and used under thesupervision of a qualified person, andshall only be used as part of a completepersonal fall arrest system that main-tains a safety factor of at least two.

(6) Effective November 20, 1996, per-sonal fall arrest systems shall:

(i) Limit the maximum arrestingforce on a falling employee to 900

pounds (4 Kn) when used with a bodybelt;

(ii) Limit the maximum arrestingforce on a falling employee to 1,800pounds (8 Kn) when used with a bodyharness;

(iii) Bring a falling employee to acomplete stop and limit the maximumdeceleration distance an employeetravels to 3.5 feet (1.07 m), and

(iv) Have sufficient strength to with-stand twice the potential impact en-ergy of an employee free falling a dis-tance of 6 feet (1.8 m), or the free falldistance permitted by the system,whichever is less;

Note to paragraph (b)(6) of this section: Apersonal fall arrest system which meets thecriteria and protocols contained in appendixB, is considered to comply with paragraph(b)(6). If the combined tool and body weightis 310 pounds (140 kg) or more, systems thatmeet the criteria and protocols contained inappendix B will be deemed to comply withthe provisions of paragraphs (b)(6) only ifthey are modified appropriately to provideprotection for the extra weight of the em-ployee and tools.

(7) Personal fall arrest systems shallbe rigged such that an employee canneither free fall more than 6 feet (1.8m) nor contact any lower level.

(c) Criteria for selection, use and care ofsystems and system components. (1) Lan-yards shall be attached to employeesusing personal fall arrest systems, asfollows:

(i) The attachment point of a bodyharness shall be located in the centerof the wearer’s back near the shoulderlevel, or above the wearer’s head. If thefree fall distance is limited to less than20 inches, the attachment point may belocated in the chest position; and

(ii) The attachment point of a bodybelt shall be located in the center ofthe wearer’s back.

(2) Ropes and straps (webbing) usedin lanyards, lifelines and strength com-ponents of body belts and body har-nesses shall be made from synthetic fi-bers or wire rope.

(3) Ropes, belts, harnesses, and lan-yards shall be compatible with theirhardware.

(4) Lifelines and lanyards shall beprotected against cuts, abrasions,burns from hot work operations and de-terioration by acids, solvents, andother chemicals.


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(5) Personal fall arrest systems shallbe inspected prior to each use for mil-dew, wear, damage, and other deterio-ration. Defective components shall beremoved from service.

(6) Personal fall arrest systems andcomponents subjected to impact load-ing shall be immediately removed fromservice and shall not be used again foremployee protection until inspectedand determined by a qualified person tobe undamaged and suitable for reuse.

(7) The employer shall provide forprompt rescue of employees in theevent of a fall or shall ensure that em-ployees are able to rescue themselves.

(8) Body belts shall be at least oneand five eighths inches (4.1 cm) wide.

(9) Personal fall arrest systems andcomponents shall be used only for em-ployee fall protection and not to hoistmaterials.

(d) Training. Before using personalfall arrest equipment, each affectedemployee shall be trained to under-stand the application limits of theequipment and proper hook-up, anchor-ing, and tie-off techniques. Affectedemployees shall also be trained so thatthey can demonstrate the proper use,inspection, and storage of their equip-ment.

§ 1915.160 Positioning device systems.

Positioning device systems and theiruse shall conform to the following pro-visions:

(a) Criteria for connectors and anchor-ages. (1) Connectors shall have a corro-sion-resistant finish, and all surfacesand edges shall be smooth to preventdamage to interfacing parts of this sys-tem.

(2) Connecting assemblies shall havea minimum tensile strength of 5,000pounds (22.2 Kn).

(3) Positioning device systems shallbe secured to an anchorage capable ofsupporting at least twice the potentialimpact load of an employee’s fall.

(4) Snaphooks, unless each is of alocking type designed and used to pre-vent disengagement, shall not be con-nected to each other. As of January 1,1998, only locking type snaphooks shallbe used in positioning device systems.

(b) Criteria for positioning device sys-tems. (1) Restraint (tether) lines shall

have a minimum breaking strength of3,000 pounds (13.3 Kn).

(2) The following system performancecriteria for positioning device systemsare effective November 20, 1996:

(i) A window cleaner’s positioningsystem shall be capable of withstand-ing without failure a drop test consist-ing of a 6 foot (1.83 m) drop of a 250pound (113 kg) weight. The systemshall limit the initial arresting force tonot more than 2,000 pounds (8.89 Kn),with a duration not to exceed 2 milli-seconds. The system shall limit anysubsequent arresting forces imposed onthe falling employee to not more than1,000 pounds (4.45 Kn);

(ii) All other positioning device sys-tems shall be capable of withstandingwithout failure a drop test consistingof a 4- foot (1.2 m) drop of a 250-pound(113 kg) weight.

Note to paragraph (b)(2) of this section: Po-sitioning device systems which comply withthe provisions of section 2 of non-mandatoryappendix B to this subpart shall be deemedto meet the requirements of this paragraph(b)(2).

(c) Criteria for the use and care of posi-tioning device systems. (1) Positioningdevice systems shall be inspected be-fore each use for mildew, wear, dam-age, and other deterioration. Defectivecomponents shall be removed fromservice.

(2) A positioning device system orcomponent subjected to impact loadingshall be immediately removed fromservice and shall not be used again foremployee protection, unless inspectedand determined by a qualified person tobe undamaged and suitable for reuse.

(d) Training. Before using a position-ing device system, employees shall betrained in the application limits, prop-er hook-up, anchoring and tie-off tech-niques, methods of use, inspection, andstorage of positioning device systems.

APPENDIX A TO SUBPART I—NON-MAN-DATORY GUIDELINES FOR HAZARDASSESSMENT, PERSONAL PROTECTIVEEQUIPMENT (PPE) SELECTION, ANDPPE TRAINING PROGRAM

This appendix is intended to provide com-pliance assistance for hazard assessment, se-lection of personal protective equipment(PPE) and PPE training. It neither adds to


83

Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor Pt. 1915, Subpt. I, App. A

or detracts from the employer’s responsibil-ity to comply with the provisions of this sub-part.

1. Controlling hazards. Employers and em-ployees should not rely exclusively on PPEfor protection from hazards. PPE should beused, where appropriate, in conjunction withengineering controls, guards, and safe workpractices and procedures.

2. Assessment and selection. Employersneed to consider certain general guidelinesfor assessing the hazardous situations thatare likely to arise under foreseeable work ac-tivity conditions and to match employeePPE to the identified hazards. The employershould designate a safety officer or someother qualified person to exercise commonsense and appropriate expertise to assesswork activity hazards and select PPE.

3. Assessment guidelines. In order to assessthe need for PPE the following steps shouldbe taken:

a. Survey. Conduct a walk-through surveyof the area in question to identify sources ofhazards.

Categories for Consideration:(1) Impact(2) Penetration(3) Compression (roll-over)(4) Chemical(5) Heat(6) Harmful dust(7) Light (optical) radiation(8) Drowning(9) Falling

b. Sources. During the walk-through surveythe safety officer should observe:

(1) Sources of motion; for example, ma-chinery or processes where any movement oftools, machine elements or particles couldexist, or movement of personnel that couldresult in collision with stationary objects.

(2) Sources of high temperatures that couldresult in burns, eye injury or ignition of pro-tective equipment.

(3) Types of chemical exposures.(4) Sources of harmful dust.(5) Sources of light radiation, for instance,

welding, brazing, cutting, heat treating, fur-naces, and high intensity lights.

(6) Sources of falling objects or potentialfor dropping objects.

(7) Sources of sharp objects which mightpierce or cut the hands.

(8) Sources of rolling or pinching objectswhich could crush the feet.

(9) Layout of work place and location ofco-workers.

(10) Any electrical hazards.(11) Review injury/accident data to help

identify problem areas.Organize data. Following the walk-through

survey, it is necessary to organize the dataand other information obtained. That mate-rial provides the basis for hazard assessmentthat enables the employer to select the ap-propriate PPE.

d. Analyze data. Having gathered and orga-nized data regarding a particular occupation,employers need to estimate the potential forinjuries. Each of the identified hazards (seeparagraph 3.a.) should be reviewed and clas-sified as to its type, the level of risk, and theseriousness of any potential injury. Where itis foreseeable that an employee could be ex-posed to several hazards simultaneously, theconsequences of such exposure should be con-sidered.

4. Selection guidelines. After completion ofthe procedures in paragraph 3, the generalprocedure for selection of protective equip-ment is to:

(a) become familiar with the potential haz-ards and the types of protective equipmentthat are available, and what they can do; forexample, splash protection, and impact pro-tection;

(b) compare the hazards associated withthe environment; for instance, impact ve-locities, masses, projectile shapes, radiationintensities, with the capabilities of theavailable protective equipment;

(c) select the protective equipment whichensures a level of protection greater than theminimum required to protect employeesfrom the hazards; and

(d) fit the user with the protective deviceand give instructions on care and use of thePPE. It is very important that users be madeaware of all warning labels and limitationsof their PPE.

5. Fitting the device. Careful considerationmust be given to comfort and fit. The em-ployee will be most likely to wear the pro-tective device if it fits comfortably. PPEthat does not fit properly may not providethe necessary protection, and may createother problems for wearers. Generally, pro-tective devices are available in a variety ofsizes and choices. Therefore employersshould be careful to select the appropriatesized PPE.

6. Devices with adjustable features. (a) Ad-justments should be made on an individualbasis so the wearer will have a comfortablefit that maintains the protective device inthe proper position. Particular care shouldbe taken in fitting devices for eye protectionagainst dust and chemical splash to ensurethat the seal is appropriate for the face.

(b) In addition, proper fitting of hard hatsis important to ensure that the hard hat willnot fall off during work operations. In somecases a chin strap may be necessary to keepthe hard hat on an employee’s head. (Chinstraps should break at a reasonably low forceto prevent a strangulation hazard). Wheremanufacturer’s instructions are available,they should be followed carefully.

7. Reassessment of hazards. Compliance withthe hazard assessment requirements of§ 1915.152(b) will involve the reassessment of


84

29 CFR Ch. XVII (7–1–98 Edition) Pt. 1915, Subpt. I, App. A

work activities where changing cir-cumstances make it necessary. a. The em-ployer should have a safety officer or otherqualified person reassess the hazards of thework activity area as necessary. This reas-sessment should take into account changesin the workplace or work practices, such asthose associated with the installation of newequipment, and the lessons learned from re-viewing accident records, and a reevaluationperformed to determine the suitability ofPPE selected for use.

8. Selection chart guidelines for eye and faceprotection. Examples of occupations forwhich eye protection should be routinely

considered are carpenters, engineers, copper-smiths, instrument technicians, insulators,electricians, machinists, mobile equipmentmechanics and repairers, plumbers and shipfitters, sheet metal workers and tinsmiths,grinding equipment operators, machine oper-ators, welders, boiler workers, painters, la-borers, grit blasters, ship fitters and burners.This is not a complete list of occupationsthat require the use of eye protection. Thefollowing chart provides general guidance forthe proper selection of eye and face protec-tion to protect against hazards associatedwith the listed hazard ‘‘source’’ operations.


85


EY

EA

ND

FA

CE

PR

OT

EC

TIO

NS

ELE

CT

ION

CH

AR

T

Sou

rce

Ass

essm

ent

of h

azar

dP

rote

ctio

n

Impa

ct:

Chi

ppin

g, g

rindi

ng m

achi

ning

, m

ason

ry w

ork,

woo

dwor

king

, sa

w-

ing,

dril

ling,

chi

selin

g, p

ower

ed f

aste

ning

, riv

etin

g, a

nd s

andi

ng.

Fly

ing

frag

men

ts,

obje

cts,

la

rge

chip

s,

par-

ticle

s, s

and,

dirt

, et

c.S

pect

acle

s w

ith s

ide

prot

ectio

n, g

oggl

es,

face

shi

elds

. S

ee n

otes

(1)

,(3

), (

5),

(6),

(10

). F

or s

ever

e ex

posu

re,

use

face

shi

eld.

Hea

t: Fur

nace

ope

ratio

ns,

pour

ing,

cas

ting,

hot

dip

ping

, an

d w

eldi

ng...

Hot

spa

rks

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

.F

ace

shie

lds,

gog

gles

, sp

ecta

cles

with

sid

e pr

otec

tion.

For

sev

ere

expo

sure

use

fac

e sh

ield

. S

ee n

otes

(1)

, (2

), (

3).

Spl

ash

from

mol

ten

met

als

......

......

......

......

.....

Fac

e sh

ield

s w

orn

over

gog

gles

. S

ee n

otes

(1)

, (2

), (

3).

Hig

h te

mpe

ratu

re e

xpos

ure

......

......

......

......

.....

Scr

een

face

shi

elds

, re

flect

ive

face

shi

elds

. S

ee n

otes

(1)

, (2

), (

3).

Che

mic

als:

Aci

d an

d ch

emic

als

hand

ling,

deg

reas

ing,

pla

ting

......

......

......

......

Spl

ash

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

..G

oggl

es,

eyec

up a

nd c

over

typ

es.

For

sev

ere

expo

sure

, us

e fa

cesh

ield

. S

ee n

otes

(3)

, (1

1).

Irrit

atin

g m

ists

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

..S

peci

al-p

urpo

se g

oggl

es.

Dus

t: Woo

dwor

king

, bu

ffing

, ge

nera

l dus

ty c

ondi

tions

......

......

......

......

...N

uisa

nce

dust

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

..G

oggl

es,

eyec

up a

nd c

over

typ

es.

See

not

e (8

).Li

ght

and/

or R

adia

tion:

Wel

ding

: E

lect

ric a

rc...

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

.O

ptic

al r

adia

tion

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

....

Wel

ding

he

lmet

s or

w

eldi

ng

shie

lds.

T

ypic

al

shad

es:

10–1

4.

See

note

s (9

), (

12).

Wel

ding

: G

as...

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

Opt

ical

rad

iatio

n...

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

.W

eldi

ng g

oggl

es o

r w

eldi

ng f

ace

shie

ld.

Typ

ical

sha

des:

gas

wel

ding

4–8,

cut

ting

3–6,

bra

zing

3–4

. S

ee n

ote

(9).

Cut

ting,

Tor

ch b

razi

ng,

Tor

ch s

olde

ring

......

......

......

......

......

......

....

Opt

ical

rad

iatio

n...

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

.S

pect

acle

s or

wel

ding

fac

e-sh

ield

. T

ypic

al s

hade

s, 1

.5–3

. S

ee n

otes

(3),

(9)

.G

lare

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

....

Poo

r vi

sion

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

.S

pect

acle

s w

ith s

hade

d or

spe

cial

-pur

pose

len

ses,

as

suita

ble.

See

note

s (9

), (

10).


86

29 CFR Ch. XVII (7–1–98 Edition) Pt. 1915, Subpt. I, App. A

NOTES TO EYE AND FACE PROTECTIONSELECTION CHART

(a) Care should be taken to recognize thepossibility of multiple and simultaneous ex-posure to a variety of hazards. Adequate pro-tection against the highest level of each ofthe hazards should be provided. Protectivedevices do not provide unlimited protection.

(b) Operations involving heat may also in-volve light radiation. As required by thestandard, protection from both hazards mustbe provided.

(c) Face shields should only be worn overprimary eye protection (spectacles or gog-gles).

(d) As required by the standard, filterlenses must meet the requirements for shadedesignations in § 1915.153(a)(4). Tinted andshaded lenses are not filter lenses unlessthey are marked or identified as such.

(e) As required by the standard, personswhose vision requires the use of prescription(Rx) lenses must wear either protective de-vices fitted with prescription (Rx) lenses orprotective devices designed to be worn overregular prescription (Rx) eye wear.

(f) Wearers of contact lenses must alsowear appropriate eye and face protection de-vices in a hazardous environment. It shouldbe recognized that dusty and/or chemical en-vironments may represent an additional haz-ard to contact lens wearers.

(g) Caution should be exercised in the useof metal frame protective devices in elec-trical hazard areas.

(h) Atmospheric conditions and the re-stricted ventilation of the protector cancause lenses to fog. Frequent cleansing maybe necessary.

(i) Welding helmets or face shields shouldbe used only over primary eye protection(spectacles or goggles).

(j) Non-side shield spectacles are availablefor frontal protection only, but are not ac-ceptable eye protection for the sources andoperations listed for ‘‘impact.’’

(k) Ventilation should be adequate, butwell protected from splash entry. Eye andface protection should be designed and usedso that it provides both adequate ventilationand protects the wearer from splash entry.

(l) Protection from light radiation is di-rectly related to filter lens density. See note(d). Select the darkest shade that allowstask performance.

9. Selection guidelines for head protection. (a)Hard hats are designed to provide protectionfrom impact and penetration hazards causedby falling objects. Head protection is alsoavailable which provides protection fromelectric shock and burn. When selecting headprotection, knowledge of potential electricalhazards is important. Class A helmets, in ad-dition to impact and penetration resistance,provide electrical protection from low-volt-age conductors. (They are proof tested to

2,200 volts.) Class B helmets, in addition toimpact and penetration resistance, provideelectrical protection from high-voltage con-ductors. (They are proof tested to 20,000volts.) Class C helmets provide impact andpenetration resistance. (They are usuallymade of aluminum, which conducts elec-tricity and should not be used around elec-trical hazards.)

(b) Where falling object hazards arepresent, head protection must be worn. Someexamples of exposure include: working belowother workers who are using tools and mate-rials which could fall; working around orunder conveyor belts which are carryingparts or materials; working below machineryor processes which might cause material orobjects to fall; and working on exposed ener-gized conductors.

(c) Examples of occupations for which headprotection should be considered are: car-penters, electricians, machinists, boiler-makers, erectors, plumbers, coppersmiths,ship fitters, welders, laborers and materialhandlers.

10. Selection guidelines for foot protection. (a)Safety shoes and boots must meet ANSI Z41–1991 and provide impact and compressionprotection to the foot. Where necessary,safety shoes can be obtained which providepuncture protection. In some work situa-tions, metatarsal protection should be pro-vided, and in some other special situationselectrical conductive or insulating safetyshoes would be appropriate.

(b) Safety shoes or boots with impact pro-tection would be required for carrying orhandling materials such as packages, ob-jects, parts or heavy tools, which could bedropped, and for other activities where ob-jects might fall onto the feet. Safety shoesor boots with compression protection wouldbe required for work activities involvingskid trucks (manual material handlingcarts) around bulk rolls (such as paper rolls)and around heavy pipes, all of which couldpotentially roll over an employees’ feet.Safety shoes or boots with puncture protec-tion would be required where sharp objectssuch as nails, wire, tacks, screws, large sta-ples, scrap metal etc., could be stepped on byemployees, causing an injury.

(c) Some occupations (not a complete list)for which foot protection should be routinelyconsidered are: shipping and receivingclerks, stock clerks, carpenters, electricians,machinists, boiler makers, plumbers, coppersmiths, pipe fitters, ship fitters, burners,chippers and grinders, erectors, press opera-tors, welders, laborers, and material han-dlers.

11. Selection guidelines for hand protection.(a) Gloves are often relied upon to preventcuts, abrasions, burns, and skin contact withchemicals that are capable of causing localor systemic effects following dermal expo-sure. OSHA is unaware of any gloves that


87


provide protection against all potential handhazards, and commonly available glove ma-terials provide only limited protectionagainst many chemicals. Therefore, it is im-portant to select the most appropriate glovefor a particular application and to determinehow long it can be worn, and whether it canbe reused.

(b) It is also important to know the per-formance characteristics of gloves relativeto the specific hazard anticipated, e.g.,chemical hazards, cut hazards, and flamehazards. These performance characteristicsshould be assessed by using standard testprocedures. Before purchasing gloves, theemployer should request documentationfrom the manufacturer that the gloves meetthe appropriate test standard(s) for the haz-ard(s) anticipated.

(c) other general factors to be consideredfor glove selection are:

(A) As long as the performance character-istics are acceptable, in certain cir-cumstances, it may be more cost effective toregularly change cheaper gloves than toreuse more expensive types; and,

(B) The work activities of the employeeshould be studied to determine the degree ofdexterity required, the duration, frequency,and degree of exposure to the hazard, and thephysical stresses that will be applied.

(d) With respect to selection of gloves forprotection against chemical hazards:

(A) The toxic properties of the chemical(s)must be determined; in particular, the abil-ity of the chemical to cause local effects onthe skin or to pass through the skin andcause systemic effects or both;

(B) Generally, any ‘‘chemical resistant’’glove can be used for dry powders;

(C) For mixtures and formulated products(unless specific test data are available), aglove should be selected on the basis of thechemical component with the shortestbreakthrough time, since it is possible forsolvents to carry active ingredients throughpolymeric materials; and,

(D) Employees must be able to remove thegloves in such a manner as to prevent skincontamination.

12. Cleaning and maintenance. (a) It is im-portant that all PPE be kept clean and beproperly maintained. Cleaning is particu-larly important for eye and face protectionwhere dirty or fogged lenses could impair vi-sion.

(b) For the purposes of compliance, PPEshould be inspected, cleaned, and maintainedat regular intervals so that the PPE providesthe requisite protection.

(c) It is important to ensure that contami-nated PPE which cannot be decontaminatedis disposed of in a manner that protects em-ployees from exposure to hazards.

13. Examples of work activities, trades and se-lection of basic PPE.

Example 1: Welder. Based on an assessmentof the work activity area hazards to whichwelders are exposed, the equipment listedbelow is the basic PPE required for this oc-cupation. This does not take into account ajob location in which additional PPE may berequired, such as where the welder worksfrom an elevated platform without guardrails. In this situation the welder must alsowear the proper fall protection equipment,such as a body harness.

—Hard hat—Welding Shield (Face)—Welding Gloves—Safety Glasses—Safety Shoes—Welding Sleeves (welding in the overhead

position)(Signed and dated)

Example 2: Yard Maintenance Worker. Basedon an assessment of the workplace hazardsto which shipyard maintenance workers areexposed, the equipment listed below is thebasic PPE required for this occupation.Where maintenance workers are exposed toother hazards, such as asbestos, the insula-tion on a pipe is being repaired, maintenanceworkers must be provided with the appro-priate supplemental PPE (requirements forasbestos PPE are set out in 1915.1001).

—Hard Hat—Safety Glasses—Work Gloves—Safety Shoes(Signed and Dated)

Example 3: Chipper and Grinder Worker.Based on an assessment of the workplacehazards to which shipyard chipper and grind-er workers are exposed, the equipment listedbelow is the basic PPE required for this oc-cupation. Where workers are exposed toother hazards, such as hazardous dust fromchipping or grinding operations, chipper andgrinder workers must be provided with theappropriate supplemental PPE.

—Safety Glasses—Transparent Face Shields—Hearing Protection—Foot Protection—Gloves(Signed and Dated)

Example 4: Painter. Based on an assessmentof the workplace hazards to which shipyardpainters are exposed, the equipment listedbelow is the basic PPE required for this oc-cupation. Where painters are exposed toother hazards, such as a fall from an ele-vation where no guardrails are present,painters must be provided with the appro-priate supplemental PPE.

—Hard Hats—Safety Glasses—Disposable Clothing—Gloves


88

29 CFR Ch. XVII (7–1–98 Edition) Pt. 1915, Subpt. I, App. B

—Respiratory Protection, including AirlineRespirators when working in ConfinedSpaces

—Barrier Creams(Signed and Dated)

Example 5: Tank Cleaner. Tank cleaning op-erations and the basic PPE required for themdepend largely upon the type of cargoshipped in the tank. Therefore, the followingexample is given for a tank in which gasolinehas been shipped. Based on an assessment ofthe workplace hazards to which shipyardtank cleaners are exposed, specifically ben-zene and flammability hazards, the equip-ment listed below is the basic PPE requiredfor this situation. Other tank cleaning oper-ations will require variations in the PPElisted below.—Respiratory Protection, Airline Res-

pirators for working in confined spaces orwhere personal exposure limits could beexceeded.

—Chemically resistant clothing—Face Shields—Chemically resistant boots—Chemically resistant gloves—Fall Protection—Non sparking tools and equipment—Explosion-proof Lighting(Signed and Dated)

APPENDIX B TO SUBPART I—GENERALTESTING CONDITIONS AND ADDI-TIONAL GUIDELINES FOR PERSONALFALL PROTECTION SYSTEMS (NON-MANDATORY)

1. Personal fall arrest systems—(a) Generaltest conditions. (1) Lifelines, lanyards, and de-celeration devices should be attached to ananchorage and connected to the body-belt orbody harness in the same manner as theywould be when used to protect employees,except that lanyards should be tested onlywhen connected directly to the anchorage,and not when connected to a lifeline.

(2) The anchorage should be rigid, andshould not have a deflection greater than .04inches (1 cm) when a force of 2,250 pounds (10Kn) is applied.

(3) The frequency response of the loadmeasuring instrumentation should be 100 Hz.

(4) The test weight used in the strengthand force tests should be a rigid, metal cylin-drical or torso-shaped object with a girth of38 inches plus or minus 4 inches (96.5 cm plusor minus 10 cm).

(5) The lanyard or lifeline used to createthe free fall distance should be the one sup-plied with the system, or in its absence, theleast elastic lanyard or lifeline available tobe used by the employee with the system.

(6) The test weight for each test should behoisted to the required level and should bequickly released without having any appre-ciable motion imparted to it.

(7) The system’s performance should beevaluated, taking into account the range ofenvironmental conditions for which it is de-signed to be used.

(8) Following the test, the system need notbe capable of further operation.

(b) Strength test. (1) During the testing ofall systems, a test weight of 300 pounds plusor minus 5 pounds (136 kg plus or minus 2.27kg) should be used. (See paragraph (a)(4)above.)

(2) The test consists of dropping the testweight once. A new unused system should beused for each test.

(3) For lanyard systems, the lanyardlength should be 6 feet plus or minus 2 inches(1.83 m plus or minus 5 cm) as measured fromthe fixed anchorage to the attachment onthe body belt or harness.

(4) For rope-grab-type deceleration sys-tems, the length of the lifeline above thecenter line of the grabbing mechanism to thelifeline’s anchorage point should not exceed2 feet (0.61 m).

(5) For lanyard systems, for systems withdeceleration devices which do not automati-cally limit free fall distance to 2 feet (0.61 m)or less, and for systems with deceleration de-vices which have a connection distance in ex-cess of 1 foot (0.3 m) (measured between thecenterline of the lifeline and the attachmentpoint to the body belt or harness), the testweight should be rigged to free fall a dis-tance of 7.5 feet (2.3 m) from a point that is1.5 feet (46 cm) above the anchorage point, toits hanging location (6 feet (1.83 m) below theanchorage). The test weight should fall with-out interference, obstruction, or hitting thefloor or the ground during the test. In somecases, a non-elastic wire lanyard of sufficientlength may need to be added to the system(for test purposes) to create the necessaryfree fall distance.

(6) For deceleration device systems withintegral lifelines or lanyards which auto-matically limit free fall distance to 2 feet(0.61 m) or less, the test weight should berigged to free fall a distance of four feet (1.22m).

(7) Any weight which detaches from thebelt or harness should constitute failure forthe strength test.

(c) Force test general. The test consists ofdropping the respective test weight once. Anew, unused system should be used for eachtest.

(1) For lanyard systems. (i) A test weightof 220 pounds plus or minus three pounds (100kg plus or minus 1.6 kg) should be used (seeparagraph (a)(4) above).

(ii) Lanyard length should be 6 feet plus orminus 2 inches (1.83 m plus or minus 5 cm) asmeasured from the fixed anchorage to the at-tachment on the body belt or body harness.

(iii) The test weight should fall free fromthe anchorage level to its handling location(a total of 6 feet (1.83 m) free fall distance)


89

Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor Pt. 1915, Subpt. I, App. B

without interference, obstruction, or hittingthe floor or ground during the test.

(2) For all other systems. (i) A test weightof 220 pounds plus or minus 3 pounds (100 kgplus or minus 1.6 kg) should be used (seeparagraph (a)(4) above).

(ii) The free fall distance to be used in thetest should be the maximum fall distancephysically permitted by the system duringnormal use conditions, up to a maximumfree fall distance for the test weight of 6 feet(1.83 m), except as follows:

(A) For deceleration systems which have aconnection link or lanyard, the test weightshould free fall a distance equal to the con-nection distance (measured between the cen-ter line of the lifeline and the attachmentpoint to the body belt or harness).

(B) For deceleration device systems withintegral life lines or lanyards which auto-matically limit free fall distance to 2 feet(0.61 m) or less, the test weight should freefall a distance equal to that permitted by thesystem in normal use. (For example, to testa system with a self-retracting lifeline orlanyard, the test weight should be supportedand the system allowed to retract the life-line or lanyard as it would in normal use.The test weight would then be released andthe force and deceleration distance meas-ured.)

(3) Failure. A system fails the force test ifthe recorded maximum arresting force ex-ceeds 1,260 pounds (5.6 Kn) when using a bodybelt, or exceeds 2,520 pounds (11.2 Kn) whenusing a body harness.

(4) Distances. The maximum elongationand deceleration distance should be recordedduring the force test.

(d) Deceleration device tests—general. The de-vice should be evaluated or tested under theenvironmental conditions (such as rain, ice,grease, dirt, type of lifeline, etc.) for whichthe device is designed.

(1) Rope-grab-type deceleration devices. (i)Devices should be moved on a lifeline 1,000times over the same length of line a distanceof not less than 1 foot (30.5 cm), and themechanism should lock each time.

(ii) Unless the device is permanentlymarked to indicate the type of lifelineswhich must be used, several types (differentdiameters and different materials) of life-lines should be used to test the device.

(2) Other-self-activating-type decelerationdevices. The locking mechanisms of otherself-activating-type deceleration devices de-signed for more than one arrest should lockeach of 1,000 times as they would in normalservice.

2. Positioning device systems—(a) Test Condi-tions. (1) The fixed anchorage should be rigidand should not have a deflection greaterthan .04 inches (1 cm) when a force of 2,250pounds (10 Kn) is applied.

(2) For linemen’s body belt and pole straps,the body belt should be secured to a 250pound (113 kg) bag of sand at a point whichsimulates the waist of an employee. One endof the pole strap should be attached to therigid anchorage and the other end to thebody belt. The sand bag should be allowed tofree fall a distance of 4 feet (1.2 m). Failureof the pole strap and body belt should be in-dicated by any breakage or slippage suffi-cient to permit the bag to fall free to theground.

(3) For window cleaner’s belts, the com-plete belt should withstand a drop test con-sisting of a 250 pound (113 kg) weight fallingfree for a distance of 6 feet (1.83 m). Theweight should be a rigid object with a girthof 38 inches plus or minus four inches (97 cmplus or minus 10 cm). The weight should beplaced in the waistband with the belt buckledrawn firmly against the weight, as whenthe belt is worn by a window cleaner. Onebelt terminal should be attached to a rigidanchor and the other terminal should hangfree. The terminals should be adjusted totheir maximum span. The weight fastened inthe freely suspended belt should then be lift-ed exactly 6 feet (1.83 m) above its ‘‘at rest’’position and released so as to permit a freefall of 6 feet (1.83 m) vertically below thepoint of attachment of the terminal anchor.The belt system should be equipped with de-vices and instrumentation capable of meas-uring the duration and magnitude of the ar-rest forces. Any breakage or slippage whichpermits the weight to fall free of the systemconstitutes failure of the test. In addition,the initial and subsequent arresting forcepeaks should be measured and should not ex-ceed 2,000 pounds (8.9 Kn) for more than 2milliseconds for the initial impact, nor ex-ceed 1,000 pounds (4.45 Kn) for the remainderof the arrest time.

(4) All other positioning device systems(except for restraint line systems) shouldwithstand a drop test consisting of a 250pound (113 kg) weight falling free for a dis-tance of 4 feet (1.2 m). The weight should bea rigid object with a girth of 38 inches plusor minus 4 inches (96 cm plus or minus 10cm). The body belt or harness should be af-fixed to the test weight as it would be to anemployee. The system should be connectedto the rigid anchor in the manner that thesystem would be connected in normal use.The weight should be lifted exactly 4 feet (1.2m) above its ‘‘at rest’’ position and releasedso as to permit a vertical free fall of 4 feet(1.2 m ). Any breakage or slippage which per-mits the weight to fall free to the groundshould constitute failure of the system.


90


Subpart J—Ship’s Machinery andPiping Systems

§ 1915.161 Scope and application ofsubpart.


§ 1915.162 Ship’s boilers.(a) Before work is performed in the

fire, steam, or water spaces of a boilerwhere employees may be subject to in-jury from the direct escape of a hightemperature medium such as steam, orwater, oil, or other medium at a hightemperature entering from an inter-connecting system, the employer shallinsure that the following steps aretaken:

(1) The isolation and shutoff valvesconnecting the dead boiler with thelive system or systems shall be se-cured, blanked, and tagged indicatingthat employees are working in the boil-er. This tag shall not be removed northe valves unblanked until it is deter-mined that this may be done withoutcreating a hazard to the employeesworking in the boiler, or until thework in the boiler is completed. Wherevalves are welded instead of bolted atleast two isolation and shutoff valvesconnecting the dead boiler with thelive system or systems shall be se-cured, locked, and tagged.

(2) Drain connections to atmosphereon all of the dead interconnecting sys-tems shall be opened for visual obser-vation of drainage.

(3) A warning sign calling attentionto the fact that employees are workingin the boilers shall be hung in a con-spicuous location in the engine room.This sign shall not be removed until itis determined that the work is com-pleted and all employees are out of theboilers.

§ 1915.163 Ship’s piping systems.(a) Before work is performed on a

valve, fitting, or section of piping in apiping system where employees may besubject to injury from the direct escapeof steam, or water, oil, or other me-dium at a high temperature, the em-ployer shall insure that the followingsteps are taken:

(1) The isolation and shutoff valvesconnecting the dead system with thelife system or systems shall be secured,blanked, and tagged indicating thatemployees are working on the systems.This tag shall not be removed nor thevalves unblanked until it is determinedthat this may be done without creatinga hazard to the employees working onthe system, or until the work on thesystem is completed. Where valves arewelded instead of bolted at least twoisolation and shutoff valves connectingthe dead system with the live systemor systems shall be secured, locked,and tagged.

(2) Drain connections to atmosphereon all of the dead interconnecting sys-tems shall be opened for visual obser-vation of drainage.

§ 1915.164 Ship’s propulsion machin-ery.

(a) Before work is performed on themain engine, reduction gear, or con-necting accessories, the employer shallensure that the following steps aretaken:

(1) The jacking gear shall be engagedto prevent the main engine from turn-ing over. A sign shall be posted at thethrottle indicating that the jackinggear is engaged. This sign shall not beremoved until the jacking gear can besafely disengaged.

(2) If the jacking gear is steam driv-en, the stop valves to the jacking gearshall be secured, locked, and tagged in-dicating that employees are workingon the main engine.

(3) If the jacking gear is electricallydriven, the circuit controlling thejacking gear shall be deenergized bytripping the circuit breaker, openingthe switch or removing the fuse, which-ever is appropriate. The breaker,switch, or fuse location shall be taggedindicating that employees are workingon the main engine.

(b) Before the jacking engine is oper-ated, the following precautions shall betaken:

(1) A check shall be made to ensurethat all employees, equipment, andtools are clear of the engine, reductiongear, and its connecting accessories.

(2) A check shall be made to ensurethat all employees, equipment andtools are free of the propeller.

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(c) Before work is started on or in theimmediate vicinity of the propeller, awarning sign calling attention to thefact that employees are working inthat area shall be hung in a conspicu-ous location in the engine room. Thissign shall not be removed until it is de-termined that the work is completedand all employees are free of the pro-peller.

(d) Before the main engine is turnedover (e.g., when warming up before de-parture or testing after an overhaul) acheck shall be made to ensure that allemployees, equipment, and tools arefree of the propeller.

§ 1915.165 Ship’s deck machinery.(a) Before work is performed on the

anchor windlass or any of its attachedaccessories, the employer shall ensurethat the following steps are taken:

(1) The devil claws shall be made fastto the anchor chains.

(2) The riding pawls shall be in theengaged position.

(3) In the absence of devil claws andriding pawls, the anchor chains shall besecured to a suitable fixed structure ofthe vessel.

Subpart K—Portable, Unfired Pres-sure Vessels, Drums and Con-tainers, Other Than Ship’sEquipment

§ 1915.171 Scope and application ofsubpart.


§ 1915.172 Portable air receivers andother unfired pressure vessels.

(a) Portable, unfired pressure vessels,built after the effective date of thisregulation, shall be marked and re-ported indicating that they have beendesigned and constructed to meet thestandards of the American Society ofMechanical Engineers Boiler and Pres-sure Vessel Code, Section XIII, Rulesfor Construction of Unfired PressureVessels, 1963. They shall be subjectedto a hydrostatic pressure test of oneand one-half times the working pres-sure of the vessels.

(b) Portable, unfired pressure vessels,not built to the code requirements of

paragraph (a) of this section, and builtprior to the effective date of this regu-lation, shall be examined quarterly bya competent person. They shall be sub-jected yearly to a hydrostatic pressuretest of one and one-half times theworking pressure of the vessels.

(c) The relief valves on the portable,unfired pressure vessels in paragraphs(a) and (b) of this section shall be set tothe safe working pressure of the ves-sels, or set to the lowest safe workingpressure of the systems, whichever islower.

(d) A certification record of such ex-aminations and tests made in compli-ance with the requirements of para-graphs (a) and (b) of this section shallbe maintained. The certification recordshall include the date of examinationsand tests, the signature of the personwho performed the examinations ortests and the serial number, or otheridentifier, of the equipment examinedand tested.

[47 FR 16986, Apr. 20, 1982, as amended at 51FR 34562, Sept. 29, 1986]

§ 1915.173 Drums and containers.

(a) Shipping drums and containersshall not be pressurized to removetheir contents.

(b) A temporarily assembled pressur-ized piping system conveying hazard-ous liquids or gases shall be providedwith a relief valve and by-pass to pre-vent rupture of the system and the es-cape of such hazardous liquids or gases.

(c) Pressure vessels, drums and con-tainers containing toxic or flammableliquids or gases shall not be stored orused where they are subject to openflame, hot metal, or other sources ofartificial heat.

(d) Unless pressure vessels, drumsand containers of 30 gallon capacity orover containing flammable or toxic liq-uids or gases are placed in an out-of-the-way area where they will not besubject to physical injury from an out-side source, barriers or guards shall beerected to protect them from suchphysical injury.

(e) Containers of 55 gallons or morecapacity containing flammable or toxicliquid shall be surrounded by dikes orpans which enclose a volume equal toat least 35 percent of the total volumeof the containers.


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(f) Fire extinguishers adequate innumber and suitable for the hazardshall be provided. These extinguishersshall be located in the immediate areawhere pressure vessels, drums and con-tainers containing flammable liquidsor gases are stored or in use. Such ex-tinguishers shall be ready for use at alltimes.

Subpart L—Electrical Machinery§ 1915.181 Electrical circuits and dis-

tribution boards.(a) The provisions of this section

shall apply to ship repairing and ship-building and shall not apply toshipbreaking.

(b) Before an employee is permittedto work on an electrical circuit, exceptwhen the circuit must remain ener-gized for testing and adjusting, the cir-cuit shall be deenergized and checkedat the point at which the work is to bedone to insure that it is actually deen-ergized. When testing or adjusting anenergized circuit a rubber mat, duckboard, or other suitable insulationshall be used underfoot where an insu-lated deck does not exist.

(c) Deenergizing the circuit shall beaccomplished by opening the circuitbreaker, opening the switch, or remov-ing the fuse, whichever method is ap-propriate. The circuit breaker, switch,or fuse location shall be tagged to indi-cate that an employee is working onthe circuit. Such tags shall not be re-moved nor the circuit energized until itit definitely determined that the workon the circuit has been completed.

(d) When work is performed imme-diately adjacent to an open-front ener-gized board or in back of an energizedboard, the board shall be covered orsome other equally safe means shall beused to prevent contact with any of theenergized parts.

Subparts M–Y [Reserved]

Subpart Z—Toxic and HazardousSubstances

SOURCE: 58 FR 35514, July 1, 1993, unlessotherwise noted.

§ 1915.1000 Air contaminants.Wherever this section applies, an

employees’s exposure to any substance

listed in Table Z—Shipyards of thissection shall be limited in accordancewith the requirements of the followingparagraphs of this section.

(a)(1) Substances with limits precededby ‘‘C’’—Ceiling values. An employee’sexposure to any substance in Table Z—Shipyards, the exposure limit of whichis preceded by a ‘‘C,’’ shall at no timeexceed the exposure limit given forthat substance. If instantaneous mon-itoring is not feasible, then the ceilingshall be assessed as a 15-minute timeweighted average exposure which shallnot be exceeded at any time over aworking day.

(2) Other Substances—8-hour TimeWeighted Averages. An employee’s expo-sure to any substance in Table Z—Shipyards , the exposure limit of whichis not preceded by a ‘‘C,’’ shall not ex-ceed the 8-hour Time Weighted Aver-age given for that substance in any 8-hour work shift of a 40-hour workweek.

(b)–(c) [Reserved](d) Computation formulae. The com-

putation formula which shall apply toemployee exposure to more than onesubstance for which 8-hour timeweighted averages are listed in subpartZ of 29 CFR part 1915 in order to deter-mine whether an employee is exposedover the regulatory limit is as follows:

(1)(i) The cumulative exposure for an8-hour work shift shall be computed asfollows:E=(Ca Ta+Cb Tb+...Cn Tn)÷8Where:

E is the equivalent exposure for theworking shift.

C is the concentration during any pe-riod of time T where the concentra-tion remains constant.

T is the duration in hours of the ex-posure at the concentration C.

The value of E shall not exceed the 8-hour time weighted average specifiedin subpart Z of 29 CFR part 1915 for thematerial involved.

(ii) To illustrate the formula pre-scribed in paragraph (d)(1)(i) of thissection, assume that Substance A hasan 8-hour time weighted average limitof 100 ppm noted in Table Z—Ship-yards. Assume that an employee is sub-ject to the following exposure:

Two hours exposure at 150 p/mTwo hours exposure at 75 p/mFour hours exposure at 50 p/m


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Substituting this information in theformula, we have(2×150+2×75+4×50)÷8=81.25 p/m

Since 81.25 ppm is less than 100 ppm,the 8-hour time weighted averagelimit, the exposure is acceptable.

(2)(i) in case of a mixture of air con-taminants an employer shall computethe equivalent exposure as follows:Em=(C1÷L1+C2÷L2)+...(Cn÷Ln)Where:

Em is the equivalent exposure for themixture.

C is the concentration of a particularcontaminant.

L is the exposure limit for that sub-stance specified in subpart Z of 29CFR part 1915.

The value of Em shall not exceedunity (1).

(ii) To illustrate the formula pre-scribed in paragraph (d)(2)(i) of thissection, consider the following expo-sures:

Substance

Actual con-centration of 8hour exposure

(ppm)

8 hr. TWAPEL (ppm)

B ......................................... 500 1000C ......................................... 45 200D ......................................... 40 200

Substituting in the formula, we have:Em=500÷1,000+45÷200+40÷200Em=0.500+0.225+0.200Em=0.925

Since Em is less than unity (1), the ex-posure combination is within accept-able limits.

Table Z—Shipyards

Substance CAS No.d ppm a * mg/m 3 b * Skin Designa-tion

Abate; see Temephos.Acetaldehyde .................... 75–07–0 200 360 —Acetic acid ........................ 64–19–7 10 25 —Acetic anhydride ............... 108–24–7 5 20 —Acetone ............................ 67–64–1 1000 2400 —Acetonitrile ........................ 75–05–8 40 70 —2-Acetylaminofluorine; see

§ 1915.1014 .................. 53–96–3Acetylene .......................... 74–86–2 EAcetylene dichloride; see

1,2-Dichloroethylene.Acetylene tetrabromide .... 79–27–6 1 14 —Acrolein ............................. 107–02–8 0.1 0.25 —Acrylamide ........................ 79–06–1 — 0.3 XAcrylonitrile; see

§ 1915.1045 .................. 107–13–1Aldrin ................................ 309–00–2 — 0.25 XAllyl alcohol ...................... 107–18–6 2 5 XAllyl chloride ..................... 107–05–1 1 3 —Allyl glycidyl ether (AGE) 106–92–3 (C)10 (C)45 —Allyl propyl disulfide .......... 2179–59–1 2 12 —alpha-Alumina ................... 1344–28–1

Total dust .................. — 15 —Respirable fraction .... — 5 —

Aluminum, (as Al) Metal ... 7429–90–5Total dust .................. — 15 —Respirable fraction .... — 5 —

Alundum; see alpha-Alu-mina ..............................

4-Aminodiphenyl; see§ 1915.1011 .................. 92–67–1

2-Aminoethanol; see Etha-nolamine.

2-Aminopyridine ................ 504–29–0 0.5 2 —Ammonia .......................... 7664–41–7 50 35 —Ammonium sulfamate ....... 7773–06–0


n-Amyl acetate ................. 628–63–7 100 525 —sec-Amyl acetate .............. 626–38–0 125 650 —Aniline and homologs ....... 62–53–3 5 19 X


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Table Z—Shipyards—Continued


Anisidine (o-, p-isomers) .. 29191–52–4 — 0.5 XAntimony and compounds

(as Sb) .......................... 7440–36–0 — 0.5 —ANTU (alpha

Naphthylthiourea) .......... 86–88–4 — 0.3 —Argon ................................ 7440–37–1 EArsenic, inorganic com-

pounds (as As); see§ 1915.1018 .................. 7440–38–2 — — —

Arsenic, organic com-pounds (as As) ............. 7440–38–2 — 0.5 —

Arsine ............................... 7784–42–1 0.05 0.2 —Asbestos; see 1915.1001.Azinphos-methyl ............... 86–50–0 — 0.2 XBarium, soluble com-

pounds (as Ba) ............. 7440–39–3 — 0.5 —Barium sulfate .................. 7727–43–7


Benomyl ............................ 17804–35–2Total dust .................. — 15 —Respirable fraction .... — 5 —

Benzene g; see§ 1915.1028 .................. 71–43–2

Benzidine; see§ 1915.1010 .................. 92–87–5

p-Benzoquinone; see Qui-none.

Benzo(a)pyrene; see Coaltar pitch volatiles.

Benzoyl peroxide .............. 94–36–0 — 5 —Benzyl chloride ................. 100–44–7 1 5 —Beryllium and beryllium

compounds (as Be) ...... 7440–41–7 — 0.002 —Biphenyl; see Diphenyl.Bismuth telluride,

Undoped ....................... 1304–82–1Total dust .................. — 15 —Respirable fraction .... — 5 —

Bisphenol A; seeDiglycidyl ether.

Boron oxide ...................... 1303–86–2Total dust .................. — 15 —

Boron tribromide ............... 10294–33–4 1 10 —Boron trifluoride ................ 7637–07–2 (C)1 (C)3 —Bromine ............................ 7726–95–6 0.1 0.7 —Bromine pentafluoride ...... 7789–30–2 0.1 0.7 —Bromoform ........................ 75–25–2 0.5 5 XButadiene (1,3-Butadiene);

see 29 CFR 1910.1051;29 CFR 1910.19(l) ........ 106–99–0 1

ppm/5ppm

STEL

— —

Butanethiol; see Butylmercaptan.

2-Butanone (Methyl ethylketone) .......................... 78–93–3 200 590 —

2-Butoxyethanol ................ 111–76–2 50 240 Xn-Butyl-acetate ................. 123–86–4 150 710 —sec-Butyl acetate .............. 105–46–4 200 950 —


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tert-Butyl acetate .............. 540–88–5 200 950 —n-Butyl alcohol .................. 71–36–3 100 300 —sec-Butyl alcohol .............. 78–92–2 150 450 —tert-Butyl alcohol ............... 75–65–0 100 300 —Butylamine ........................ 109–73–9 (C)5 (C)15 Xtert-Butyl chromate (as

CrO3) ............................. 1189–85–1 — (C)0.1 Xn-Butyl glycidyl ether

(BGE) ............................ 2426–08–6 50 270 —Butyl mercaptan ............... 109–79–5 0.5 1.5 —p-tert-Butyltoluene ............ 98–51–1 10 60 —Cadmium dust fume (as

Cd); see 1915.1027 ...... 7440–43–9 — — —Calcium carbonate ........... 1317–65–3


Calcium hydroxide ............ 1305–62–0 — — —Calcium hydroxide.


Calcium oxide ................... 1305–78–8 — 5 —Calcium silicate ................ 1344–95–2


Calcium sulfate ................. 7778–18–9Total dust .................. — 15 —Respirable fraction .... — 5 —

Camphor, synthetic .......... 76–22–2 — 2 —Carbaryl (Sevin) ............... 63–25–2 — 5 —Carbon black .................... 1333–86–4 — 3.5 —Carbon dioxide ................. 124–38–9 5000 9000 —Carbon disulfide ............... 75–15–0 20 60 XCarbon monoxide ............. 630–08–0 50 55 —Carbon tetrachloride ......... 56–23–5 10 65 XCellulose ........................... 9004–34–6


Chlordane ......................... 57–74–9 — 0.5 XChlorinated camphene ..... 8001–35–2 — 0.5 XChlorinated diphenyl oxide 55720–99–5 — 0.5 —Chlorine ............................ 7782–50–5 1 3 —Chlorine trifluoride ............ 7790–91–2 (C)0.1 (C)0.4 —Chloroacetaldehyde .......... 107–20–0 (C)1 (C)3 —a-Chloroacetophenone

(Phenacyl chloride) ....... 532–27–4 0.05 0.3 —Chlorobenzene ................. 108–90–7 75 350 —o-Chlorobenzylidene

malononitrile .................. 2698–41–1 0.05 0.4 —Chlorobromomethane ....... 74–97–5 200 1050 —2-Chloro-1,3-butadiene;

see beta-Chloroprene.Chlorodiphenyl (42%

Chlorine) (PCB) ............ 53469–21–9 — 1 XChlorodiphenyl (54%

Chlorine) (PCB) ............ 11097–69–1 — 0.5 X1-Chloro,2,3-

epoxypropane; seeEpichlorohydrin.

2-Chloroethanol; seeEthylene chlorohydrin.

Chloroethylene; see Vinylchloride.

Chloroform (Trichloro-methane) ....................... 67–66–3 50 240 —

bis(Chloromethyl) ether;see § 1915.1008 ........... 542–88–1


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Chloromethyl methylether; see § 1915.1006 107–30–2

1-Chloro-1-nitropropane ... 600–25–9 20 100 —Chloropicrin ...................... 76–06–2 0.1 0.7beta-Chloroprene .............. 126–99–8 25 90 X2-Chloro-6-

(trichloromethyl) pyridine 1929–82–4Total dust .................. — 15 —Respirable fraction .... — 5 —

Chromic acid andchromates.

(as CrO3) ................... Varies withcompound

— 0.1 —

Chromium (II) compounds.(as Cr) ....................... 7440–47–3 — 0.5 —

Chromium (III) compounds.(as Cr) ....................... 7440–47–3 — 0.5 —

Chromium metal and insol.salts (as Cr) .................. 7440–47–3 — 1 —

Chrysene; see Coal tarpitch volatiles.

Clopidol ............................. 2971–90–6Total dust .................. — 15 —Respirable fraction .... — 5 —

Coal tar pitch volatiles(benzene soluble frac-tion), anthracene, BaP,phenanthrene, acridine,chrysene, pyrene .......... 65966–93–2 — 0.2 —

Cobalt metal, dust, andfume (as Co) ................. 7440–48–4 — 0.1 —

Copper .............................. 7440–50–8Fume (as Cu) ............ — 0.1 —Dusts and mists (as

Cu) ......................... — 1 —Corundum; see Emery.Cotton dust (raw) .............. — 1Crag herbicide (Sesone) .. 136–78–7


Cresol, all isomers ............ 1319–77–3 5 22 XCrotonaldehyde ................ 123–73–9; 2 6

4170–30–3Cumene ............................ 98–82–8 50 245 XCyanides (as CN) ............. Varies with

Compound— 5 —

Cyanogen ......................... 460–19–5 10 — —Cyclohexane ..................... 110–82–7 300 1050 —Cyclohexanol .................... 108–93–0 50 200 —Cyclohexanone ................. 108–94–1 50 200 —Cyclohexene ..................... 110–83–8 300 1015 —Cyclonite ........................... 121–82–4 — 1.5 XCyclopentadiene ............... 542–92–7 75 200 —2,4-D

(Dichlorophenoxyaceticacid) .............................. 94–75–7 — 10 —

Decaborane ...................... 17702–41–9 0.05 0.3 XDemeton (Systox) ............. 8065–48–3 — 0.1 XDiacetone alcohol (4-Hy-

droxy-4-methyl-2-pentanone) .................... 123–42–2 50 240 —

1,2-Diaminoethane; seeEthylenediamine.

Diazomethane .................. 334–88–3 0.2 0.4 —Diborane ........................... 19287–45–7 0.1 0.1 —


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1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (CBCP);see § 1915.1044 ........... 96–12–8 —

1,2-Dibromoethane; seeEthylene dibromide.

Dibutyl phosphate ............. 107–66–4 1 5 —Dibutyl phthalate ............... 84–74–2 — 5 —Dichloroacetylene ............. 7572–29–4 (C)0.1 (C)0.4 —o-Dichlorobenzene ........... 95–50–1 (C)50 (C)300 —p-Dichlorobenzene ........... 106–46–7 75 450 —3,3’-Dichlorobenzidine;

see § 1915.1007 ........... 91–94–1Dichlorodifluoromethane ... 75–71–8 1000 4950 —1,3-Dichloro-5,5-dimethyl

hydantoin ...................... 118–52–5 — 0.2 —Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroe-

thane (DDT) .................. 50–29–3 — 1 X1,1-Dichloroethane ........... 75–34–3 100 400 —1,2-Dichloroethane; see

Ethylene dichloride.1,2-Dichloroethylene ......... 540–59–0 200 790 —Dichloroethyl ether ........... 111–44–4 (C)15 (C)90 XDichloromethane; see

Methylene chloride.Dichloromonofluorometha-

ne .................................. 75–43–4 1000 4200 —1,1-Dichloro-1-nitroethane 594–72–9 (C)10 (C)60 —1,2-Dichloropropane; see

Propylene dichloride.Dichlorotetrafluoroethane 76–14–2 1000 7000 —Dichlorvos (DDVP) ........... 62–73–7 — 1 XDicyclopentadienyl iron .... 102–54–5


Dieldrin ............................. 60–57–1 — 0.25 XDiethylamine ..................... 109–89–7 25 75 —2-Diethylaminoethanol ...... 100–37–8 10 50 —Diethylene triamine ........... 111–40–0 (C)10 (C)42 XDiethyl ether; see Ethyl

ether.Difluorodibromomethane .. 75–61–6 100 860 —Diglycidyl ether (DGE) ...... 2238–07–5 (C)0.5 (C)2.8 —Dihydroxybenzene; see

Hydroquinone.Diisobutyl ketone .............. 108–83–8 50 290 —Diisopropylamine .............. 108–18–9 5 20 X4-

Dimethylaminoazobenz-ene; see § 1915.1015 ... 60–11–7

Dimethoxymethane; seeMethylal.

Dimethyl acetamide .......... 127–19–5 10 35 XDimethylamine .................. 124–40–3 10 18 —Dimethylaminobenzene;

see Xylidine.Dimethylaniline (N,N-

Dimethylaniline) ............ 121–69–7 5 25 XDimethylbenzene; see Xy-

lene.Dimethyl-1,2-dibromo- 2,2-

dichloroethyl phosphate 300–76–5 — 3 —Dimethylformamide ........... 68–12–2 10 30 X


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2,6-Dimethyl-4-heptanone;see Diisobutyl ketone.

1,1-Dimethylhydrazine ...... 57–14–7 0.5 1 XDimethylphthalate ............. 131–11–3 — 5 —Dimethyl sulfate ................ 77–78–3 1 5 XDinitrobenzene (all iso-

mers) ............................. 1 X(ortho) ........................ 528–29–0(meta) ........................ 99–65–0(para) ......................... 100–25–4

Dinitro-o-cresol ................. 534–52–1 — 0.2 XDinitrotoluene ................... 25321–14–6 — 1.5 XDioxane (Diethylene diox-

ide) ................................ 123–91–1 100 360 XDiphenyl (Biphenyl) .......... 92–52–4 0.2 1 —Diphenylamine .................. 122–39–4 — 10 —Diphenylmethane

diisocyanate; see Meth-ylene bisphenylisocyanate.

Dipropylene glycol methylether .............................. 34590–94–8 100 600 X

Di-sec octyl phthalate (Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate) 117–81–7 — 5 —

Emery ............................... 12415–34–8Total dust .................. — 15 —Respirable fraction .... — 5 —

Endosulfan ........................ 115–29–7 — 0.1 XEndrin ............................... 72–20–8 — 0.1 XEpichlorohydrin ................. 106–89–8 5 19 XEPN .................................. 2104–64–5 — 0.5 X1,2-Epoxypropane; see

Propylene oxide.2,3-Epoxy-1-propanol; see

Glycidol.Ethane .............................. 74–84–0 EEthanethiol; see Ethyl

mercaptan.Ethanolamine .................... 141–43–5 3 6 —2-Ethoxyethanol

(Cellosolve) ................... 110–80–5 200 740 X2-Ethoxyethyl acetate

(Cellosolve acetate) ...... 111–15–9 100 540 XEthyl acetate ..................... 141–78–6 400 1400 —Ethyl acrylate .................... 140–88–5 25 100 XEthyl alcohol (Ethanol) ..... 64–17–5 1000 1900 —Ethylamine ........................ 75–04–7 10 18 —Ethyl amyl ketone (5-

Methyl-3-heptanone) ..... 541–85–5 25 130 —Ethyl benzene ................... 100–41–4 100 435 —Ethyl bromide ................... 74–96–4 200 890 —Ethyl butyl ketone (3-

Heptanone) ................... 106–35–4 50 230 —Ethyl chloride .................... 75–00–3 1000 2600 —Ethyl ether ........................ 60–29–7 400 1200 —Ethyl formate .................... 109–94–4 100 300 —Ethyl mercaptan ............... 75–08–1 0.5 1 —Ethyl silicate ..................... 78–10–4 100 850 —Ethylene ............................ 74–85–1 EEthylene chlorohydrin ....... 107–07–3 5 16 XEthylenediamine ............... 107–15–3 10 25 —Ethylene dibromide ........... 106–93–4 (C)25 (C)190 X


99




Ethylene dichloride (1,2-Dichloroethane) ............. 107–06–2 50 200 —

Ethylene glycol dinitrate ... 628–96–6 (C)0.2 (C)1 XEthylene glycol methyl ac-

etate; see Methylcellosolve acetate.

Ethyleneimine; see§ 1915.1012 .................. 151–56–4

Ethylene oxide; see§ 1915.1047 .................. 75–21–8

Ethylidene chloride; see1,1-Dichloroethane.

N-Ethylmorpholine ............ 100–74–3 20 94 XFerbam ............................. 14484–64–1

Total dust .................. — 15 —Ferrovanadium dust ......... 12604–58–9 — 1 —Fibrous Glass.

Total dust .................. 15 —Respirable fraction .... — 5 —

Fluorides (as F) ................ Varies withcompound

— 2.5 —

Fluorine ............................. 7782–41–4 0.1 0.2 —Fluorotrichloromethane

(Trichlorofluoromethane) 75–69–4 1000 5600 —Formaldehyde; see

§ 1915.1048 .................. 50–00–0Formic acid ....................... 64–18–6 5 9 —Furfural ............................. 98–01–1 5 20 XFurfuryl alcohol ................. 98–00–0 50 200 —Gasoline ........................... 8006–61–9 A 3 —Glycerin (mist) .................. 56–81–5


Glycidol ............................. 556–52–5 50 150 —Glycol monoethyl ether;

see 2-Ethoxyethanol.Graphite, natural, res-

pirable dust ................... 7782–42–5 (2) (2) (2)Graphite, synthetic ...........


Guthion; see Azinphosmethyl.

Gypsum ............................ 13397–24–5Total dust .................. — 15 —Respirable fraction .... — 5 —

Hafnium ............................ 7440–58–6 — 0.5 —Helium .............................. 7440–59–7 EHeptachlor ........................ 76–44–8 — 0.5 XHeptane (n-Heptane) ........ 142–82–5 500 2000 —Hexachloroethane ............ 67–72–1 1 10 XHexachloronaphthalene .... 1335–87–1 — 0.2 Xn-Hexane .......................... 110–54–3 500 1800 —2-Hexanone (Methyl n-

butyl ketone) ................. 591–78–6 100 410 —Hexone (Methyl isobutyl

ketone) .......................... 108–10–1 100 410 —sec-Hexyl acetate ............. 108–84–9 50 300 —Hydrazine ......................... 302–01–2 1 1.3 XHydrogen .......................... 1333–74–0 EHydrogen bromide ............ 10035–10–6 3 10 —Hydrogen chloride ............ 7647–01–0 (C)5 (C)7 —


100




Hydrogen cyanide ............ 74–90–8 10 11 XHydrogen fluoride (as F) .. 7664–39–3 3 2 —Hydrogen peroxide ........... 7722–84–1 1 1.4 —Hydrogen selenide (as Se) 7783–07–5 0.05Hydrogen sulfide .............. 7783–06–4 10 15 —Hydroquinone ................... 123–31–9 — 2 —Indene ............................... 95–13–6 10 45 —Indium and compounds

(as In) ............................ 7440–74–6 — 0.1 —Iodine ................................ 7553–56–2 (C)0.1 (C)1 —Iron oxide fume ................ 1309–37–1 — 10 —Iron salts (soluble) (as Fe) Varies with

compound— 1 —

Isoamyl acetate ................ 123–92–2 100 525 —Isoamyl alcohol (primary

and secondary) ............. 123–51–3 100 360 —Isobutyl acetate ................ 110–19–0 150 700 —Isobutyl alcohol ................. 78–83–1 100 300 —Isophorone ........................ 78–59–1 25 140 —Isopropyl acetate .............. 108–21–4 250 950 —Isopropyl alcohol .............. 67–63–0 400 980 —Isopropylamine ................. 75–31–0 5 12 —Isopropyl ether .................. 108–20–3 500 2100 —Isopropyl glycidyl ether

(IGE) ............................. 4016–14–2 50 240 —Kaolin ................................ 1332–58–7


Ketene .............................. 463–51–4 0.5 0.9 —Lead, inorganic (as Pb);

see § 1915.1025 ........... 7439–92–1 — — —Limestone ......................... 1317–65–3


Lindane ............................. 58–89–9 — 0.5 XLithium hydride ................. 7580–67–8 — 0.025 —L.P.G. (Liquefied petro-

leum gas) ...................... 68476–85–7 1000 1800Magnesite ......................... 546–93–0


Magnesium oxide fume .... 1309–48–4Total particulate ......... 15 — —

Malathion .......................... 121–75–5Total dust .................. — 15 X

Maleic anhydride .............. 108–31–6 0.25Manganese compounds

(as Mn) .......................... 7439–96–5 — (C)5 —Manganese fume (as Mn) 7439–96–5 — (C)5 —Marble ............................... 1317–65–3


Mercury (aryl and inor-ganic)(as Hg) ................ 7439–97–6 0.1 X

Mercury (organo) alkylcompounds (as Hg) ...... 7439–97–6 — 0.01 X

Mercury (vapor) (as Hg) ... 7439–97–6 — 0.1 XMesityl oxide ..................... 141–79–7 25 100 —Methane ............................ 74–82–8 EMethanethiol; see Methyl

mercaptan.Methoxychlor .................... 72–43–5


101




Total dust .................. — 15 —2-Methoxyethanol (Methyl

cellosolve) ..................... 109–86–4 25 80 X2-Methoxyethyl acetate

(Methyl cellosolve ace-tate) ............................... 110–49–6 25 120 X

Methyl acetate .................. 79–20–9 200 610 —Methyl acetylene

(Propyne) ...................... 74–99–7 1000 1650 —Methyl acetylene-propadi-

ene mixture (MAPP) ..... 1000 1800 —Methyl acrylate ................. 96–33–3 10 35 XMethylal (Dimethoxy-meth-

ane) ............................... 109–87–5 1000 3100 —Methyl alcohol .................. 67–56–1 200 260 —Methylamine ..................... 74–89–5 10 12 —Methyl amyl alcohol; see

Methyl isobutyl carbinol.Methyl n-amyl ketone ....... 110–43–0 100 465 —Methyl bromide ................. 74–83–9 (C)20 (C)80 XMethyl butyl ketone; see

2-Hexanone.Methyl cellosolve; see 2-

Methoxyethanol.Methyl cellosolve acetate;

see 2-Methoxyethyl ace-tate.

Methyl chloride ................. 74–87–3 100 210 —Methyl chloroform (1,1,1-

Trichloroethane) ............ 71–55–6 350 1900 —Methylcyclohexane ........... 108–87–2 500 2000 —Methylcyclohexanol .......... 25639–42–3 100 470 —o-Methylcyclohexanone .... 583–60–8 100 460 XMethylene chloride; see

§ 1910.1052.Methyl ethyl ketone

(MEK); see 2-Butanone.Methyl formate .................. 107–31–3 100 250 —Methyl hydrazine

(Monomethyl hydrazine) 60–34–4 (C)0.2 (C)0.35 XMethyl iodide .................... 74–88–4 5 28 XMethyl isoamyl ketone ...... 110–12–3 100 475 —Methyl isobutyl carbinol .... 108–11–2 25 100 XMethyl isobutyl ketone;

see Hexone.Methyl isocyanate ............. 624–83–9 0.02 0.05 XMethyl mercaptan ............. 74–93–1 0.5 1 —Methyl methacrylate ......... 80–62–6 100 410 100Methyl propyl ketone; see

2-Pentanone.Methyl silicate ................... 681–84–5 5 30 —alpha-Methyl styrene ........ 98–83–9 (C)100 (C)480 —Methylene bisphenyl

isocyanate (MDI) ........... 101–68–8 (C)0.02 (C)0.2 —Mica; see Silicates.Mineral wool.

Total dust .................. — 15 —Respirable dust ......... — 5 —

Molybdenum (as Mo) ....... 7439–98–7Soluble compounds ... — 5 —Insoluble compounds.

Total dust ............... — 15 —


102




Monomethyl aniline .......... 100–61–8 2 9 XMonomethyl hydrazine;

see Methyl hydrazine.Morpholine ........................ 110–91–8 20 70 XNaphtha (Coal tar) ............ 8030–30–6 100 400 —Naphthalene ..................... 91–20–3 10 50 —alpha-Naphthylamine; see

§ 1915.1004 .................. 134–32–7beta-Naphthylamine; see

§ 1915.1009 .................. 91–59–8 —Neon ................................. 7440–01–9 ......................Nickel carbonyl (as Ni) ..... 13463–39–3 0.001 0.007 —Nickel, metal and insolu-

ble compounds (as Ni) 7440–02–0 — 1 —Nickel, soluble compounds

(as Ni) ........................... 7440–02–0 — 1 —Nicotine ............................. 54–11–5 — 0.5 XNitric acid .......................... 7697–37–2 2 5 —Nitric oxide ........................ 10102–43–9 25 30 —p-Nitroaniline .................... 100–01–6 1 6 XNitrobenzene .................... 98–95–3 1 5 Xp-Nitrochlorobenzene ....... 100–00–5 — 1 X4-Nitrodiphenyl; see

§ 1915.1003 .................. 92–93–3Nitroethane ....................... 79–24–3 100 310 —Nitrogen ............................ 7727–37–9 ENitrogen dioxide ............... 10102–44–0 (C)5 (C)9 —Nitrogen trifluoride ............ 7783–54–2 10 29 —Nitroglycerin ...................... 55–63–0 (C)0.2 (C)2 XNitromethane .................... 75–52–5 100 250 —1-Nitropropane .................. 108–03–2 25 90 —2-Nitropropane .................. 79–46–9 25 90 —N-Nitrosodimethylamine;

see § 1915.1016 ........... 62–79–9 —Nitrotoluene (all isomers) 5 30 X

o-isomer .................... 88–72–2;m-isomer ................... 99–08–1;p-isomer .................... 99–99–0

Nitrotrichloromethane; seeChloropicrin.

Nitrous oxide .................... 10024–97–2 EOctachloronaphthalene .... 2234–13–1 — 0.1 XOctane .............................. 111–65–9 400 1900 —Oil mist, mineral ............... 8012–95–1 — 5 —Osmium tetroxide (as Os) 20816–12–0 — 0.002 —Oxalic acid ........................ 144–62–7 — 1 —Oxygen difluoride ............. 7783–41–7 0.05 0.1 —Ozone ............................... 10028–15–6 0.1 0.2 —Paraquat, respirable dust 4685–14–7; — 0.5 X

1910–42–5;2074–50–2

Parathion .......................... 56–38–2 — 0.1 —Particulates not otherwise

regulated.Total dust organic

and inorganic ......... — 15 —PCB; see Chlorodiphenyl

(42% and 54% chlorine).Pentaborane ..................... 19624–22–7 0.005 0.01 —Pentachloronaphthalene ... 1321–64–8 — 0.5 XPentachlorophenol ............ 87–86–5 — 0.5 XPentaerythritol .................. 115–77–5


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Pentane ............................ 109–66–0 500 1500 —2-Pentanone (Methyl

propyl ketone) ............... 107–87–9 200 700 —Perchloroethylene

(Tetrachloroethylene) .... 127–18–4 100 670 —Perchloromethyl

mercaptan ..................... 594–42–3 0.1 0.8 —Perchloryl fluoride ............. 7616–94–6 3 13.5 —Perlite ............................... 93763–70–3


Petroleum distillates(Naphtha)(Rubber Sol-vent) .............................. A 3 —

Phenol .............................. 108–95–2 5 19 Xp-Phenylene diamine ........ 106–50–3 — 0.1 XPhenyl ether, vapor .......... 101–84–8 1 7 —Phenyl ether-biphenyl mix-

ture, vapor ..................... 1 7 —Phenylethylene; see Sty-

rene.Phenyl glycidyl ether

(PGE) ............................ 122–60–1 10 60 —Phenylhydrazine ............... 100–63–0 5 22 XPhosdrin (Mevinphos) ...... 7786–34–7 — 0.1 XPhosgene (Carbonyl chlo-

ride) ............................... 75–44–5 0.1 0.4 —Phosphine ......................... 7803–51–2 0.3 0.4 —Phosphoric acid ................ 7664–38–2 — 1 —Phosphorus (yellow) ......... 7723–14–0 — 0.1 —Phosphorus pentachloride 10026–13–8 — 1 —Phosphorus pentasulfide .. 1314–80–3 — 1 —Phosphorus trichloride ...... 7719–12–2 0.5 3 —Phthalic anhydride ............ 85–44–9 2 12 —Picloram ............................ 1918–02–1


Picric acid ......................... 88–89–1 — 0.1 —Piperazine dihydrochloride 142–64–3 — — XPindone (2-Pivalyl-1,3-

indandione) ................... 83–26–1 — 0.1 —Plaster of Paris ................. 26499–65–0


Platinum (as Pt) ................ 7440–06–4Metal .......................... — — —Soluble salts .............. — 0.002 —

Polytetrafluoroethylene de-composition products .... A 2

Portland cement ............... 65997–15–1Total dust .................. 15 — 10Respirable fraction .... 5 — —

Propargyl alcohol .............. 107–19–7 1 — Xbeta-Propriolactone; see

§ 1915.1013 .................. 57–57–8Propionic acid ................... 79–09–4 — — —n-Propyl acetate ............... 109–60–4 200 840 —n-Propyl alcohol ................ 71–23–8 200 500 —n-Propyl nitrate ................. 627–13–4 25 110 —Propylene dichloride ......... 78–87–5 75 350 —


104




Propylene imine ................ 75–55–8 2 5 XPropylene oxide ................ 75–56–9 100 240 —Propyne; see Methyl acet-

ylene.Pyrethrum ......................... 8003–34–7 — 5 —Pyridine ............................. 110–86–1 5 15 —Quinone ............................ 106–51–4 0.1 0.4 —RDX; see Cyclonite.Rhodium (as Rh), metal

fume and insolublecompounds ................... 7440–16–6 — 0.1 —

Rhodium (as Rh), solublecompounds ................... 7440–16–6 — 0.001 —

Ronnel .............................. 299–84–3 — 10 —Rotenone .......................... 83–79–4 — 5 —Rouge ............................... —


Selenium compounds (asSe) ................................ 7782–49–2 — 0.2 —

Selenium hexafluoride (asSe) ................................ 7783–79–1 0.05 0.4 —

Silica, amorphous, precip-itated and gel ................ 112926–00–8 (2) (2) (2)

Silica, amorphous, diato-maceous earth, contain-ing less than 1% crys-talline silica ................... 61790–53–2 (2) (2) (2)

Silica, crystallinecristobalite, respirabledust ............................... 14464–46–1 (2) (2) (2)

Silica, crystalline quartz,respirable dust .............. 14808–60–7 (2) (2) (2)

Silica, crystalline tripoli (asquartz), respirable dust 1317–95–9 (2) (2) (2)

Silica, crystalline tridymite,respirable dust .............. 15468–32–3 (2) (2) (2)

Silica, fused, respirabledust ............................... 60676–86–0 (2) (2) (2)

Silicates (less than 1%crystalline silica).

Mica (respirable dust) 12001–26–2 (2) (2) (2)Soapstone, total dust — (2) (2) (2)Soapstone, respirable

dust ........................ — (2) (2) (2)Talc (containing as-

bestos) ................... — (3) (3) (3)Talc (containing no

asbestos), res-pirable dust ............ 14807–96–6 (2) (2) (2)

Tremolite, asbestiform (3) (3) (3)Silicon ............................... 7440–21–3


Silicon carbide .................. 409–21–2Total dust .................. — 15 —Respirable fraction .... — 5 —

Silver, metal and solublecompounds (as Ag) ...... 7440–22–4 — 0.01 —

Soapstone; see Silicates.Sodium fluoroacetate ....... 62–74–8 — 0.05 XSodium hydroxide ............. 1310–73–2 — 2 —


105




Starch ............................... 9005–25–8Total dust .................. — 15 —Respirable fraction .... — 5 —

Stibine ............................... 7803–52–3 0.1 0.5 —Stoddard solvent .............. 8052–41–3 200 1150 —Strychnine ......................... 57–24–9 — 0.15 —Styrene ............................. 100–42–5 100 420 50Sucrose ............................ 57–50–1


Sulfur dioxide .................... 7446–09–5 5 13 —Sulfur hexafluoride ........... 2551–62–4 1000 6000 —Sulfuric acid ...................... 7664–93–9 — 1 —Sulfur monochloride ......... 10025–67–9 1 6 —Sulfur pentafluoride .......... 5714–22–7 0.025 0.25 —Sulfuryl fluoride ................. 2699–79–8 5 20 —Systox, see Demeton.2,4,5-T (2,4,5-

trichlorophenoxyaceticacid) .............................. 93–76–5 — 10 —

Talc; see Silicates—.Tantalum, metal and oxide

dust ............................... 7440–25–7 — 5 —TEDP (Sulfotep) ............... 3689–24–5 — 0.2 XTeflon decomposition

products ........................ A2Tellurium and compounds

(as Te) .......................... 13494–80–9 — 0.1 —Tellurium hexafluoride (as

Te) ................................. 7783–80–4 0.02 0.2 —Temephos ......................... 3383–96–8


TEPP (Tetraethylpyrophosphate) ............. 107–49–3 — 0.05 X

Terphenyls ........................ 26140–60–3 (C)1 (C)9 —1,1,1,2-Tetrachloro-2,2-

difluoroethane ............... 76–11–9 500 4170 —1,1,2,2-Tetrachloro-1,2-

difluoroethane ............... 76–12–0 500 4170 —1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane 79–34–5 5 35 XTetrachloroethylene; see

Perchloroethylene.Tetrachloromethane; see

Carbon tetrachloride.Tetrachloronaphthalene .... 1335–88–2 — 2 XTetraethyl lead (as Pb) ..... 78–00–2 — 0.1 XTetrahydrofuran ................ 109–99–9 200 590 —Tetramethyl lead, (as Pb) 75–74–1 — 0.15 XTetramethyl succinonitrile 3333–52–6 0.5 3 XTetranitromethane ............ 509–14–8 1 8 —Tetryl (2,4,6-

Trinitrophenylmethylnitr-amine) ........................... 479–45–8 — 1.5 X

Thallium, soluble com-pounds (as Tl) ............... 7440–28–0 — 0.1 X

4,4’-Thiobis (6-tert, Butyl-m-cresol) ....................... 96–69–5


Thiram .............................. 137–26–8 — 5 —


106




Tin, inorganic compounds(except oxides) (as Sn) 7440–31–5 — 2 —

Tin, organic compounds(as Sn) .......................... 7440–31–5 — 0.1 —

Tin oxide (as Sn) .............. 21651–19–4 — — —Total dust .................. — 15 —Respirable fraction .... — 5 —

Titanium dioxide ............... 13463–67–7Total dust .................. — 15 —

Toluene ............................. 108–88–3 200 750 100Toluene-2,4-diisocyanate

(TDI) .............................. 584–84–9 (C)0.02 (C)0.14 —o-Toluidine ........................ 95–53–4 5 22 XToxaphene; see

Chlorinated camphene.Tremolite; see Silicates.Tributyl phosphate ............ 126–73–8 — 5 —1,1,1-Trichloroethane; see

Methyl chloroform.1,1,2-Trichloroethane ....... 79–00–5 10 45 XTrichloroethylene .............. 79–01–6 100 535 —Trichloromethane; see

Chloroform.Trichloronaphthalene ........ 1321–65–9 — 5 X1,2,3-Trichloropropane ..... 96–18–4 50 300 —1,1,2-Trichloro-1,2,2-

trifluoroethane ............... 76–13–1 1000 7600 —Triethylamine .................... 121–44–8 25 100 —Trifluorobromomethane .... 75–63–8 1000 6100 —Trimethyl benzene ............ 25551–13–7 25 120 —2,4,6-Trinitrophenyl; see

Picric acid.2,4,6-

Trinitrophenylmethylnitr-amine; see Tetryl.

2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) 118–96–7 — 1.5 XTriorthocresyl phosphate .. 78–30–8 — 0.1 —Triphenyl phosphate ......... 115–86–6 — 3 —Tungsten (as W) ............... 7440–33–7

Insoluble compounds — 5 —Soluble compounds ... — 1 —

Turpentine ........................ 8006–64–2 100 560 —Uranium (as U) ................. 7440–61–1

Soluble compounds ... — 0.2 —Insoluble compounds — 0.2 —

Vanadium ......................... 1314–62–1Respirable dust (as

V2 O5) .................... — (C)0.5 —Fume (as V2 O5) ....... — (C)0.1 —

Vegetable oil mist .............Total dust .................. — 15 —Respirable fraction .... — 5 —

Vinyl benzene; see Sty-rene.

Vinyl chloride; see§ 1915.1017 .................. 75–01–4

Vinyl cyanide; see Acrylo-nitrile.

Vinyl toluene ..................... 25013–15–4 100 480 —Warfarin ............................ 81–81–2 — 0.1 —Xylenes (o-, m-, p-iso-

mers) ............................. 1330–20–7 100 435 —


107




Xylidine ............................. 1300–73–8 5 25 XYttrium .............................. 7440–65–5 — 1 —Zinc chloride fume ............ 7646–85–7 — 1 —Zinc oxide fume ................ 1314–13–2 — 5 —Zinc oxide ......................... 1314–13–2


Zinc stearate ..................... 557–05–1Total dust .................. — 15 —Respirable fraction .... — 5 —

Zirconium compounds (asZr) ................................. 7440–67–7 — 5

MINERAL DUSTS

Substance mppcf (j)

SILICA:Crystalline

Quartz. Threshold Limit calculated from the for-mula ................................................................ 250 (k)

%SiO2+5

Cristobalite.Amorphous, including natural diatomaceous

earth ............................................................ 20SILICATES (less than 1% crystalline silica)

Mica ................................................................ 20Portland cement ............................................. 50Soapstone ...................................................... 20Talc (non-asbestiform) ................................... 20Talc (fibrous), use asbestos limit ................... --

Graphite (natural) ............................................... 15

Inert or Nuisance Particulates: (m) 50 (or 15mg/m3

whichever isthe smaller)of total dust

<1% SiO2

Conversion factors.mppcf × 35.3 = million particles per cubic

meter = particles per c.c.

Footnotes to Table Z—Shipyards:1 [Reserved]2 See Mineral Dusts Table.3 Use Asbestos Limit § 1915.1001.4 See 1915.1001.* The PELs are 8-hour TWAs unless otherwise

noted; a (C) designation denotes a ceiling limit. Theyare to be determined from breathing-zone air sam-ples.

a Parts of vapor or gas per million parts of contami-nated air by volume at 25° C and 760 torr.

b Milligrams of substance per cubic meter of air.When entry is in this column only, the value is exact;when listed with a ppm entry, it is approximate.

c [Reserved]

d The CAS number is for information only. Enforce-ment is based on the substance name. For an entrycovering more than one metal compound, measuredas the metal, the CAS number for the metal is given--not CAS numbers for the individual compounds.

e-f [Reserved]g For sectors excluded from § 1915.1028 the limit is

10 ppm TWA.h Where OSHA has published a proposal for a sub-

stance but has not issued a final rule, the proposal isreferenced and the existing limit is published.

i [Reserved]j Millions of particles per cubic foot of air, based on

impinger samples counted by light-field techniques.k The percentage of crystalline silica in the formula

is the amount determined from airborne samples, ex-cept in those instances in which other methods havebeen shown to be applicable.

m Covers all organic and inorganic particulates nototherwise regulated. Same as Particulates Not Other-wise Regulated.

The 1970 TLV uses letter designations instead of anumerical value as follows:

A 1 [Reserved]A 2 Polytetrafluoroethylene decomposition products.

Because these products decompose in part by hy-drolysis in alkaline solution, they can be quan-titatively determined in air as fluoride to provide anindex of exposure. No TLV is recommended pendingdetermination of the toxicity of the products, but airconcentrations should be minimal.

A 3 Gasoline and/or Petroleum Distillates. The com-position of these materials varies greatly and thus asingle TLV for all types of these materials is nolonger applicable. The content of benzene, other aro-matics and additives should be determined to arriveat the appropriate TLV.

E Simple asphyxiants. The limiting factor is theavailable oxygen which shall be at least 18% and bewithin the requirement addressing explosion in sub-part B of part 1915.

[58 FR 35514, July 1, 1993, as amended at 61FR 56856, Nov. 4, 1996; 62 FR 1619, Jan. 10,1997]

§ 1915.1001 Asbestos.

(a) Scope and application. This sectionregulates asbestos exposure in all ship-yard employment work as defined in 29CFR part 1915, including but not lim-ited to the following:


108


(1) Demolition or salvage of struc-tures, vessels, and vessel sectionswhere asbestos is present;

(2) Removal or encapsulation of ma-terials containing asbestos;

(3) Construction, alteration, repair,maintenance, or renovation of vessels,vessel sections, structures, substrates,or portions thereof, that contain asbes-tos;

(4) Installation of products contain-ing asbestos;

(5) Asbestos spill/emergency cleanup;and

(6) Transportation, disposal, storage,containment of and housekeeping ac-tivities involving asbestos or productscontaining asbestos, on the site or lo-cation at which construction activitiesare performed.

(7) Coverage under this standardshall be based on the nature of thework operation involving asbestos ex-posure.

(8) This section does not apply to as-bestos-containing asphalt roof ce-ments, coatings and mastics.

(b) Definitions.Aggressive method means removal or

disturbance of building/vessel mate-rials by sanding, abrading, grinding, orother method that breaks, crumbles, orotherwise disintegrates intact ACM.

Amended water means water to whichsurfactant (wetting agent) has beenadded to increase the ability of the liq-uid to penetrate ACM.

Asbestos includes chrysotile, amosite,crocidolite, tremolite asbestos,anthophyllite asbestos, actinolite as-bestos, and any of these minerals thathas been chemically treated and/or al-tered. For purposes of this standard,asbestos includes PACM, as definedbelow.

Asbestos-containing material, (ACM)means any material containing morethan one percent asbestos.

Assistant Secretary means the Assist-ant Secretary of Labor for Occupa-tional Safety and Health, U.S. Depart-ment of Labor, or designee.

Authorized person means any personauthorized by the employer and re-quired by work duties to be present inregulated areas.

Building/facility/vessel owner is thelegal entity, including a lessee, whichexercises control over management and

record keeping functions relating to abuilding, facility, and/or vessel inwhich activities covered by this stand-ard take place.

Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH)means one certified in the practice ofindustrial hygiene by the AmericanBoard of Industrial Hygiene.

Class I asbestos work means activitiesinvolving the removal of thermal sys-tem insulation or surfacing ACM/PACM.

Class II asbestos work means activitiesinvolving the removal of ACM which isneither TSI or surfacing ACM. This in-cludes, but is not limited to, the re-moval of asbestos-containing wall-board, floor tile and sheeting, roofingand siding shingles, and constructionmastics.

Class III asbestos work means repairand maintenance operations, where‘‘ACM’’, including TSI and surfacingACM and PACM, is likely to be dis-turbed.

Class IV asbestos work means mainte-nance and custodial activities duringwhich employees contact but do notdisturb ACM or PACM and activities toclean up dust, waste and debris result-ing from Class I, II, and III activities.

Clean room means an uncontaminatedroom having facilities for the storageof employees’ street clothing anduncontaminated materials and equip-ment.

Closely resemble means that the majorworkplace conditions which have con-tributed to the levels of historic asbes-tos exposure, are no more protectivethan conditions of the current work-place.

Competent person see qualified person.Critical barrier means one or more

layers of plastic sealed over all open-ings into a work area or any otherphysical barrier sufficient to preventairborne asbestos in a work area frommigrating to an adjacent area.

Decontamination area means an en-closed area adjacent and connected tothe regulated area and consisting of anequipment room, shower area, andclean room, which is used for the de-contamination of workers, materials,and equipment that are contaminatedwith asbestos.

Demolition means the wrecking ortaking out of any load-supporting


109


structural member and any relatedrazing, removing, or stripping of asbes-tos products.

Director means the Director, NationalInstitute for Occupational Safety andHealth, U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services, or designee.

Disturbance means activities that dis-rupt the matrix of ACM or PACM,crumble or pulverize ACM or PACM, orgenerate visible debris from ACM orPACM. Disturbance includes cuttingaway small amounts of ACM andPACM, no greater than the amountwhich can be contained in one standardsized glove bag or waste bag, in orderto access a building or vessel compo-nent. In no event shall the amount ofACM or PACM so disturbed exceed thatwhich can be contained in one glovebag or waste bag which shall not ex-ceed 60 inches in length and width.

Employee exposure means that expo-sure to airborne asbestos that wouldoccur if the employee were not usingrespiratory protective equipment.

Equipment room (change room) meansa contaminated room located withinthe decontamination area that is sup-plied with impermeable bags or con-tainers for the disposal of contami-nated protective clothing and equip-ment.

Fiber means a particulate form of as-bestos, 5 micrometers or longer, with alength-to-diameter ratio of at least 3 to1.

Glovebag means not more than a 60 x60 inch impervious plastic bag-like en-closure affixed around an asbestos-con-taining material, with glove-like ap-pendages through which material andtools may be handled.

High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA)filter means a filter capable of trappingand retaining at least 99.97 percent ofall mono-dispersed particles of 0.3 mi-crometers in diameter.

Homogeneous area means an area ofsurfacing material or thermal systeminsulation that is uniform in color andtexture.

Industrial hygienist means a profes-sional qualified by education, training,and experience to anticipate, recog-nize, evaluate and develop controls foroccupational health hazards.

Intact means that the ACM has notcrumbled, been pulverized, or otherwise

deteriorated so that the asbestos is nolonger likely to be bound with its ma-trix.

Modification for purposes of para-graph (g)(6)(ii) of this section means achanged or altered procedure, materialor component of a control system,which replaces a procedure, material orcomponent of a required system. Omit-ting a procedure or component, or re-ducing or diminishing the stringencyor strength of a material or componentof the control system is not a ‘‘modi-fication’’ for purposes of paragraph(g)(6) of this section.

Negative Initial Exposure Assessmentmeans a demonstration by the em-ployer, which complies with the cri-teria in paragraph (f)(2)(iii) of this sec-tion, that employee exposure during anoperation is expected to be consist-ently below the PELs.

PACM means presumed asbestos con-taining material.

Presumed asbestos containing materialmeans thermal system insulation andsurfacing material found in buildings,vessels, and vessel sections constructedno later than 1980. The designation of amaterial as ‘‘PACM’’ may be rebuttedpursuant to paragraph (k)(5) of thissection.

Project Designer means a person whohas successfully completed the train-ing requirements for an abatementproject designer established by 40U.S.C. § 763.90(g).

Qualified person means, in addition tothe definition in 29 CFR 1926.32(f), onewho is capable of identifying existingasbestos hazards in the workplace andselecting the appropriate control strat-egy for asbestos exposure, who has theauthority to take prompt correctivemeasures to eliminate them, as speci-fied in 29 CFR 1926.32(f); in addition, forClass I and Class II work who is spe-cially trained in a training coursewhich meets the criteria of EPA’sModel Accreditation Plan (40 CFR part763) for supervisor, or its equivalent,and for Class III and Class IV work,who is trained in a manner consistentwith EPA requirements for training oflocal education agency maintenanceand custodial staff as set forth at 40CFR 763.92(a)(2).

Regulated area means an area estab-lished by the employer to demarcate


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areas where Class I, II, and III asbestoswork is conducted, and any adjoiningarea where debris and waste from suchasbestos work accumulate; and a workarea within which airborne concentra-tions of asbestos, exceed or can reason-ably be expected to exceed the permis-sible exposure limit. Requirements forregulated areas are set out in para-graph (e) of this section.

Removal means all operations whereACM and/or PACM is taken out orstripped from structures or substrates,and includes demolition operations.

Renovation means the modifying ofany existing vessel, vessel section,structure, or portion thereof.

Repair means overhauling, rebuild-ing, reconstructing, or reconditioningof vessels, vessel sections, structures orsubstrates, including encapsulation orother repair of ACM or PACM attachedto structures or substrates.

Surfacing material means materialthat is sprayed, troweled-on or other-wise applied to surfaces (such as acous-tical plaster on ceilings and fireproof-ing materials on structural members,or other materials on surfaces foracoustical, fireproofing, and other pur-poses).

Surfacing ACM means surfacing mate-rial which contains more than 1% as-bestos.

Thermal system insulation (TSI) meansACM applied to pipes, fittings, boilers,breeching, tanks, ducts or other struc-tural components to prevent heat lossor gain.

Thermal system insulation ACM isthermal system insulation which con-tains more than 1% asbestos.

(c) Permissible exposure limits (PELS)—(1) Time-weighted average limit (TWA).The employer shall ensure that no em-ployee is exposed to an airborne con-centration of asbestos in excess of 0.1fiber per cubic centimeter of air as aneight (8) hour time-weighted average(TWA), as determined by the methodprescribed in appendix A to this sec-tion, or by an equivalent method.

(2) Excursion limit. The employer shallensure that no employee is exposed toan airborne concentration of asbestosin excess of 1.0 fiber per cubic centi-meter of air (1 f/cc) as averaged over asampling period of thirty (30) minutes,as determined by the method pre-

scribed in appendix A to this section,or by an equivalent method.

(d) Multi-employer worksites. (1) Onmulti-employer worksites, an employerperforming work requiring the estab-lishment of a regulated area shall in-form other employers on the site of thenature of the employer’s work with as-bestos and/or PACM, of the existence ofand requirements pertaining to regu-lated areas, and the measures taken toensure that employees of such otheremployers are not exposed to asbestos.

(2) Asbestos hazards at a multi-em-ployer work site shall be abated by thecontractor who created or controls thesource of asbestos contamination. Forexample, if there is a significantbreach of an enclosure containing ClassI work, the employer responsible forerecting the enclosure shall repair thebreach immediately.

(3) In addition, all employers of em-ployees exposed to asbestos hazardsshall comply with applicable protectiveprovisions to protect their employees.For example, if employees working im-mediately adjacent to a Class I asbes-tos job are exposed to asbestos due tothe inadequate containment of suchjob, their employer shall either removethe employees from the area until theenclosure breach is repaired; or per-form an initial exposure assessmentpursuant to paragraph (f) of this sec-tion.

(4) All employers of employees work-ing adjacent to regulated areas estab-lished by another employer on a multi-employer worksite, shall take stepson a daily basis to ascertain the integ-rity of the enclosure and/or the effec-tiveness of the control method reliedon by the primary asbestos contractorto assure that asbestos fibers do notmigrate to such adjacent areas.

(5) All general contractors on a ship-yard project which includes work cov-ered by this standard shall be deemedto exercise general supervisory author-ity over the work covered by thisstandard, even though the general con-tractor is not qualified to serve as theasbestos ‘‘qualified person’’ as definedby paragraph (b) of this section. As su-pervisor of the entire project, the gen-eral contractor shall ascertain whether


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the asbestos contractor is in compli-ance with this standard, and shall re-quire such contractor to come intocompliance with this standard whennecessary.

(e) Regulated areas. (1) All Class I, IIand III asbestos work shall be con-ducted within regulated areas. Allother operations covered by this stand-ard shall be conducted within a regu-lated area where airborne concentra-tions of asbestos exceed, or there is areasonable possibility they may exceeda PEL. Regulated areas shall complywith the requirements of paragraphs(e) (2), (3), (4) and (5) of this section.

(2) Demarcation. The regulated areashall be demarcated in any mannerthat minimizes the number of personswithin the area and protects personsoutside the area from exposure to air-borne asbestos. Where critical barriersor negative pressure enclosures areused, they may demarcate the regu-lated area. Signs shall be provided anddisplayed pursuant to the requirementsof paragraph (k)(7) of this section.

(3) Access. Access to regulated areasshall be limited to authorized personsand to persons authorized by the Act orregulations issued pursuant thereto.

(4) Respirators. All persons entering aregulated area where employees are re-quired pursuant to paragraph (h)(1) ofthis section to wear respirators shallbe supplied with a respirator selectedin accordance with paragraph (h)(2) ofthis section.

(5) Prohibited activities. The employershall ensure that employees do not eat,drink, smoke, chew tobacco or gum, orapply cosmetics in the regulated area.

(6) Qualified persons. The employershall ensure that all asbestos work per-formed within regulated areas is super-vised by a qualified person, as definedin paragraph (b) of this section. Theduties of the qualified person are setout in paragraph (o) of this section.

(f) Exposure assessments and monitor-ing—(1) General monitoring criteria. (i)Each employer who has a workplace orwork operation where exposure mon-itoring is required under this sectionshall perform monitoring to determineaccurately the airborne concentrationsof asbestos to which employees may beexposed.

(ii) Determinations of employee ex-posure shall be made from breathingzone air samples that are representa-tive of the 8-hour TWA and 30-minuteshort-term exposures of each employee.

(iii) Representative 8-hour TWA em-ployee exposure shall be determined onthe basis of one or more samples rep-resenting full-shift exposure for em-ployees in each work area. Representa-tive 30-minute short-term employee ex-posures shall be determined on thebasis of one or more samples represent-ing 30 minute exposures associatedwith operations that are most likely toproduce exposures above the excursionlimit for employees in each work area.

(2) Initial exposure assessment. (i) Eachemployer who has a workplace or workoperation covered by this standardshall ensure that a ‘‘qualified person’’conducts an exposure assessment im-mediately before or at the initiation ofthe operation to ascertain expected ex-posures during that operation or work-place. The assessment must be com-pleted in time to comply with require-ments which are triggered by exposuredata or the lack of a ‘‘negative expo-sure assessment,’’ and to provide infor-mation necessary to assure that allcontrol systems planned are appro-priate for that operation and will workproperly.

(ii) Basis of initial exposure assessment.Unless a negative exposure assessmenthas been made pursuant to paragraph(f)(2)(iii) of this section, the initial ex-posure assessment shall, if feasible, bebased on monitoring conducted pursu-ant to paragraph (f)(1)(iii) of this sec-tion. The assessment shall take intoconsideration both the monitoring re-sults and all observations, informationor calculations which indicate em-ployee exposure to asbestos, includingany previous monitoring conducted inthe workplace, or of the operations ofthe employer which indicate the levelsof airborne asbestos likely to be en-countered on the job. For Class I asbes-tos work, until the employer conductsexposure monitoring and documentsthat employees on that job will not beexposed in excess of the PELs, or oth-erwise makes a negative exposure as-sessment pursuant to paragraph(f)(2)(iii) of this section, the employer


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shall presume that employees are ex-posed in excess of the TWA and excur-sion limit.

(iii) Negative initial exposure assess-ment. For any one specific asbestos jobwhich will be performed by employeeswho have been trained in compliancewith the standard, the employer maydemonstrate that employee exposureswill be below the PELs by data whichconform to the following criteria:

(A) Objective data demonstratingthat the product or material contain-ing asbestos minerals or the activityinvolving such product or materialcannot release airborne fibers in con-centrations exceeding the TWA and ex-cursion limit under those work condi-tions having the greatest potential forreleasing asbestos; or

(B) Where the employer has mon-itored prior asbestos jobs for the PELand the excursion limit within 12months of the current or projected job,the monitoring and analysis were per-formed in compliance with the asbestosstandard in effect; and the data wereobtained during work operations con-ducted under workplace conditions‘‘closely resembling’’ the processes,type of material, control methods,work practices, and environmentalconditions used and prevailing in theemployer’s current operations, the op-erations were conducted by employeeswhose training and experience are nomore extensive than that of employeesperforming the current job, and thesedata show that under the conditionsprevailing and which will prevail in thecurrent workplace there is a high de-gree of certainty that employee expo-sures will not exceed the TWA and ex-cursion limit; or

(C) The results of initial exposuremonitoring of the current job madefrom breathing zone air samples thatare representative of the 8-hour TWAand 30-minute short-term exposures ofeach employee covering operationswhich are most likely during the per-formance of the entire asbestos job toresult in exposures over the PELs.

(3) Periodic monitoring—(i) Class I andII operations. The employer shall con-duct daily monitoring that is rep-resentative of the exposure of each em-ployee who is assigned to work withina regulated area who is performing

Class I or II work, unless the employerpursuant to paragraph (f)(2)(iii) of thissection, has made a negative exposureassessment for the entire operation.

(ii) All operations under the standardother than Class I and II operations. Theemployer shall conduct periodic mon-itoring of all work where exposures areexpected to exceed a PEL, at intervalssufficient to document the validity ofthe exposure prediction.

(iii) Exception. When all employeesrequired to be monitored daily areequipped with supplied-air respiratorsoperated in the pressure demand mode,or other positive pressure mode res-pirator, the employer may dispensewith the daily monitoring required bythis paragraph. However, employeesperforming Class I work using a con-trol method which is not listed in para-graph (g)(4) (i), (ii), or (iii) of this sec-tion or using a modification of a listedcontrol method, shall continue to bemonitored daily even if they areequipped with supplied-air respirators.

(4) Termination of monitoring. (i) If theperiodic monitoring required by para-graph (f)(3) of this section reveals thatemployee exposures, as indicated bystatistically reliable measurements,are below the permissible exposurelimit and excursion limit the employermay discontinue monitoring for thoseemployees whose exposures are rep-resented by such monitoring.

(ii) Additional monitoring. Notwith-standing the provisions of paragraph (f)(2) and (3), and (f)(4) of this section, theemployer shall institute the exposuremonitoring required under paragraph(f)(3) of this section whenever there hasbeen a change in process, controlequipment, personnel or work practicesthat may result in new or additionalexposures above the permissible expo-sure limit and/or excursion limit orwhen the employer has any reason tosuspect that a change may result innew or additional exposures above thepermissible exposure limit and/or ex-cursion limit. Such additional mon-itoring is required regardless of wheth-er a ‘‘negative exposure assessment’’was previously produced for a specificjob.


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(5) Employee notification of monitoringresults. (i) The employer shall notify af-fected employees of the monitoring re-sults that represent that employee’sexposure as soon as possible followingreceipt of monitoring results.

(ii) The employer shall notify af-fected employees of the results of mon-itoring representing the employee’s ex-posure in writing either individually orby posting at a centrally located placethat is accessible to affected employ-ees.

(6) Observation of monitoring. (i) Theemployer shall provide affected em-ployees and their designated represent-atives an opportunity to observe anymonitoring of employee exposure to as-bestos conducted in accordance withthis section.

(ii) When observation of the monitor-ing of employee exposure to asbestosrequires entry into an area where theuse of protective clothing or equipmentis required, the observer shall be pro-vided with and be required to use suchclothing and equipment and shall com-ply with all other applicable safety andhealth procedures.

(g) Methods of compliance—(1) Engi-neering controls and work practices for alloperations covered by this section. Theemployer shall use the following engi-neering controls and work practices inall operations covered by this section,regardless of the levels of exposure:

(i) Vacuum cleaners equipped withHEPA filters to collect all debris anddust containing ACM and PACM, ex-cept as provided in paragraph (g)(8)(ii)of this section in the case of roofingmaterial;

(ii) Wet methods, or wetting agents,to control employee exposures duringasbestos handling, mixing, removal,cutting, application, and cleanup, ex-cept where employers demonstratethat the use of wet methods is infeasi-ble due to for example, the creation ofelectrical hazards, equipment malfunc-tion, and, in roofing, except as providedin paragraph (g)(8)(ii) of this section;and

(iii) Prompt clean-up and disposal ofwastes and debris contaminated withasbestos in leak-tight containers ex-cept in roofing operations, where theprocedures specified in paragraph(g)(8)(ii) of this section apply.

(2) In addition to the requirements ofparagraph (g)(1) of this section above,the employer shall use the followingcontrol methods to achieve compliancewith the TWA permissible exposurelimit and excursion limit prescribed byparagraph (c) of this section;

(i) Local exhaust ventilationequipped with HEPA filter dust collec-tion systems;

(ii) Enclosure or isolation of proc-esses producing asbestos dust;

(iii) Ventilation of the regulated areato move contaminated air away fromthe breathing zone of employees andtoward a filtration or collection deviceequipped with a HEPA filter;

(iv) Use of other work practices andengineering controls that the AssistantSecretary can show to be feasible.

(v) Wherever the feasible engineeringand work practice controls describedabove are not sufficient to reduce em-ployee exposure to or below the permis-sible exposure limit and/or excursionlimit prescribed in paragraph (c) of thissection, the employer shall use them toreduce employee exposure to the lowestlevels attainable by these controls andshall supplement them by the use ofrespiratory protection that complieswith the requirements of paragraph (h)of this section.

(3) Prohibitions. The following workpractices and engineering controlsshall not be used for work related toasbestos or for work which disturbsACM or PACM, regardless of measuredlevels of asbestos exposure or the re-sults of initial exposure assessments:

(i) High-speed abrasive disc saws thatare not equipped with point of cut ven-tilator or enclosures with HEPA fil-tered exhaust air.

(ii) Compressed air used to removeasbestos, or materials containing as-bestos, unless the compressed air isused in conjunction with an enclosedventilation system designed to capturethe dust cloud created by the com-pressed air.

(iii) Dry sweeping, shoveling or otherdry clean-up of dust and debris con-taining ACM and PACM.

(iv) Employee rotation as a means ofreducing employee exposure to asbes-tos.

(4) Class I requirements. In addition tothe provisions of paragraphs (g) (1) and


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(2) of this section, the following engi-neering controls and work practicesand procedures shall be used.

(i) All Class I work, including the in-stallation and operation of the controlsystem shall be supervised by a quali-fied person as defined in paragraph (b)of this section;

(ii) For all Class I jobs involving theremoval of more than 25 linear or 10square feet of TSI or surfacing ACM orPACM; for all other Class I jobs, wherethe employer cannot produce a nega-tive exposure assessment pursuant toparagraph (f)(2)(iii) of this section, orwhere employees are working in areasadjacent to the regulated area, whilethe Class I work is being performed,the employer shall use one of the fol-lowing methods to ensure that airborneasbestos does not migrate from the reg-ulated area:

(A) Critical barriers shall be placedover all the openings to the regulatedarea, except where activities are per-formed outdoors; or

(B) The employer shall use anotherbarrier or isolation method which pre-vents the migration of airborne asbes-tos from the regulated area, as verifiedby perimeter area surveillance duringeach work shift at each boundary ofthe regulated area, showing no visibleasbestos dust; and perimeter area mon-itoring showing that clearance levelscontained in 40 CFR part 763, subpart Eof the EPA Asbestos in Schools Ruleare met, or that perimeter area levels,measured by Phase Contrast Micros-copy (PCM) are no more than back-ground levels representing the samearea before the asbestos work began.The results of such monitoring shall bemade known to the employer no laterthan 24 hours from the end of the workshift represented by such monitoring.Exception: For work completed out-doors where employees are not workingin areas adjacent to the regulatedareas, this paragraph (g)(4)(ii) is satis-fied when the specific control methodsin paragraph (g)(5) of this section areused.

(iii) For all Class I jobs, HVAC sys-tems shall be isolated in the regulatedarea by sealing with a double layer of6 mil plastic or the equivalent;

(iv) For all Class I jobs, impermeabledropcloths shall be placed on surfacesbeneath all removal activity;

(v) For all Class I jobs, all objectswithin the regulated area shall be cov-ered with impermeable dropcloths orplastic sheeting which is secured byduct tape or an equivalent.

(vi) For all Class I jobs where the em-ployer cannot produce a negative expo-sure assessment or where exposuremonitoring shows the PELs are exceed-ed, the employer shall ventilate theregulated area to move contaminatedair away from the breathing zone ofemployees toward a HEPA filtration orcollection device.

(5) Specific control systems for Class Iwork. In addition, Class I asbestos workshall be performed using one or more ofthe following control methods pursu-ant to the limitations stated below:

(i) Negative pressure enclosure (NPE)systems. NPE systems may be usedwhere the configuration of the workarea does not make the erection of theenclosure infeasible, with the followingspecifications and work practices.

(A) Specifications—(1) The negativepressure enclosure (NPE) may be ofany configuration,

(2) At least 4 air changes per hourshall be maintained in the NPE,

(3) A minimum of ¥0.02 columninches of water pressure differential,relative to outside pressure, shall bemaintained within the NPE as evi-denced by manometric measurements,

(4) The NPE shall be kept under neg-ative pressure throughout the period ofits use, and

(5) Air movement shall be directedaway from employees performing as-bestos work within the enclosure, andtoward a HEPA filtration or a collec-tion device.

(B) Work practices—(1) Before begin-ning work within the enclosure and atthe beginning of each shift, the NPEshall be inspected for breaches andsmoke-tested for leaks, and any leakssealed.

(2) Electrical circuits in the enclo-sure shall be deactivated, unlessequipped with ground-fault circuit in-terrupters.

(ii) Glove bag systems may be used toremove PACM and/or ACM fromstraight runs of piping and elbows and


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other connections with the followingspecifications and work practices:

(A) Specifications—(1) Glovebags shallbe made of 6 mil thick plastic and shallbe seamless at the bottom.

(2) Glovebags used on elbows andother connections must be designed forthat purpose and used without modi-fications.

(B) Work practices—(1) Each glovebagshall be installed so that it completelycovers the circumference of pipe orother structure where the work is to bedone.

(2) Glovebags shall be smoke-testedfor leaks and any leaks sealed prior touse.

(3) Glovebags may be used only onceand may not be moved.

(4) Glovebags shall not be used onsurfaces whose temperature exceeds150° F.

(5) Prior to disposal, glovebags shallbe collapsed by removing air withinthem using a HEPA vacuum.

(6) Before beginning the operation,loose and friable material adjacent tothe glovebag/box operation shall bewrapped and sealed in two layers of sixmil plastic or otherwise rendered in-tact.

(7) Where system uses attached wastebag, such bag shall be connected to col-lection bag using hose or other mate-rial which shall withstand pressure ofACM waste and water without losingits integrity:

(8) Sliding valve or other device shallseparate waste bag from hose to ensureno exposure when waste bag is discon-nected:

(9) At least two persons shall performClass I glovebag removal operations.

(iii) Negative pressure glove bag sys-tems. Negative pressure glove bag sys-tems may be used to remove ACM orPACM from piping.

(A) Specifications. In addition to spec-ifications for glove bag systems above,negative pressure glove bag systemsshall attach HEPA vacuum system orother device to bag to prevent collapseduring removal.

(B) Work practices—(1) The employershall comply with the work practicesfor glove bag systems in paragraph(g)(5)(ii)(B)(4) of this section,

(2) The HEPA vacuum cleaner orother device used to prevent collapse of

bag during removal shall run contin-ually during the operation until it iscompleted at which time the bag shallbe collapsed prior to removal of thebag from the pipe.

(3) Where a separate waste bag isused along with a collection bag anddiscarded after one use, the collectionbag may be reused if rinsed clean withamended water before reuse.

(iv) Negative pressure glove box sys-tems. Negative pressure glove boxesmay be used to remove ACM or PACMfrom pipe runs with the following spec-ifications and work practices.

(A) Specifications—(1) Glove boxesshall be constructed with rigid sidesand made from metal or other materialwhich can withstand the weight of theACM and PACM and water used duringremoval:

(2) A negative pressure generatorshall be used to create negative pres-sure in the system:

(3) An air filtration unit shall be at-tached to the box:

(4) The box shall be fitted with glovedapertures:

(5) An aperture at the base of the boxshall serve as a bagging outlet forwaste ACM and water:

(6) A back-up generator shall bepresent on site:

(7) Waste bags shall consist of 6 milthick plastic double-bagged before theyare filled or plastic thicker than 6 mil.

(B) Work practices—(1) At least twopersons shall perform the removal:

(2) The box shall be smoke-tested forleaks and any leaks sealed prior toeach use.

(3) Loose or damaged ACM adjacentto the box shall be wrapped and sealedin two layers of 6 mil plastic prior tothe job, or otherwise made intact priorto the job.

(4) A HEPA filtration system shall beused to maintain pressure barrier inbox.

(v) Water spray process system. Awater spray process system may beused for removal of ACM and PACMfrom cold line piping if, employees car-rying out such process have completeda 40-hour separate training course inits use, in addition to training requiredfor employees performing Class I work.The system shall meet the followingspecifications and shall be performed


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by employees using the following workpractices.

(A) Specifications—(1) Piping fromwhich insulation will be removed shallbe surrounded on 3 sides by rigid fram-ing,

(2) A 360 degree water spray, deliv-ered through nozzles supplied by a highpressure separate water line, shall beformed around the piping.

(3) The spray shall collide to form afine aerosol which provides a liquidbarrier between workers and the ACMand PACM.

(B) Work practices—(1) The systemshall be run for at least 10 minutes be-fore removal begins.

(2) All removal shall take place with-in the barrier.

(3) The system shall be operated byat least three persons, one of whomshall not perform removal but shallcheck equipment, and ensure properoperation of the system.

(4) After removal, the ACM andPACM shall be bagged while still insidethe water barrier.

(vi) A small walk-in enclosure whichaccommodates no more than two per-sons (mini-enclosure) may be used ifthe disturbance or removal can be com-pletely contained by the enclosure,with the following specifications andwork practices.

(A) Specifications—(1) The fabricatedor job-made enclosure shall be con-structed of 6 mil plastic or equivalent:

(2) The enclosure shall be placedunder negative pressure by means of aHEPA filtered vacuum or similar ven-tilation unit:

(B) Work practices—(1) Before use, themini-enclosure shall be inspected forleaks and smoketested to detectbreaches, and any breaches sealed.

(2) Before reuse, the interior shall becompletely washed with amendedwater and HEPA-vacuumed.

(3) During use, air movement shall bedirected away from the employee’sbreathing zone within the mini-enclo-sure.

(6) Alternative control methods for ClassI work. Class I work may be performedusing a control method which is notreferenced in paragraph (g)(5) of thissection, or which modifies a controlmethod referenced in paragraph (g)(5)

of this section, if the following provi-sions are complied with:

(i) The control method shall enclose,contain or isolate the processes orsource of airborne asbestos dust, orotherwise capture or redirect such dustbefore it enters the breathing zone ofemployees.

(ii) A certified industrial hygienist orlicensed professional engineer who isalso qualified as a project designer asdefined in paragraph (b) of this section,shall evaluate the work area, the pro-jected work practices and the engineer-ing controls and shall certify in writ-ing that: the planned control method isadequate to reduce direct and indirectemployee exposure to below the PELsunder worst-case conditions of use, andthat the planned control method willprevent asbestos contamination out-side the regulated area, as measured byclearance sampling which meets the re-quirements of EPA’s Asbestos inSchools Rule issued under AHERA, orperimeter monitoring which meets thecriteria in paragraph (g)(4)(ii)(B) ofthis section.

(A) Where the TSI or surfacing mate-rial to be removed is 25 linear or 10square feet or less , the evaluation re-quired in paragraph (g)(6) of this sec-tion may be performed by a ‘‘qualifiedperson’’, and may omit considerationof perimeter or clearance monitoringotherwise required.

(B) The evaluation of employee expo-sure required in paragraph (g)(6) of thissection, shall include and be based onsampling and analytical data rep-resenting employee exposure duringthe use of such method under worst-case conditions and by employeeswhose training and experience areequivalent to employees who are toperform the current job.

(iii) Before work which involves theremoval of more than 25 linear or 10square feet of TSI or surfacing ACM/PACM is begun using an alternativemethod which has been the subject of aparagraph (g)(6) of this section requiredevaluation and certification, the em-ployer shall send a copy of such evalua-tion and certification to the nationaloffice of OSHA, Office of TechnicalSupport, Room N3653, 200 ConstitutionAvenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210.


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The submission shall not constitute ap-proval by OSHA.

(7) Work practices and engineering con-trols for Class II work. (i) All Class IIwork shall be supervised by a qualifiedperson as defined in paragraph (b) ofthis section.

(ii) For all indoor Class II jobs, wherethe employer has not produced a nega-tive exposure assessment pursuant toparagraph (f)(2)(iii) of this section, orwhere during the job, changed condi-tions indicate there may be exposureabove the PEL or where the employerdoes not remove the ACM in a substan-tially intact state, the employer shalluse one of the following methods to en-sure that airborne asbestos does notmigrate from the regulated area;

(A) Critical barriers shall be placedover all openings to the regulated area;or,

(B) The employer shall use anotherbarrier or isolation method which pre-vents the migration of airborne asbes-tos from the regulated area, as verifiedby perimeter area monitoring or clear-ance monitoring which meets the cri-teria set out in paragraph (g)(4)(ii)(B)of this section.

(C) Impermeable dropcloths shall beplaced on surfaces beneath all removalactivity;

(iii) [Reserved](iv) All Class II asbestos work shall

be performed using the work practicesand requirements set out above inparagraph (g)(1)(i) through (g)(1)(iii) ofthis section.

(8) Additional controls for Class IIwork. Class II asbestos work shall alsobe performed by complying with thework practices and controls designatedfor each type of asbestos work to beperformed, set out in this paragraph.Where more than one control methodmay be used for a type of asbestoswork, the employer may choose one ora combination of designated controlmethods. Class II work also may beperformed using a method allowed forClass I work, except that glove bagsand glove boxes are allowed if theyfully enclose the Class II material to beremoved.

(i) For removing vinyl and asphaltflooring/deck materials which containACM or for which in buildings con-structed not later than 1980, the em-

ployer has not verified the absence ofACM pursuant to paragraph (g)(8)(i)(I):the employer shall ensure that employ-ees comply with the following workpractices and that employees aretrained in these practices pursuant toparagraph (k)(9) of this section:

(A) Flooring/deck materials or itsbacking shall not be sanded.

(B) Vacuums equipped with HEPA fil-ter, disposable dust bag, and metalfloor tool (no brush) shall be used toclean floors.

(C) Resilient sheeting shall be re-moved by cutting with wetting of thesnip point and wetting duringdelamination. Rip-up of resilient sheetfloor material is prohibited.

(D) All scraping of residual adhesiveand/or backing shall be performedusing wet methods.

(E) Dry sweeping is prohibited.(F) Mechanical chipping is prohibited

unless performed in a negative pressureenclosure which meets the require-ments of paragraph (g)(5)(i) of this sec-tion.

(G) Tiles shall be removed intact, un-less the employer demonstrates thatintact removal is not possible.

(H) When tiles are heated and can beremoved intact, wetting may be omit-ted.

(I) Resilient flooring/deck material inbuildings/vessels constructed no laterthan 1980, including associated masticand backing shall be assumed to be as-bestos-containing unless an industrialhygienist determines that it is asbes-tos-free using recognized analyticaltechniques.

(ii) For removing roofing materialwhich contains ACM the employershall ensure that the following workpractices are followed:

(A) Roofing material shall be re-moved in an intact state to the extentfeasible.

(B) Wet methods shall be used to re-move roofing materials that are not in-tact, or that will be rendered not in-tact during removal, unless such wetmethods are not feasible or will createsafety hazards.

(C) Cutting machines shall be con-tinuously misted during use, unless acompetent person determines thatmisting substantially decreases workersafety.


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(D) When removing built-up roofswith asbestos-containing roofing feltsand an aggregate surface using a powerroof cutter, all dust resulting from thecutting operation shall be collected bya HEPA dust collector, or shall beHEPA vacuumed by vacuuming alongthe cut line. When removing built-uproofs with asbestos-containing roofingfelts and a smooth surface using apower roof cutter, the dust resultingfrom the cutting operation shall be col-lected either by a HEPA dust collectoror HEPA vacuuming along the cut line,or by gently sweeping and then care-fully and completely wiping up thestill-wet dust and debris left along thecut line. The dust and debris shall beimmediately bagged or placed in cov-ered containers.

(E) Asbestos-containing materialthat has been removed from a roofshall not be dropped or thrown to theground. Unless the material is carriedor passed to the ground by hand, itshall be lowered to the ground via cov-ered, dust-tight chute, crane or hoist:

(1) Any ACM that is not intact shallbe lowered to the ground as soon as ispracticable, but in any event no laterthan the end of the work shift. Whilethe material remains on the roof itshall either be kept wet, placed in animpermeable waste bag, or wrapped inplastic sheeting.

(2) Intact ACM shall be lowered tothe ground as soon as is practicable,but in any event no later than the endof the work shift.

(F) Upon being lowered, unwrappedmaterial shall be transferred to aclosed receptacle in such manner so asto preclude the dispersion of dust.

(G) Roof level heating and ventila-tion air intake sources shall be isolatedor the ventilation system shall be shutdown.

(H) Notwithstanding any other provi-sion of this section, removal or repairof sections of intact roofing less than25 square feet in area does not requireuse of wet methods or HEPAvacuuming as long as manual methodswhich do not render the material non-intact are used to remove the materialand no visible dust is created by the re-moval method used. In determiningwhether a job involves less than 25square feet, the employer shall include

all removal and repair work performedon the same roof on the same day.

(iii) When removing cementitious as-bestos-containing siding and shinglesor transite panels containing ACM onbuilding exteriors (other than roofs,where paragraph (g)(8)(ii) of this sec-tion applies) the employer shall ensurethat the following work practices arefollowed:

(A) Cutting, abrading or breakingsiding, shingles, or transite panelsshall be prohibited unless the employercan demonstrate that methods lesslikely to result in asbestos fiber re-lease cannot be used.

(B) Each panel or shingle shall besprayed with amended water prior toremoval.

(C) Unwrapped or unbagged panels orshingles shall be immediately loweredto the ground via covered dust-tightchute, crane or hoist, or placed in animpervious waste bag or wrapped inplastic sheeting and lowered to theground no later than the end of thework shift.

(D) Nails shall be cut with flat, sharpinstruments.

(iv) When removing gaskets contain-ing ACM, the employer shall ensurethat the following work practices arefollowed:

(A) If a gasket is visibly deterioratedand unlikely to be removed intact, re-moval shall be undertaken within aglovebag as described in paragraph(g)(5)(ii) of this section.

(B) [Reserved](C) The gasket shall be immediately

placed in a disposal container.(D) Any scraping to remove residue

must be performed wet.(v) When performing any other Class

II removal of asbestos containing ma-terial for which specific controls havenot been listed in paragraph (g)(8)(iv)(A) through (D) of this section, the em-ployer shall ensure that the followingwork practices are complied with.

(A) The material shall be thoroughlywetted with amended water prior toand during its removal.

(B) The material shall be removed inan intact state unless the employerdemonstrates that intact removal isnot possible.

(C) Cutting, abrading or breaking thematerial shall be prohibited unless the


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employer can demonstrate that meth-ods less likely to result in asbestosfiber release are not feasible.

(D) Asbestos-containing material re-moved, shall be immediately bagged orwrapped, or kept wetted until trans-ferred to a closed receptacle, no laterthan the end of the work shift.

(vi) Alternative work practices and con-trols. Instead of the work practices andcontrols listed in paragraphs (g)(8) (i)through (v) of this section, the em-ployer may use different or modifiedengineering and work practice controlsif the following provisions are compliedwith.

(A) The employer shall demonstrateby data representing employee expo-sure during the use of such methodunder conditions which closely resem-ble the conditions under which themethod is to be used, that employee ex-posure will not exceed the PELs underany anticipated circumstances.

(B) A qualified person shall evaluatethe work area, the projected workpractices and the engineering controls,and shall certify in writing, that thedifferent or modified controls are ade-quate to reduce direct and indirect em-ployee exposure to below the PELsunder all expected conditions of useand that the method meets the require-ments of this standard. The evaluationshall include and be based on data rep-resenting employee exposure duringthe use of such method under condi-tions which closely resemble the condi-tions under which the method is to beused for the current job, and by em-ployees whose training and experienceare equivalent to employees who are toperform the current job.

(9) Work practices and engineering con-trols for Class III asbestos work. Class IIIasbestos work shall be conducted usingengineering and work practice controlswhich minimize the exposure to em-ployees performing the asbestos workand to bystander employees.

(i) The work shall be performed usingwet methods.

(ii) To the extent feasible, the workshall be performed using local exhaustventilation.

(iii) Where the disturbance involvesdrilling, cutting, abrading, sanding,chipping, breaking, or sawing of ther-mal system insulation or surfacing ma-

terial, the employer shall use imper-meable dropcloths and shall isolate theoperation using mini-enclosures orglove bag systems pursuant to para-graph (g)(5) of this section or anotherisolation method.

(iv) Where the employer does notdemonstrate by a negative exposure as-sessment performed in compliance withparagraph (f)(2)(iii) of this section thatthe PELs will not be exceeded, orwhere monitoring results showexceedances of a PEL, the employershall contain the area using imper-meable dropcloths and plastic barriersor their equivalent, or shall isolate theoperation using mini-enclosure orglove bag systems pursuant to para-graph (g)(5) of this section.

(v) Employees performing Class IIIjobs which involve the disturbance ofTSI or surfacing ACM or PACM orwhere the employer does not dem-onstrate by a ‘‘negative exposure as-sessment’’ in compliance with para-graph (f)(2)(iii) of this section that thePELs will not be exceeded or wheremonitoring results show exceedances ofthe PEL, shall wear respirators whichare selected, used and fitted pursuantto provisions of paragraph (h) of thissection.

(10) Class IV asbestos work. Class IVasbestos jobs shall be conducted by em-ployees trained pursuant to the asbes-tos awareness training program set outin paragraph (k)(9) of this section. Inaddition, all Class IV jobs shall be con-ducted in conformity with the require-ments set out in paragraph (g)(1) ofthis section, mandating wet methods,HEPA vacuums, and prompt clean upof debris containing ACM or PACM.

(i) Employees cleaning up debris andwaste in a regulated area where res-pirators are required shall wear res-pirators which are selected, used andfitted pursuant to provisions of para-graph (h) of this section.

(ii) Employers of employees cleaningup waste and debris in an area wherefriable TSI or surfacing ACM/PACM isaccessible, shall assume that suchwaste and debris contain asbestos.

(11) Specific compliance methods forbrake and clutch repair—(i) Engineeringcontrols and work practices for brake andclutch repair and service. During auto-motive brake and clutch inspection,


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disassembly, repair and assembly oper-ations, the employer shall institute en-gineering controls and work practicesto reduce employee exposure to mate-rials containing asbestos using a nega-tive pressure enclosure/HEPA vacuumsystem method or low pressure/wetcleaning method, which meets the de-tailed requirements set out in appendixL to this section. The employer mayalso comply using an equivalent meth-od which follows written procedureswhich the employer demonstrates canachieve results equivalent to MethodA. For facilities in which no more than5 pair of brakes or 5 clutches are in-spected, disassembled, repaired, or as-sembled per week, the method set forin paragraph [D] of appendix L to thissection may be used.

(ii) The employer may also complyby using an equivalent method whichfollows written procedures, which theemployer demonstrates can achieveequivalent exposure reductions as dothe two ‘‘preferred methods.’’ Suchdemonstration must include monitor-ing data conducted under workplaceconditions closely resembling the proc-ess, type of asbestos containing mate-rials, control method, work practicesand environmental conditions whichthe equivalent method will be used, orobjective data, which document thatunder all reasonably foreseeable condi-tions of brake and clutch repair appli-cations, the method results in expo-sures which are equivalent to themethods set out in appendix L to thissection.

(12) Alternative methods of compliancefor installation, removal, repair, andmaintenance of certain roofing and pipe-line coating materials. Notwithstandingany other provision of this section, anemployer who complies with all provi-sions of this paragraph (g)(12) when in-stalling, removing, repairing, or main-taining intact pipeline asphaltic wrap,or roof flashings which contain asbes-tos fibers encapsulated or coated by bi-tuminous or resinous compounds shallbe deemed to be in compliance withthis section. If an employer does notcomply with all provisions of this para-graph (g)(12) or if during the course ofthe job the material does not remainintact, the provisions of paragraph

(g)(8) of this section apply instead ofthis paragraph (g)(12).

(i) Before work begins and as neededduring the job, a qualified person whois capable of identifying asbestos haz-ards in the workplace and selecting theappropriate control strategy for asbes-tos exposure, and who has the author-ity to take prompt corrective measuresto eliminate such hazards, shall con-duct an inspection of the worksite anddetermine that the roofing material isintact and will likely remain intact.

(ii) All employees performing workcovered by this paragraph (g)(12) shallbe trained in a training program thatmeets the requirements of paragraph(k)(9)(viii) of this section.

(iii) The material shall not be sand-ed, abraded, or ground. Manual meth-ods which do not render the materialnon-intact shall be used.

(iv) Material that has been removedfrom a roof shall not be dropped orthrown to the ground. Unless the mate-rial is carried or passed to the groundby hand, it shall be lowered to theground via covered, dust-tight chute,crane or hoist. All such material shallbe removed from the roof as soon as ispracticable, but in any event no laterthan the end of the work shift.

(v) Where roofing products whichhave been labeled as containing asbes-tos pursuant to paragraph (k)(8) of thissection are installed on non-residentialroofs during operations covered by thisparagraph (g)(12), the employer shallnotify the building owner of the pres-ence and location of such materials nolater than the end of the job.

(vi) All removal or disturbance ofpipeline asphaltic wrap shall be per-formed using wet methods.

(h) Respiratory protection—(1) General.The employer shall provide respirators,and ensure that they are used, whererequired by this section. Respiratorsshall be used in the following cir-cumstances:

(i) During all Class I asbestos jobs.(ii) During all Class II work where

the ACM is not removed in a substan-tially intact state.

(iii) During all Class II and III workwhich is not performed using wetmethods, provided, however, that res-pirators need not be worn during re-moval of ACM from sloped roofs when a


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negative exposure assessment has beenmade and the ACM is removed in an in-tact state.

(iv) During all Class II and III asbes-tos jobs where the employer does notproduce a ‘‘negative exposure assess-ment’’.

(v) During all Class III jobs whereTSI or surfacing ACM or PACM isbeing disturbed.

(vi) During all Class IV work per-formed within regulated areas whereemployees performing other work arerequired to wear respirators.

(vii) During all work covered by thissection where employees are exposedabove the TWA or excursion limit.

(viii) In emergencies.(2) Respirator selection. (i) Where res-

pirators are used, the employer shallselect and provide, at no cost to theemployee, the appropriate respirator asspecified in table 1, or in paragraph(h)(2)(iii) of this section, and shall en-sure that the employee uses the res-pirator provided.

(ii) The employer shall select res-pirators from among those jointly ap-proved as being acceptable for protec-tion by the Mine Safety and Health Ad-ministration (MSHA) and the NationalInstitute for Occupational Safety andHealth (NIOSH) under the provisions of30 CFR part 11.

(iii)(A) The employer shall provide atight fitting powered, air-purifying res-pirator in lieu of any negative-pressurerespirator specified in table 1 when-ever:

(1) An employee chooses to use thistype of respirator; and

(2) This respirator will provide ade-quate protection to the employee.

(B) The employer shall inform anyemployee required to wear a respiratorunder this paragraph that the em-ployee may require the employer toprovide a powered, air-purifying res-pirator in lieu of a negative pressurerespirator.

TABLE 1—RESPIRATORY PROTECTION FOR ASBESTOS FIBERS

Airborne concentration of asbestos or con-ditions of use Required respirator

Not in excess of 1 f/cc (10) X PEL), or oth-erwise as required independent of expo-sure pursuant to paragraph (h)(2)(iv) ofthis section.

Half-mask air purifying respirator other than a disposable respirator, equipped withhigh efficiency filters.

Not in excess of 5 f/cc (50 X PEL) ............. Full facepiece air-purifying respirator equipped with high efficiency filters.Not in excess of 10 f/cc (100 X PEL) ......... Any powered air-purifying respirator equipped with high efficiency filters or any

supplied air respirator operated in continuous flow mode.Not in excess of 100 f/cc (1,000 X PEL) .... Full facepiece supplied air respirator operated in pressure demand mode.Greater than 100 f/cc (1,000 X PEL) or un-

known concentration.Full facepiece supplied air respirator operated in pressure demand mode,

equipped with an auxiliary positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus.

Note: a. Respirators assigned for high environmental concentrations may be used at lower concentrations, or when requiredrespirator use is independent of concentration.

b. A high efficiency filter means a filter that is at least 99.97 percent efficient against mono-dispersed particles of 0.3 microm-eters in diameter or larger.

(iv) In addition to the above selectioncriterion, the employer shall provide ahalf-mask air purifying respirator,other than a disposable respirator,equipped with high efficiency filterswhenever the employee performs thefollowing activities: Class II and III as-bestos jobs where the employer doesnot produce a negative exposure assess-ment; and Class III jobs where TSI orsurfacing ACM or PACM is being dis-turbed.

(v) In addition to the selection cri-teria in paragraph (h)(2)(i) through (iv),the employer shall provide a tight-fit-ting powered air purifying respirator

equipped with high efficiency filters ora full facepiece supplied air respiratoroperated in the pressure demand modeequipped with HEPA egress cartridgesor an auxiliary positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus for allemployees within the regulated areawhere Class I work is being performedfor which a negative exposure assess-ment has not been produced and, theexposure assessment indicates the ex-posure level will not exceed 1 f/cc as an8-hour time weighted average. A fullfacepiece supplied air respirator oper-ated in the pressure demand modeequipped with an auxiliary positive


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pressure self-contained breathing appa-ratus shall be provided under such con-ditions, if the exposure assessment in-dicates exposure levels above 1 f/cc asan 8-hour time weighted average.

(3) Respirator program. (i) Where res-piratory protection is used, the em-ployer shall institute a respirator pro-gram in accordance with 29 CFR1910.134(b), (d), (e), and (f).

(ii) The employer shall permit eachemployee who uses a filter respiratorto change the filter elements wheneveran increase in breathing resistance isdetected and shall maintain an ade-quate supply of filter elements for thispurpose.

(iii) Employees who wear respiratorsshall be permitted to leave work areasto wash their faces and respiratorfacepieces whenever necessary to pre-vent skin irritation associated withrespirator use.

(iv) No employee shall be assigned totasks requiring the use of respiratorsif, based on his or her most recent ex-amination, an examining physician de-termines that the employee will be un-able to function normally wearing arespirator, or that the safety or healthof the employee or of other employeeswill be impaired by the use of a res-pirator. Such employees shall be as-signed to another job or given the op-portunity to transfer to a different po-sition, the duties of which he or she isable to perform with the same em-ployer, in the same geographical area,and with the same seniority, status,and rate of pay and other job benefitshe or she had just prior to such trans-fer, if such a different position is avail-able.

(4) Respirator fit testing. (i) The em-ployer shall ensure that the respiratorissued to the employee exhibits theleast possible facepiece leakage andthat the respirator is fitted properly.

(ii) Employers shall perform eitherquantitative or qualitative face fittests at the time of initial fitting andat least every 6 months thereafter foreach employee wearing a negative-pressure respirator. The qualitative fittests may be used only for testing thefit of half-mask respirators where theyare permitted to be worn, or of full-facepiece air purifying respiratorswhere they are worn at levels at which

half-facepiece air purifying respiratorsare permitted. Qualitative and quan-titative fit tests shall be conducted inaccordance with appendix C to this sec-tion. The tests shall be used to selectfacepieces that provide the requiredprotection as prescribed in table 1, inparagraph (h)(2)(i) of this section.

(i) Protective clothing—(1) General. Theemployer shall provide and require theuse of protective clothing, such as cov-eralls or similar whole-body clothing,head coverings, gloves, and foot cover-ings for any employee exposed to air-borne concentrations of asbestos thatexceed the TWA and/or excursion limitprescribed in paragraph (c) of this sec-tion, or for which a required negativeexposure assessment is not produced,or for any employee performing Class Ioperations which involve the removalof over 25 linear or 10 square feet of TSIor surfacing ACM or PACM.

(2) Laundering. (i) The employer shallensure that laundering of contami-nated clothing is done so as to preventthe release of airborne asbestos in ex-cess of the TWA or excursion limit pre-scribed in paragraph (c) of this section.

(ii) Any employer who gives contami-nated clothing to another person forlaundering shall inform such person ofthe requirement in paragraph (i)(2)(i)of this section to effectively preventthe release of airborne asbestos in ex-cess of the TWA excursion limit pre-scribed in paragraph (c) of this section.

(3) Contaminated clothing. Contami-nated clothing shall be transported insealed impermeable bags, or otherclosed, impermeable containers, and belabeled in accordance with paragraph(k) of this section.

(4) Inspection of protective clothing. (i)The qualified person shall examineworksuits worn by employees at leastonce per workshift for rips or tearsthat may occur during performance ofwork.

(ii) When rips or tears are detectedwhile an employee is working, rips andtears shall be immediately mended, orthe worksuit shall be immediately re-placed.

(j) Hygiene facilities and practices foremployees. (1) Requirements for employ-ees performing Class I asbestos jobs in-volving over 25 linear or 10 square feetof TSI or surfacing ACM and PACM.


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(i) Decontamination areas. For allClass I jobs involving over 25 linear or10 square feet of TSI or surfacing ACMor PACM, the employer shall establisha decontamination area that is adja-cent and connected to the regulatedarea for the decontamination of suchemployees. The decontamination areashall consist of an equipment room,shower area, and clean room in series.The employer shall ensure that em-ployees enter and exit the regulatedarea through the decontaminationarea.

(A) Equipment room. The equipmentroom shall be supplied with imper-meable, labeled bags and containers forthe containment and disposal of con-taminated protective equipment.

(B) Shower area. Shower facilitiesshall be provided which comply with 29CFR 1910.141(d)(3), unless the employercan demonstrate that they are not fea-sible. The showers shall be adjacentboth to the equipment room and theclean room, unless the employer candemonstrate that this location is notfeasible. Where the employer can dem-onstrate that it is not feasible to lo-cate the shower between the equipmentroom and the clean room, or where thework is performed outdoors, or whenthe work involving asbestos exposuretakes place on board a ship, the em-ployers shall ensure that employees:

(1) Remove asbestos contaminationfrom their worksuits in the equipmentroom using a HEPA vacuum before pro-ceeding to a shower that is not adja-cent to the work area; or

(2) Remove their contaminatedworksuits in the equipment room, thendon clean worksuits, and proceed to ashower that is not adjacent to the workarea.

(C) Clean change room. The cleanroom shall be equipped with a locker orappropriate storage container for eachemployee’s use. When the employer candemonstrate that it is not feasible toprovide a clean change area adjacent tothe work area, or where the work isperformed outdoors, or when the worktakes place aboard a ship, the employermay permit employees engaged inClass I asbestos jobs to clean their pro-tective clothing with a portable HEPA-equipped vacuum before such employ-ees leave the regulated area. Following

showering, such employees howevermust then change into street clothingin clean change areas provided by theemployer which otherwise meet the re-quirements of this section.

(ii) Decontamination area entry proce-dures. The employer shall ensure thatemployees:

(A) Enter the decontamination areathrough the clean room;

(B) Remove and deposit street cloth-ing within a locker provided for theiruse; and

(C) Put on protective clothing andrespiratory protection before leavingthe clean room.

(D) Before entering the regulatedarea, the employer shall ensure thatemployees pass through the equipmentroom.

(iii) Decontamination area exit proce-dures. The employer shall ensure that:

(A) Before leaving the regulated area,employees shall remove all gross con-tamination and debris from their pro-tective clothing.

(B) Employees shall remove theirprotective clothing in the equipmentroom and deposit the clothing in la-beled impermeable bags or containers.

(C) Employees shall not remove theirrespirators in the equipment room.

(D) Employees shall shower prior toentering the clean room.

(E) After showering, employees shallenter the clean room before changinginto street clothes.

(iv) Lunch areas. Whenever food orbeverages are consumed at the work-site where employees are performingClass I asbestos work, the employershall provide lunch areas in which theairborne concentrations of asbestos arebelow the permissible exposure limitand/or excursion limit.

(2) Requirements for Class I work in-volving less than 25 linear or 10 squarefeet of TSI or surfacing and PACM, andfor Class II and Class III asbestos workoperations where exposures exceed a PELor where there is no negative exposure as-sessment produced before the operation.(i) The employer shall establish anequipment room or area that is adja-cent to the regulated area for the de-contamination of employees and theirequipment which is contaminated withasbestos which shall consist of an areacovered by a impermeable drop cloth


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on the floor/deck or horizontal workingsurface.

(ii) The area must be of sufficientsize as to accommodate cleaning ofequipment and removing personal pro-tective equipment without spreadingcontamination beyond the area (as de-termined by visible accumulations).

(iii) Work clothing must be cleanedwith a HEPA vacuum before it is re-moved.

(iv) All equipment and surfaces ofcontainers filled with ACM must becleaned prior to removing them fromthe equipment room or area.

(v) The employer shall ensure thatemployees enter and exit the regulatedarea through the equipment room orarea.

(3) Requirements for Class IV work.Employers shall ensure that employeesperforming Class IV work within a reg-ulated area comply with the hygienepractice required of employees per-forming work which has a higher clas-sification within that regulated area.Otherwise employers of employeescleaning up debris and material whichis TSI or surfacing ACM or identifiedas PACM shall provide decontamina-tion facilities for such employeeswhich are required by paragraph (j)(2)of this section.

(4) Smoking in work areas. The em-ployer shall ensure that employees donot smoke in work areas where theyare occupationally exposed to asbestosbecause of activities in that work area.

(k) Communication of hazards. (1) Thissection applies to the communicationof information concerning asbestoshazards in shipyard employment ac-tivities to facilitate compliance withthis standard. Most asbestos-relatedshipyard activities involve previouslyinstalled building materials. Building/vessel owners often are the only and/orbest sources of information concerningthem. Therefore, they, along with em-ployers of potentially exposed employ-ees, are assigned specific informationconveying and retention duties underthis section. Installed Asbestos Con-taining Building/Vessel Material: Em-ployers and building/vessel ownersshall identify TSI and sprayed or trow-eled on surfacing materials as asbestos-containing unless the employer, bycomplying with paragraph (k)(5) of this

section determines that the material isnot asbestos-containing. Asphalt orvinyl flooring/decking material in-stalled in buildings or vessels no laterthan 1980 must also be considered as as-bestos containing unless the employer/owner, pursuant to paragraph(g)(8)(i)(I) of this section, determines itis not asbestos containing. If the em-ployer or building/vessel owner has ac-tual knowledge or should have known,through the exercise of due diligence,that materials other than TSI andsprayed-on or troweled-on surfacingmaterials are asbestos-containing, theymust be treated as such. When commu-nicating information to employees pur-suant to this standard, owners and em-ployers shall identify ‘‘PACM’’ as ACM.Additional requirements relating tocommunication of asbestos work onmulti- employer worksites are set outin paragraph (d) of this standard.

(2) Duties of building/vessel and facilityowners. (i) Before work subject to thisstandard is begun, building/vessel andfacility owners shall determine thepresence, location, and quantity ofACM and/or PACM at the work sitepursuant to paragraph (k)(1) of thissection.

(ii) Building/vessel and/or facilityowners shall notify the following per-sons of the presence, location andquantity of ACM or PACM, at worksites in their buildings/facilities/ves-sels. Notification either shall be inwriting or shall consist of a personalcommunication between the owner andthe person to whom notification mustbe given or their authorized represent-atives:

(A) Prospective employers applyingor bidding for work whose employeesreasonably can be expected to work inor adjacent to areas containing suchmaterial;

(B) Employees of the owner who willwork in or adjacent to areas containingsuch material:

(C) On multi-employer worksites, allemployers of employees who will beperforming work within or adjacent toareas containing such materials;

(D) Tenants who will occupy areascontaining such materials.

(3) Duties of employers whose em-ployees perform work subject to this


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standard in or adjacent to areas con-taining ACM and PACM. Building/ves-sel and facility owners whose employ-ees perform such work shall complywith these provisions to the extent ap-plicable.

(i) Before work in areas containingACM and PACM is begun, employersshall identify the presence, location,and quantity of ACM, and/or PACMtherein pursuant to paragraph (k)(1) ofthis section.

(ii) Before work under this standardis performed employers of employeeswho will perform such work shall in-form the following persons of the loca-tion and quantity of ACM and/or PACMpresent at the work site and the pre-cautions to be taken to insure that air-borne asbestos is confined to the area.

(A) Owners of the building/vessel orfacility;

(B) Employees who will perform suchwork and employers of employees whowork and/or will be working in adja-cent areas;

(iii) Within 10 days of the completionof such work, the employer whose em-ployees have performed work subject tothis standard, shall inform the build-ing/vessel or facility owner and em-ployers of employees who will be work-ing in the area of the current locationand quantity of PACM and/or ACM re-maining in the former regulated areaand final monitoring results, if any.

(4) In addition to the above require-ments, all employers who discoverACM and/or PACM on a work site shallconvey information concerning thepresence, location and quantity of suchnewly discovered ACM and/or PACM tothe owner and to other employers ofemployees working at the work site,within 24 hours of the discovery.

(5) Criteria to rebut the designationof installed material as PACM. (i) Atany time, an employer and/or building/vessel owner may demonstrate, for pur-poses of this standard, that PACM doesnot contain asbestos. Building/vesselowners and/or employers are not re-quired to communicate informationabout the presence of building materialfor which such a demonstration pursu-ant to the requirements of paragraph(k)(5)(ii) of this section has been made.However, in all such cases, the infor-mation, data and analysis supporting

the determination that PACM does notcontain asbestos, shall be retained pur-suant to paragraph (n) of this section.

(ii) An employer or owner may dem-onstrate that PACM does not containmore than 1% asbestos by the follow-ing:

(A) Having a completed inspectionconducted pursuant to the require-ments of AHERA (40 CFR part 763, sub-part E) which demonstrates that thematerial is not ACM; or

(B) Performing tests of the materialcontaining PACM which demonstratethat no ACM is present in the material.Such tests shall include analysis ofbulk samples collected in the mannerdescribed in 40 CFR 763.86. The tests,evaluation and sample collection shallbe conducted by an accredited inspec-tor or by a CIH. Analysis of samplesshall be performed by persons or lab-oratories with proficiency dem-onstrated by current successful partici-pation in a nationally recognized test-ing program such as the National Vol-untary Laboratory Accreditation Pro-gram (NVLAP) or the National Insti-tute for Standards and Technology(NIST) or the Round Robin for bulksamples administered by the AmericanIndustrial Hygiene Association (AIHA),or an equivalent nationally-recognizedround robin testing program..

(iii) The employer and/or building/vessel owner may demonstrate thatflooring material including associatedmastic and backing does not containasbestos, by a determination of an in-dustrial hygienist based upon recog-nized analytical techniques showingthat the material is not ACM.

(6) At the entrance to mechanicalrooms/areas in which employees rea-sonably can be expected to enter andwhich contain ACM and/or PACM, thebuilding/vessel owner shall post signswhich identify the material which ispresent, its location, and appropriatework practices which, if followed, willensure that ACM and/or PACM will notbe disturbed. The employer shall en-sure, to the extent feasible, that em-ployees who come in contact withthese signs can comprehend them.Means to ensure employee comprehen-sion may include the use of foreign lan-guages, pictographs, graphics, andawareness training.


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(7) Signs. (i) Warning signs that de-marcate the regulated area shall beprovided and displayed at each locationwhere a regulated area is required to beestablished by paragraph (e) of this sec-tion. Signs shall be posted at such adistance from such a location that anemployee may read the signs and takenecessary protective steps before en-tering the area marked by the signs.

(ii)(A) The warning signs required byparagraph (k)(7) of this section shallbear the following information:

DANGER

ASBESTOS

CANCER AND LUNG DISEASEHAZARD

AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY

(B) In addition, where the use of res-pirators and protective clothing is re-quired in the regulated area under thissection, the warning signs shall includethe following:

RESPIRATORS AND PROTECTIVECLOTHING ARE REQUIRED IN THISAREA

(iii) The employer shall ensure thatemployees working in and contiguousto regulated areas comprehend thewarning signs required to be posted byparagraph (k)(7)(i) of this section.Means to ensure employee comprehen-sion may include the use of foreign lan-guages, pictographs and graphics.

(8) Labels. (i) Labels shall be affixedto all products containing asbestos andto all containers containing such prod-ucts, including waste containers.Where feasible, installed asbestos prod-ucts shall contain a visible label.

(ii) Labels shall be printed in large,bold letters on a contrasting back-ground.

(iii) Labels shall be used in accord-ance with the requirements of 29 CFR1910.1200(f) of OSHA’s Hazard Commu-nication standard, and shall containthe following information:

DANGER

CONTAINS ASBESTOS FIBERS

AVOID CREATING DUST

CANCER AND LUNG DISEASE HAZARD

(iv) [Reserved](v) Labels shall contain a warning

statement against breathing asbestosfibers.

(vi) The provisions for labels requiredby paragraphs (k)(8) (i) through (k)(8)(iii) of this section do not apply where:

(A) Asbestos fibers have been modi-fied by a bonding agent, coating, bind-er, or other material, provided that themanufacturer can demonstrate that,during any reasonably foreseeable use,handling, storage, disposal, processing,or transportation, no airborne con-centrations of asbestos fibers in excessof the permissible exposure limit and/or excursion limit will be released, or

(B) Asbestos is present in a productin concentrations less than 1.0 percent.

(vii) When a building/vessel owner oremployer identifies previously in-stalled PACM and/or ACM, labels orsigns shall be affixed or posted so thatemployees will be notified of what ma-terials contain PACM and/or ACM. Theemployer shall attach such labels inareas where they will clearly be no-ticed by employees who are likely to beexposed, such as at the entrance to me-chanical room/areas. Signs required byparagraph (k)(6) of this section may beposted in lieu of labels so long as theycontain information required for label-ling. The employer shall ensure, to theextent feasible, that employees whocome in contact with these signs or la-bels can comprehend them. Means toensure employee comprehension mayinclude the use of foreign languages,pictographs, graphics, and awarenesstraining.

(9) Employee information and training.(i) The employer shall, at no cost tothe employee, institute a training pro-gram for all employees who are likelyto be exposed in excess of a PEL andfor all employees who perform Class Ithrough IV asbestos operations, andshall ensure their participation in theprogram.


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(ii) Training shall be provided priorto or at the time of initial assignmentand at least annually thereafter.

(iii) Training for Class I operationsand for Class II operations that requirethe use of critical barriers (or equiva-lent isolation methods) and/or negativepressure enclosures under this sectionshall be the equivalent in curriculum,training method and length to the EPAModel Accreditation Plan (MAP) asbes-tos abatement workers training (40CFR part 763, subpart E, appendix C).

(iv) Training for other Class II work.(A) For work with asbestos contain-

ing roofing materials, flooring mate-rials, siding materials, ceiling tiles, ortransite panels, training shall includeat a minimum all the elements in-cluded in paragraph (k)(9)(viii) of thissection and in addition, the specificwork practices and engineering con-trols set forth in paragraph (g) of thissection which specifically relate tothat category. Such course shall in-clude ‘‘hands-on’’ training and shalltake at least 8 hours.

(B) An employee who works withmore than one of the categories of ma-terial specified in paragraph(k)(9)(iv)(A) of this section shall re-ceive training in the work practices ap-plicable to each category of materialthat the employee removes and eachremoval method that the employeeuses.

(C) For Class II operations not in-volving the categories of material spec-ified in paragraph (k)(9)(iv)(A) of thissection, training shall be providedwhich shall include at a minimum allthe elements included in paragraph(k)(9)(viii) of this section and in addi-tion, the specific work practices andengineering controls set forth in para-graph (g) of this section which specifi-cally relate to the category of materialbeing removed, and shall include‘‘hands-on’’ training in the work prac-tices applicable to each category ofmaterial that the employee removesand each removal method that the em-ployee uses.

(v) Training for Class III employeesshall be consistent with EPA require-ments for training of local educationagency maintenance and custodial staffas set forth at 40 CFR 763.92(a)(2). Sucha course shall also include ‘‘hands-on’’

training and shall take at least 16hours. Exception: For Class III oper-ations for which the competent persondetermines that the EPA curriculumdoes not adequately cover the trainingneeded to perform that activity, train-ing shall include as a minimum all theelements included in paragraph(k)(9)(viii) of this section and in addi-tion, the specific work practices andengineering controls set forth in para-graph (g) of this section which specifi-cally relate to that activity, and shallinclude ‘‘hands-on’’ training in thework practices applicable to each cat-egory of material that the employeedisturbs.

(vi) Training for employees perform-ing Class IV operations shall be con-sistent with EPA requirements fortraining of local education agencymaintenance and custodial staff as setforth at 40 CFR 763.92(a)(1). Such acourse shall include available informa-tion concerning the locations of ther-mal system insulation and surfacingACM/PACM, and asbestos-containingflooring material, or flooring materialwhere the absence of asbestos has notyet been certified; and instruction inrecognition of damage, deterioration,and delamination of asbestos contain-ing building materials. Such courseshall take at least 2 hours.

(vii) Training for employees who arelikely to be exposed in excess of thePEL and who are not otherwise re-quired to be trained under paragraph(k)(9) (iii) through (vi) of this section,shall meet the requirements of para-graph (k)(9)(viii) of this section.

(viii) The training program shall beconducted in a manner that the em-ployee is able to understand. In addi-tion to the content required by provi-sions in paragraphs (k)(9) (iii) through(vi) of this section, the employer shallensure that each such employee is in-formed of the following:

(A) Methods of recognizing asbestos,including the requirement in paragraph(k)(1) of this section to presume thatcertain building materials contain as-bestos;

(B) The health effects associated withasbestos exposure;

(C) The relationship between smok-ing and asbestos in producing lung can-cer;


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(D) The nature of operations thatcould result in exposure to asbestos,the importance of necessary protectivecontrols to minimize exposure includ-ing, as applicable, engineering con-trols, work practices, respirators,housekeeping procedures, hygiene fa-cilities, protective clothing, decon-tamination procedures, emergency pro-cedures, and waste disposal procedures,and any necessary instruction in theuse of these controls and procedures;where Class III and IV work will be oris performed, the contents of EPA 20T–2003, ‘‘Managing Asbestos In-Place’’July 1990 or its equivalent in content;

(E) The purpose, proper use, fittinginstructions, and limitations of res-pirators as required by 29 CFR 1910.134;

(F) The appropriate work practicesfor performing the asbestos job;

(G) Medical surveillance program re-quirements;

(H) The content of this standard in-cluding appendices;

(I) The names, addresses and phonenumbers of public health organizationswhich provide information, materialsand/or conduct programs concerningsmoking cessation. The employer maydistribute the list of such organiza-tions contained in appendix J to thissection, to comply with this require-ment; and

(J) The requirements for postingsigns and affixing labels and the mean-ing of the required legends for suchsigns and labels.

(10) Access to training materials. (i)The employer shall make readily avail-able to affected employees withoutcost, written materials relating to theemployee training program, includinga copy of this regulation.

(ii) The employer shall provide to theAssistant Secretary and the Director,upon request, all information andtraining materials relating to the em-ployee information and training pro-gram.

(iii) The employer shall inform allemployees concerning the availabilityof self-help smoking cessation programmaterial. Upon employee request, theemployer shall distribute such mate-rial, consisting of NIH Publication No,89–1647, or equivalent self-help mate-rial, which is approved or published by

a public health organization listed inappendix J to this section.

(l) Housekeeping—(1) Vacuuming.Where vacuuming methods are se-lected, HEPA filtered vacuumingequipment must be used. The equip-ment shall be used and emptied in amanner that minimizes the reentry ofasbestos into the workplace.

(2) Waste disposal. Asbestos waste,scrap, debris, bags, containers, equip-ment, and contaminated clothing con-signed for disposal shall be collectedand disposed of in sealed, labeled, im-permeable bags or other closed, la-beled, impermeable containers exceptin roofing operations, where the proce-dures specified in paragraph (g)(8)(ii) ofthis section apply.

(3) Care of asbestos-containing flooring/deck material. (i) All vinyl and asphaltflooring/deck material shall be main-tained in accordance with this para-graph unless the building/facilityowner demonstrates, pursuant to para-graph (g)(8)(i)(I) of this section that theflooring/deck does not contain asbes-tos.

(ii) Sanding of flooring/deck materialis prohibited.

(iii) Stripping of finishes shall beconducted using low abrasion pads atspeeds lower than 300 rpm and wetmethods.

(iv) Burnishing or dry buffing may beperformed only on flooring/deck whichhas sufficient finish so that the padcannot contact the flooring/deck mate-rial.

(4) Waste and debris and accompany-ing dust in an area containing acces-sible thermal system insulation or sur-facing ACM/PACM or visibly deterio-rated ACM:

(i) Shall not be dusted or swept dry,or vacuumed without using a HEPA fil-ter;

(ii) Shall be promptly cleaned up anddisposed of in leak tight containers.

(m) Medical surveillance—(1) General—(i) Employees covered. (A) The employershall institute a medical surveillanceprogram for all employees who for acombined total of 30 or more days peryear are engaged in Class I, II and IIIwork or are exposed at or above a per-missible exposure limit. For purposesof this paragraph, any day in which aworker engages in Class II or Class III


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operations or a combination thereof onintact material for one hour or less(taking into account the entire timespent on the removal operation, includ-ing cleanup) and, while doing so, ad-heres fully to the work practices speci-fied in this standard, shall not becounted.

(B) For employees otherwise requiredby this standard to wear a negativepressure respirator, employers shall en-sure employees are physically able toperform the work and use the equip-ment. This determination shall bemade under the supervision of a physi-cian.

(ii) Examination. (A) The employershall ensure that all medical examina-tions and procedures are performed byor under the supervision of a licensedphysician, and are provided at no costto the employee and at a reasonabletime and place.

(B) Persons other than such licensedphysicians who administer the pul-monary function testing required bythis section shall complete a trainingcourse in spirometry sponsored by anappropriate academic or professionalinstitution.

(2) Medical examinations and consulta-tions—(i) Frequency. The employershall make available medical examina-tions and consultations to each em-ployee covered under paragraph(m)(1)(i) of this section on the follow-ing schedules:

(A) Prior to assignment of the em-ployee to an area where negative-pres-sure respirators are worn;

(B) When the employee is assigned toan area where exposure to asbestosmay be at or above the permissible ex-posure limit for 30 or more days peryear, or engage in Class I, II, or IIIwork for a combined total of 30 or moredays per year, a medical examinationmust be given within 10 working daysfollowing the thirtieth day of exposure;

(C) And at least annually thereafter.(D) If the examining physician deter-

mines that any of the examinationsshould be provided more frequentlythan specified, the employer shall pro-vide such examinations to affected em-ployees at the frequencies specified bythe physician.

(E) Exception: No medical examina-tion is required of any employee if ade-

quate records show that the employeehas been examined in accordance withthis paragraph within the past 1-yearperiod.

(ii) Content. Medical examinationsmade available pursuant to paragraphs(m)(2)(i) (A) through (m)(2)(i) (C) of thissection shall include:

(A) A medical and work history withspecial emphasis directed to the pul-monary, cardiovascular, and gastro-intestinal systems.

(B) On initial examination, thestandardized questionnaire containedin part 1 of appendix D to this sectionand, on annual examination, the abbre-viated standardized questionnaire con-tained in part 2 of appendix D to thissection.

(C) A physical examination directedto the pulmonary and gastrointestinalsystems, including a chest x-ray to beadministered at the discretion of thephysician, and pulmonary functiontests of forced vital capacity (FVC) andforced expiratory volume at one second(FEV(1)). Interpretation and classifica-tion of chest roentgenogram shall beconducted in accordance with appendixE to this section.

(D) Any other examinations or testsdeemed necessary by the examiningphysician.

(3) Information provided to the physi-cian. The employer shall provide thefollowing information to the examin-ing physician:

(i) A copy of this standard and appen-dices D, E, and I to this section;

(ii) A description of the affected em-ployee’s duties as they relate to theemployee’s exposure;

(iii) The employee’s representativeexposure level or anticipated exposurelevel;

(iv) A description of any personalprotective and respiratory equipmentused or to be used; and

(v) Information from previous medi-cal examinations of the affected em-ployee that is not otherwise availableto the examining physician.

(4) Physician’s written opinion. (i) Theemployer shall obtain a written opin-ion from the examining physician. Thiswritten opinion shall contain the re-sults of the medical examination andshall include:


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(A) The physician’s opinion as towhether the employee has any detectedmedical conditions that would placethe employee at an increased risk ofmaterial health impairment from expo-sure to asbestos;

(B) Any recommended limitations onthe employee or on the use of personalprotective equipment such as res-pirators; and

(C) A statement that the employeehas been informed by the physician ofthe results of the medical examinationand of any medical conditions thatmay result from asbestos exposure.

(D) A statement that the employeehas been informed by the physician ofthe increased risk of lung cancer at-tributable to the combined effect ofsmoking and asbestos exposure.

(ii) The employer shall instruct thephysician not to reveal in the writtenopinion given to the employer specificfindings or diagnoses unrelated to oc-cupational exposure to asbestos.

(iii) The employer shall provide acopy of the physician’s written opinionto the affected employee within 30 daysfrom its receipt.

(n) Recordkeeping—(1) Objective datarelied on pursuant to paragraph (f) of thissection. (i) Where the employer has re-lied on objective data that dem-onstrates that products made from orcontaining asbestos or the activity in-volving such products or material arenot capable of releasing fibers of asbes-tos in concentrations at or above thepermissible exposure limit and/or ex-cursion limit under the expected condi-tions of processing, use, or handling tosatisfy the requirements of paragraph(f) of this section, the employer shallestablish and maintain an accuraterecord of objective data reasonably re-lied upon in support of the exemption.

(ii) The record shall include at leastthe following information:

(A) The product qualifying for ex-emption;

(B) The source of the objective data;(C) The testing protocol, results of

testing, and/or analysis of the materialfor the release of asbestos;

(D) A description of the operation ex-empted and how the data support theexemption; and

(E) Other data relevant to the oper-ations, materials, processing, or em-

ployee exposures covered by the ex-emption.

(iii) The employer shall maintainthis record for the duration of the em-ployer’s reliance upon such objectivedata.

(2) Exposure measurements. (i) The em-ployer shall keep an accurate record ofall measurements taken to monitoremployee exposure to asbestos as pre-scribed in paragraph (f) of this section.Note: The employer may utilize theservices of qualified organizations suchas industry trade associations and em-ployee associations to maintain therecords required by this section.

(ii) This record shall include at leastthe following information:

(A) The date of measurement;(B) The operation involving exposure

to asbestos that is being monitored;(C) Sampling and analytical methods

used and evidence of their accuracy;(D) Number, duration, and results of

samples taken;(E) Type of protective devices worn,

if any; and(F) Name, social security number,

and exposure of the employees whoseexposures are represented.

(iii) The employer shall maintainthis record for at least thirty (30)years, in accordance with 29 CFR1910.20.

(3) Medical surveillance. (i) The em-ployer shall establish and maintain anaccurate record for each employee sub-ject to medical surveillance by para-graph (m) of this section, in accordancewith 29 CFR 1910.20.

(ii) The record shall include at leastthe following information:

(A) The name and social securitynumber of the employee;

(B) A copy of the employee’s medicalexamination results, including themedical history, questionnaire re-sponses, results of any tests, and physi-cian’s recommendations.

(C) Physician’s written opinions;(D) Any employee medical com-

plaints related to exposure to asbestos;and

(E) A copy of the information pro-vided to the physician as required byparagraph (m) of this section.

(iii) The employer shall ensure thatthis record is maintained for the dura-tion of employment plus thirty (30)


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years, in accordance with 29 CFR1910.20.

(4) Training records. The employershall maintain all employee trainingrecords for one (1) year beyond the lastdate of employment by that employer.

(5) Data to rebut PACM. (i) Where thebuilding owner and employer have re-lied on data to demonstrate that PACMis not asbestos-containing, such datashall be maintained for as long as theyare relied upon to rebut the presump-tion.

(ii) [Reserved](6) Records of required notification. (i)

Where the building/vessel owner hascommunicated and received informa-tion concerning the identity, locationand quantity of ACM and PACM, writ-ten records of such notifications andtheir content shall be maintained bythe owner for the duration of owner-ship and shall be transferred to succes-sive owners of such buildings/facilities/vessels.

(ii) [Reserved](7) Availability. (i) The employer,

upon written request, shall make allrecords required to be maintained bythis section available to the AssistantSecretary and the Director for exam-ination and copying.

(ii) The employer, upon request, shallmake any exposure records required byparagraphs (f) and (n) of this sectionavailable for examination and copyingto affected employees, former employ-ees, designated representatives, andthe Assistant Secretary, in accordancewith 29 CFR 1910.20(a) through (e) and(g) through (i).

(iii) The employer, upon request,shall make employee medical recordsrequired by paragraphs (m) and (n) ofthis section available for examinationand copying to the subject employee,anyone having the specific written con-sent of the subject employee, and theAssistant Secretary, in accordancewith 29 CFR 1910.20.

(8) Transfer of records. (i) The em-ployer shall comply with the require-ments concerning transfer of recordsset forth in 29 CFR 1910.20 (h).

(ii) Whenever the employer ceases todo business and there is no successoremployer to receive and retain therecords for the prescribed period, theemployer shall notify the Director at

least 90 days prior to disposal and,upon request, transmit them to the Di-rector.

(o) Qualified person—(1) General. Onall shipyard worksites covered by thisstandard, the employer shall designatea qualified person, having the quali-fications and authorities for ensuringworker safety and health required bysubpart C, General Safety and HealthProvisions for Construction (29 CFR1926.20 through 1926.32).

(2) Required inspections by the qualifiedperson. § 1926.20(b)(2) which requireshealth and safety prevention programsto provide for frequent and regular in-spections of the job sites, materials,and equipment to be made by qualifiedpersons, is incorporated.

(3) Additional inspections. In addition,the qualified person shall make fre-quent and regular inspections of thejob sites, in order to perform the dutiesset out in paragraph (o)(3)(i) of thissection. For Class I jobs, on-site inspec-tions shall be made at least once dur-ing each work shift, and at any time atemployee request. For Class II, III andIV jobs, on-site inspections shall bemade at intervals sufficient to assesswhether conditions have changed, andat any reasonable time at employee re-quest.

(i) On all worksites where employeesare engaged in Class I or II asbestoswork, the qualified person designatedin accordance with paragraph (e)(6) ofthis section shall perform or supervisethe following duties, as applicable:

(A) Set up the regulated area, enclo-sure, or other containment;

(B) Ensure (by on-site inspection) theintegrity of the enclosure or contain-ment;

(C) Set up procedures to controlentry to and exit from the enclosureand/or area;

(D) Supervise all employee exposuremonitoring required by this sectionand ensure that it is conducted as re-quired by paragraph (f) of this section;

(E) Ensure that employees workingwithin the enclosure and/or using glovebags wear respirators and protectiveclothing as required by paragraphs (h)and (i) of this section;

(F) Ensure through on-site super-vision, that employees set up, use, andremove engineering controls, use work


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practices and personal protectiveequipment in compliance with all re-quirements;

(G) Ensure that employees use thehygiene facilities and observe the de-contamination procedures specified inparagraph (j) of this section;

(H) Ensure that through on-site in-spection, engineering controls are func-tioning properly and employees areusing proper work practices; and

(I) Ensure that notification require-ments in paragraph (k) of this sectionare met.

(4) Training for the competent person.(i) For Class I and II asbestos work thequalified person shall be trained in allaspects of asbestos removal and han-dling, including: Abatement, installa-tion, removal and handling; the con-tents of this standard; the identifica-tion of asbestos; removal procedures,where appropriate; and other practicesfor reducing the hazard. Such trainingshall be obtained in a comprehensivecourse for supervisors, that meets thecriteria of EPA’s Model AccreditationPlan (40 CFR part 763, subpart E, ap-pendix C), such as a course conductedby an EPA-approved or state-approvedtraining provider, certified by EPA or astate, or a course equivalent in strin-gency, content, and length.

(ii) For Class III and IV asbestoswork, the qualified person shall betrained in aspects of asbestos handlingappropriate for the nature of the work,to include procedures for setting upglove bags and mini-enclosures, prac-tices for reducing asbestos exposures,use of wet methods, the contents ofthis standard, and the identification ofasbestos. Such training shall includesuccessful completion of a course thatis consistent with EPA requirementsfor training of local education agencymaintenance and custodial staff as setforth at 40 CFR 763.92(a)(2), or itsequivalent in stringency, content, andlength. Qualified persons for Class IIIand Class IV work may also be trainedpursuant to the requirements of para-graph (o)(4)(i) of this section.

(p) Appendices. (1) Appendices A, C, D,and E to this section are incorporatedas part of this section and the contentsof these appendices are mandatory.

(2) Appendices B, F, H, I, J, and K tothis section are informational and are

not intended to create any additionalobligations not otherwise imposed orto detract from any existing obliga-tions.

(q) Dates. (1) This standard shall be-come effective October 11, 1994.

(2) The provisions of 29 CFR 1926.58and 29 CFR 1910.1001 remain in effectuntil the start-up dates of the equiva-lent provisions of this standard.

(3) Start-up dates. All obligations ofthis standard commence on the effec-tive date except as follows:

(i) Methods of compliance. The engi-neering and work practice controls re-quired by paragraph (g) of this sectionshall be implemented by October 1,1995.

(ii) Respiratory protection. Respiratoryprotection required by paragraph (h) ofthis section shall be provided by Octo-ber 1, 1995.

(iii) Hygiene facilities and practices foremployees. Hygiene facilities and prac-tices required by paragraph (j) of thissection shall be provided by October 1,1995.

(iv) Communication of hazards. Identi-fication, notification, labeling and signposting, and training required by para-graph (k) of this section shall be pro-vided by October 1, 1995.

(v) Housekeeping. Housekeeping prac-tices and controls required by para-graph (1) of this section shall be pro-vided by October 1, 1995.

(vi) Medical surveillance required byparagraph (m) of this section shall beprovided by October 1, 1995.

(vii) The designation and training ofqualified persons required by paragraph(o) of this section shall be completedby October 1, 1995.

APPENDIX A TO § 1915.1001—OSHAREFERENCE METHOD (MANDATORY)

This mandatory appendix specifies the pro-cedure for analyzing air samples for asbes-tos, and specifies quality control proceduresthat must be implemented by laboratoriesperforming the analysis. The sampling andanalytical methods described below rep-resent the elements of the available mon-itoring methods (such as appendix B to thissection, the most current version of theOSHA method ID–160, or the most currentversion of the NIOSH Method 7400) whichOSHA considers to be essential to achieveadequate employee exposure monitoringwhile allowing employers to use methods


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that are already established within their or-ganizations. All employers who are requiredto conduct air monitoring under paragraph(f) of this section are required to utilize ana-lytical laboratories that use this procedure,or an equivalent method, for collecting andanalyzing samples.

Sampling and Analytical Procedure

1. The sampling medium for air samplesshall be mixed cellulose ester filter mem-branes. These shall be designated by themanufacturer as suitable for asbestos count-ing. See below for rejection of blanks.

2. The preferred collection device shall bethe 25-mm diameter cassette with an open-faced 50-mm extension cowl. The 37-mm cas-sette may be used if necessary but only ifwritten justification for the need to use the37-mm filter cassette accompanies the sam-ple results in the employee’s exposure mon-itoring record. Other cassettes such as theBell-mouth may be used within the limits oftheir validation. Do not reuse or reload cas-settes for asbestos sample collection.

3. An air flow rate between 0.5 liter/minand 5 liters/min shall be selected for the 25-mm cassette. If the 37-mm cassette is used,an air flow rate between 1 liter/min and 5 li-ters/min shall be selected.

4. Where possible, a sufficient air volumefor each air sample shall be collected toyield between 100 and 1,300 fibers per squaremillimeter on the membrane filter. If a filterdarkens in appearance or if loose dust is seenon the filter, a second sample shall be start-ed.

5. Ship the samples in a rigid containerwith sufficient packing material to preventdislodging the collected fibers. Packing ma-terial that has a high electrostatic charge onits surface (e.g., expanded polystyrene) can-not be used because such material can causeloss of fibers to the sides of the cassette.

6. Calibrate each personal sampling pumpbefore and after use with a representative fil-ter cassette installed between the pump andthe calibration devices.

7. Personal samples shall be taken in the‘‘breathing zone’’ of the employee (i.e., at-tached to or near the collar or lapel near theworker’s face).

8. Fiber counts shall be made by positivephase contrast using a microscope with an 8to 10 X eyepiece and a 40 to 45 X objective fora total magnification of approximately 400 Xand a numerical aperture of 0.65 to 0.75. Themicroscope shall also be fitted with a greenor blue filter.

9. The microscope shall be fitted with aWalton-Beckett eyepiece graticule cali-brated for a field diameter of 100 microm-eters (+/¥ 2 micrometers).

10. The phase-shift detection limit of themicroscope shall be about 3 degrees meas-ured using the HSE phase shift test slide asoutlined below.

a. Place the test slide on the microscopestage and center it under the phase objec-tive.

b. Bring the blocks of grooved lines intofocus.

NOTE: The slide consists of seven sets ofgrooved lines (ca. 20 grooves to each block)in descending order of visibility from sets 1to 7, seven being the least visible. The re-quirements for asbestos, tremolite,anthophyllite, and actinolite counting arethat the microscope optics must resolve thegrooved lines in set 3 completely, althoughthey may appear somewhat faint, and thatthe grooved lines in sets 6 and 7 must be in-visible. Sets 4 and 5 must be at least par-tially visible but may vary slightly in visi-bility between microscopes. A microscopethat fails to meet these requirements has ei-ther too low or too high a resolution to beused for asbestos, tremolite, anthophyllite,and actinolite counting.

c. If the image deteriorates, clean and ad-just the microscope optics. If the problempersists, consult the microscope manufac-turer.

11. Each set of samples taken will include10% field blanks or a minimum of 2 fieldblanks. These blanks must come from thesame lot as the filters used for sample collec-tion. The field blank results shall be aver-aged and subtracted from the analytical re-sults before reporting. A set consists of anysample or group of samples for which anevaluation for this standard must be made.Any samples represented by a field blankhaving a fiber count in excess of the detec-tion limit of the method being used shall berejected.

12. The samples shall be mounted by theacetone/triacetin method or a method withan equivalent index of refraction and similarclarity.

13. Observe the following counting rules.a. Count only fibers equal to or longer than

5 micrometers. Measure the length of curvedfibers along the curve.

b. In the absence of other information,count all particles as asbestos that have alength-to-width ratio (aspect ratio) of 3 to 1or greater.

c. Fibers lying entirely within the bound-ary of the Walton-Beckett graticule fieldshall receive a count of 1. Fibers crossing theboundary once, having one end within thecircle, shall receive the count of one half(1⁄2). Do not count any fiber that crosses thegraticule boundary more than once. Rejectand do not count any other fibers eventhough they may be visible outside the grati-cule area.

d. Count bundles of fibers as one fiber un-less individual fibers can be identified by ob-serving both ends of an individual fiber.

e. Count enough graticule fields to yield100 fibers. Count a minimum of 20 fields; stop


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counting at 100 fields regardless of fibercount.

14. Blind recounts shall be conducted atthe rate of 10 percent.

Quality Control Procedures

1. Intra-laboratory program. Each labora-tory and/or each company with more thanone microscopist counting slides shall estab-lish a statistically designed quality assur-ance program involving blind recounts andcomparisons between microscopists to mon-itor the variability of counting by eachmicroscopist and between microscopists. In acompany with more than one laboratory, theprogram shall include all laboratories andshall also evaluate the laboratory-to-labora-tory variability.

2. a. Interlaboratory program. Each labora-tory analyzing asbestos, tremolite,anthophyllite, and actinolite samples forcompliance determination shall implementan interlaboratory quality assurance pro-gram that as a minimum includes participa-tion of at least two other independent lab-oratories. Each laboratory shall participatein round robin testing at least once every 6months with at least all the other labora-tories in its interlaboratory quality assur-ance group. Each laboratory shall submit

slides typical of its own work load for use inthis program. The round robin shall be de-signed and results analyzed using appro-priate statistical methodology.

b. All laboratories should participate in anational sample testing scheme such as theProficiency Analytical Testing Program(PAT), the Asbestos Registry sponsored bythe American Industrial Hygiene Association(AIHA).

3. All individuals performing asbestos,tremolite, anthophyllite, and actinoliteanalysis must have taken the NIOSH coursefor sampling and evaluating airborne asbes-tos, tremolite, anthophyllite, and actinolitedust or an equivalent course.

4. When the use of different microscopescontributes to differences between countersand laboratories, the effect of the differentmicroscope shall be evaluated and the micro-scope shall be replaced, as necessary.

5. Current results of these quality assur-ance programs shall be posted in each lab-oratory to keep the microscopists informed.

APPENDIX B TO § 1915.1001—DETAILEDPROCEDURES FOR ASBESTOS SAM-PLING AND ANALYSIS (NON-MANDA-TORY)

Matrix: AirOSHA Permissible Exposure Limits:

Time Weighted Average ......................................................................................................................... 0.1 fiber/ccExcursion Level (30 minutes) ................................................................................................................. 1.0 fiber/cc

Collection Procedure:A known volume of air is drawn through a 25-mm diameter cassette containing a mixed-cellulose ester filter. The cassette must

be equipped with an electrically conductive 50-mm extension cowl. The sampling time and rate are chosen to give a fiber den-sity of between 100 to 1,300 fibers/mm2 on the filter.

Recommended Sampling Rate ...................................................................................................................... 0.5 to 5.0 liters/minute (L/min)

Recommended Air Volumes:Minimum ................................................................................................................................................. 25 LMaximum ................................................................................................................................................ 2,400 L

Analytical Procedure: A portion of thesample filter is cleared and prepared for as-bestos fiber counting by Phase Contrast Mi-croscopy (PCM) at 400X.

Commercial manufacturers and productsmentioned in this method are for descriptiveuse only and do not constitute endorsementsby USDOL-OSHA. Similar products fromother sources can be substituted.

1. INTRODUCTION

This method describes the collection ofairborne asbestos fibers using calibratedsampling pumps with mixed-cellulose ester(MCE) filters and analysis by phase contrastmicroscopy (PCM). Some terms used areunique to this method and are defined below:Asbestos: A term for naturally occurring fi-brous minerals. Asbestos includes chrysotile,

crocidolite, amosite (cummingtonite-grunerite asbestos), tremolite asbestos, ac-tinolite asbestos, anthophyllite asbestos, andany of these minerals that have been chemi-cally treated and/or altered. The precisechemical formulation of each species willvary with the location from which it wasmined. Nominal compositions are listed:

Chrysotile Mg3Si2O5(OH)4

Crocid-olite.

Na2Fe32+Fe23+Si8O22(OH)2

Amosite .. (Mg,Fe)7Si8O22(OH)2

Tremolit-e-actino-lite.

Ca2(Mg,Fe)5Si8O22(OH)2

Anthophy-llite.

(Mg,Fe)7Si8O22(OH)2


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Asbestos Fiber: A fiber of asbestos whichmeets the criteria specified below for a fiber.

Aspect Ratio: The ratio of the length of afiber to it’s diameter (e.g. 3:1, 5:1 aspect ra-tios).

Cleavage Fragments: Mineral particlesformed by comminution of minerals, espe-cially those characterized by parallel sidesand a moderate aspect ratio (usually lessthan 20:1).

Detection Limit: The number of fibers nec-essary to be 95% certain that the result isgreater than zero.

Differential Counting: The term applied tothe practice of excluding certain kinds of fi-bers from the fiber count because they donot appear to be asbestos.

Fiber: A particle that is 5 µ m or longer,with a length-to-width ratio of 3 to 1 orlonger.

Field: The area within the graticule circlethat is superimposed on the microscopeimage.

Set: The samples which are taken, submit-ted to the laboratory, analyzed, and forwhich, interim or final result reports aregenerated.

Tremolite, Anthophyllite, and Actinolite: Thenon-asbestos form of these minerals whichmeet the definition of a fiber. It includes anyof these minerals that have been chemicallytreated and/or altered.

Walton-Beckett Graticule: An eyepiece grati-cule specifically designed for asbestos fibercounting. It consists of a circle with a pro-jected diameter of 100 ± 2 µ m (area of about0.00785 mm2) with a crosshair having tic-marks at 3-µ m intervals in one direction and5-µ m in the orthogonal direction. There aremarks around the periphery of the circle todemonstrate the proper sizes and shapes offibers. This design is reproduced in figure 1.The disk is placed in one of the microscopeeyepieces so that the design is superimposedon the field of view.

1.1. History

Early surveys to determine asbestos expo-sures were conducted using impinger countsof total dust with the counts expressed asmillion particles per cubic foot. The BritishAsbestos Research Council recommended fil-ter membrane counting in 1969. In July 1969,the Bureau of Occupational Safety andHealth published a filter membrane methodfor counting asbestos fibers in the UnitedStates. This method was refined by NIOSHand published as P & CAM 239. On May 29,1971, OSHA specified filter membrane sam-pling with phase contrast counting for eval-uation of asbestos exposures at work sites inthe United States. The use of this techniquewas again required by OSHA in 1986. Phasecontrast microscopy has continued to be themethod of choice for the measurement of oc-cupational exposure to asbestos.

1.2. Principle

Air is drawn through a MCE filter to cap-ture airborne asbestos fibers. A wedge shapedportion of the filter is removed, placed on aglass microscope slide and made transparent.A measured area (field) is viewed by PCM.All the fibers meeting defined criteria for as-bestos are counted and considered a measureof the airborne asbestos concentration.

1.3. Advantages and Disadvantages

There are four main advantages of PCMover other methods:

(1) The technique is specific for fibers.Phase contrast is a fiber counting techniquewhich excludes non-fibrous particles fromthe analysis.

(2) The technique is inexpensive and doesnot require specialized knowledge to carryout the analysis for total fiber counts.

(3) The analysis is quick and can be per-formed on-site for rapid determination of airconcentrations of asbestos fibers.

(4) The technique has continuity with his-torical epidemiological studies so that esti-mates of expected disease can be inferredfrom long-term determinations of asbestosexposures.

The main disadvantage of PCM is that itdoes not positively identify asbestos fibers.Other fibers which are not asbestos may beincluded in the count unless differentialcounting is performed. This requires a greatdeal of experience to adequately differen-tiate asbestos from non-asbestos fibers. Posi-tive identification of asbestos must be per-formed by polarized light or electron micros-copy techniques. A further disadvantage ofPCM is that the smallest visible fibers areabout 0.2 µ m in diameter while the finest as-bestos fibers may be as small as 0.02 µ m indiameter. For some exposures, substantiallymore fibers may be present than are actuallycounted.

1.4. Workplace Exposure

Asbestos is used by the construction indus-try in such products as shingles, floor tiles,asbestos cement, roofing felts, insulationand acoustical products. Non-constructionuses include brakes, clutch facings, paper,paints, plastics, and fabrics. One of the mostsignificant exposures in the workplace is theremoval and encapsulation of asbestos inschools, public buildings, and homes. Manyworkers have the potential to be exposed toasbestos during these operations.

About 95% of the asbestos in commercialuse in the United States is chrysotile. Cro-cidolite and amosite make up most of the re-mainder. Anthophyllite and tremolite or ac-tinolite are likely to be encountered as con-taminants in various industrial products.


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1.5. Physical Properties

Asbestos fiber possesses a high tensilestrength along its axis, is chemically inert,non-combustible, and heat resistant. It has ahigh electrical resistance and good sound ab-sorbing properties. It can be weaved into ca-bles, fabrics or other textiles, and also mat-ted into asbestos papers, felts, or mats.

2. Range and Detection Limit

2.1. The ideal counting range on the filteris 100 to 1,300 fibers/mm2. With a Walton-Beckett graticule this range is equivalent to0.8 to 10 fibers/field. Using NIOSH countingstatistics, a count of 0.8 fibers/field wouldgive an approximate coefficient of variation(CV) of 0.13.

2.2. The detection limit for this method is4.0 fibers per 100 fields or 5.5 fibers/mm2. Thiswas determined using an equation to esti-mate the maximum CV possible at a specificconcentration (95% confidence) and a LowerControl Limit of zero. The CV value wasthen used to determine a corresponding con-centration from historical CV vs fiber rela-tionships. As an example:Lower Control Limit (95% Confidence) =

AC—1.645(CV)(AC)Where:AC = Estimate of the airborne fiber con-

centration (fibers/cc) Setting the LowerControl Limit = 0 and solving for CV:

0 = AC—1.645(CV)(AC)CV = 0.61

This value was compared with CV vs. countcurves. The count at which CV = 0.61 forLeidel-Busch counting statistics (8.9.) or foran OSHA Salt Lake Technical Center(OSHA-SLTC) CV curve (see appendix A forfurther information) was 4.4 fibers or 3.9 fi-bers per 100 fields, respectively. Although alower detection limit of 4 fibers per 100 fieldsis supported by the OSHA-SLTC data, bothdata sets support the 4.5 fibers per 100 fieldsvalue.

3. Method Performance—Precision andAccuracy

Precision is dependent upon the total num-ber of fibers counted and the uniformity ofthe fiber distribution on the filter. A generalrule is to count at least 20 and not more than100 fields. The count is discontinued when 100fibers are counted, provided that 20 fieldshave already been counted. Counting morethan 100 fibers results in only a small gain inprecision. As the total count drops below 10fibers, an accelerated loss of precision isnoted.

At this time, there is no known method todetermine the absolute accuracy of the as-bestos analysis. Results of samples preparedthrough the Proficiency Analytical Testing(PAT) Program and analyzed by the OSHA-SLTC showed no significant bias when com-

pared to PAT reference values. The PATsamples were analyzed from 1987 to 1989(N=36) and the concentration range was from120 to 1,300 fibers/mm2.

4. Interferences

Fibrous substances, if present, may inter-fere with asbestos analysis.

Some common fibers are:fiberglassanhydrateplant fibersperlite veinsgypsumsome synthetic fibersmembrane structuressponge spiculesdiatomsmicroorganismwollastonite

The use of electron microscopy or opticaltests such as polarized light, and dispersionstaining may be used to differentiate thesematerials from asbestos when necessary.

5. Sampling

5.1. Equipment

5.1.1. Sample assembly (The assembly isshown in figure 3). Conductive filter holderconsisting of a 25-mm diameter, 3-piece cas-sette having a 50-mm long electrically con-ductive extension cowl. Backup pad, 25-mm,cellulose. Membrane filter, mixed-celluloseester (MCE), 25-mm, plain, white, 0.4 to 1.2-µm pore size.

NOTES: (a) DO NOT RE-USE CASSETTES.

(b) Fully conductive cassettes are requiredto reduce fiber loss to the sides of the cas-sette due to electrostatic attraction.

(c) Purchase filters which have been se-lected by the manufacturer for asbestoscounting or analyze representative filters forfiber background before use. Discard the fil-ter lot if more than 4 fibers/100 fields arefound.

(d) To decrease the possibility of contami-nation, the sampling system (filter-backuppad-cassette) for asbestos is usuallypreassembled by the manufacturer.

(e) Other cassettes, such as the Bell-mouth, may be used within the limits oftheir validation.

5.1.2. Gel bands for sealing cassettes.5.1.3. Sampling pump.Each pump must be a battery operated,

self-contained unit small enough to beplaced on the monitored employee and notinterfere with the work being performed. Thepump must be capable of sampling at the col-lection rate for the required sampling time.

5.1.4. Flexible tubing, 6-mm bore.5.1.5. Pump calibration.Stopwatch and bubble tube/burette or elec-

tronic meter.


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5.2. Sampling Procedure

5.2.1. Seal the point where the base andcowl of each cassette meet with a gel band ortape.

5.2.2. Charge the pumps completely beforebeginning.

5.2.3. Connect each pump to a calibrationcassette with an appropriate length of 6-mmbore plastic tubing. Do not use luer connec-tors—the type of cassette specified above hasbuilt-in adapters.

5.2.4. Select an appropriate flow rate forthe situation being monitored. The samplingflow rate must be between 0.5 and 5.0 L/minfor personal sampling and is commonly setbetween 1 and 2 L/min. Always choose a flowrate that will not produce overloaded filters.

5.2.5. Calibrate each sampling pump beforeand after sampling with a calibration cas-sette in-line (Note: This calibration cassetteshould be from the same lot of cassettes usedfor sampling). Use a primary standard (e.g.bubble burette) to calibrate each pump. Ifpossible, calibrate at the sampling site.

NOTE: If sampling site calibration is notpossible, environmental influences may af-fect the flow rate. The extent is dependenton the type of pump used. Consult with thepump manufacturer to determine dependenceon environmental influences. If the pump isaffected by temperature and pressurechanges, correct the flow rate by using theformula shown in the section ‘‘SamplingPump Flow Rate Corrections’’ at the end ofthis appendix.

5.2.6. Connect each pump to the base ofeach sampling cassette with flexible tubing.Remove the end cap of each cassette andtake each air sample open face. Assure thateach sample cassette is held open side downin the employee’s breathing zone duringsampling. The distance from the nose/mouthof the employee to the cassette should beabout 10 cm. Secure the cassette on the col-lar or lapel of the employee using springclips or other similar devices.

5.2.7. A suggested minimum air volumewhen sampling to determine TWA compli-ance is 25 L. For Excursion Limit (30 minsampling time) evaluations, a minimum airvolume of 48 L is recommended.

5.2.8. The most significant problem whensampling for asbestos is overloading the fil-ter with non-asbestos dust. Suggested maxi-mum air sample volumes for specific envi-ronments are:

Environment Air vol. (L)

Asbestos removal operations (visible dust) ....... 100Asbestos removal operations (little dust) ........... 240Office environments ............................................ 400 to

2,400

Caution: Do not overload the filter withdust. High levels of non-fibrous dust par-

ticles may obscure fibers on the filter andlower the count or make counting impos-sible. If more than about 25 to 30% of thefield area is obscured with dust, the resultmay be biased low. Smaller air volumes maybe necessary when there is excessive non-as-bestos dust in the air.

While sampling, observe the filter with asmall flashlight. If there is a visible layer ofdust on the filter, stop sampling, remove andseal the cassette, and replace with a newsampling assembly. The total dust loadingshould not exceed 1 mg.

5.2.9. Blank samples are used to determineif any contamination has occurred duringsample handling. Prepare two blanks for thefirst 1 to 20 samples. For sets containinggreater than 20 samples, prepare blanks as10% of the samples. Handle blank samples inthe same manner as air samples with one ex-ception: Do not draw any air through theblank samples. Open the blank cassette inthe place where the sample cassettes aremounted on the employee. Hold it open forabout 30 seconds. Close and seal the cassetteappropriately. Store blanks for shipmentwith the sample cassettes.

5.2.10. Immediately after sampling, closeand seal each cassette with the base andplastic plugs. Do not touch or puncture thefilter membrane as this will invalidate theanalysis.

5.2.11 Attach and secure a sample sealaround each sample cassette in such a wayas to assure that the end cap and base plugscannot be removed without destroying theseal. Tape the ends of the seal together sincethe seal is not long enough to be wrappedend-to-end. Also wrap tape around the cas-sette at each joint to keep the seal secure.

5.3. Sample Shipment

5.3.1. Send the samples to the laboratorywith paperwork requesting asbestos analysis.List any known fibrous interferences presentduring sampling on the paperwork. Also,note the workplace operation(s) sampled.

5.3.2. Secure and handle the samples insuch that they will not rattle during ship-ment nor be exposed to static electricity. Donot ship samples in expanded polystyrenepeanuts, vermiculite, paper shreds, or excel-sior. Tape sample cassettes to sheet bubblesand place in a container that will cushionthe samples in such a manner that they willnot rattle.

5.3.3. To avoid the possibility of samplecontamination, always ship bulk samples inseparate mailing containers.

6. Analysis

6.1. Safety Precautions

6.1.1. Acetone is extremely flammable andprecautions must be taken not to ignite it.Avoid using large containers or quantities ofacetone. Transfer the solvent in a ventilated


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laboratory hood. Do not use acetone nearany open flame. For generation of acetonevapor, use a spark free heat source.

6.1.2. Any asbestos spills should be cleanedup immediately to prevent dispersal of fi-bers. Prudence should be exercised to avoidcontamination of laboratory facilities or ex-posure of personnel to asbestos. Asbestosspills should be cleaned up with wet methodsand/or a High Efficiency Particulate-Air(HEPA) filtered vacuum.

Caution: Do not use a vacuum without aHEPA filter—It will disperse fine asbestos fi-bers in the air.

6.2. Equipment

6.2.1. Phase contrast microscope with bin-ocular or trinocular head.

6.2.2. Widefield or Huygenian 10X eyepieces(NOTE: The eyepiece containing the grati-cule must be a focusing eyepiece. Use a 40Xphase objective with a numerical aperture of0.65 to 0.75).

6.2.3. Kohler illumination (if possible) withgreen or blue filter.

6.2.4. Walton-Beckett Graticule, type G–22with 100 ± 2 µm projected diameter.

6.2.5. Mechanical stage. A rotating me-chanical stage is convenient for use with po-larized light.

6.2.6. Phase telescope.6.2.7. Stage micrometer with 0.01-mm sub-

divisions.6.2.8. Phase-shift test slide, mark II (Avail-

able from PTR optics Ltd., and alsoMcCrone).

6.2.9. Precleaned glass slides, 25 mm X 75mm. One end can be frosted for conveniencein writing sample numbers, etc., or paste-onlabels can be used.

6.2.10. Cover glass #11⁄2.6.2.11. Scalpel (#10, curved blade).6.2.12. Fine tipped forceps.6.2.13. Aluminum block for clearing filter

(see appendix D and figure 4).6.2.14. Automatic adjustable pipette, 100- to

500-µL.6.2.15. Micropipette, 5 µL.

6.3. Reagents

6.3.1. Acetone (HPLC grade).6.3.2. Triacetin (glycerol triacetate).6.3.3. Lacquer or nail polish.

6.4. Standard Preparation

A way to prepare standard asbestos sam-ples of known concentration has not been de-veloped. It is possible to prepare replicatesamples of nearly equal concentration. Thishas been performed through the PAT pro-gram. These asbestos samples are distributedby the AIHA to participating laboratories.

Since only about one-fourth of a 25-mmsample membrane is required for an asbestoscount, any PAT sample can serve as a‘‘standard’’ for replicate counting.

6.5. Sample Mounting

NOTE: See Safety Precautions in Section6.1. before proceeding. The objective is toproduce samples with a smooth (non-grainy)background in a medium with a refractiveindex of approximately 1.46. The techniquebelow collapses the filter for easier focusingand produces permanent mounts which areuseful for quality control and interlabora-tory comparison.

An aluminum block or similar device is re-quired for sample preparation.

6.5.1. Heat the aluminum block to about 70°C. The hot block should not be used on anysurface that can be damaged by either theheat or from exposure to acetone.

6.5.2. Ensure that the glass slides and coverglasses are free of dust and fibers.

6.5.3. Remove the top plug to prevent avacuum when the cassette is opened. Cleanthe outside of the cassette if necessary. Cutthe seal and/or tape on the cassette with arazor blade. Very carefully separate the basefrom the extension cowl, leaving the filterand backup pad in the base.

6.5.4. With a rocking motion cut a tri-angular wedge from the filter using the scal-pel. This wedge should be one-sixth to one-fourth of the filter. Grasp the filter wedgewith the forceps on the perimeter of the fil-ter which was clamped between the cassettepieces. DO NOT TOUCH the filter with yourfinger. Place the filter on the glass slidesample side up. Static electricity will usu-ally keep the filter on the slide until it iscleared.

6.5.5. Place the tip of the micropipette con-taining about 200 µ L acetone into the alu-minum block. Insert the glass slide into thereceiving slot in the aluminum block. Injectthe acetone into the block with slow, steadypressure on the plunger while holding the pi-pette firmly in place. Wait 3 to 5 seconds forthe filter to clear, then remove the pipetteand slide from the aluminum block.

6.5.6. Immediately (less than 30 seconds)place 2.5 to 3.5 µL of triacetin on the filter(NOTE: Waiting longer than 30 seconds willresult in increased index of refraction anddecreased contrast between the fibers andthe preparation. This may also lead to sepa-ration of the cover slip from the slide).

6.5.7. Lower a cover slip gently onto the fil-ter at a slight angle to reduce the possibilityof forming air bubbles. If more than 30 sec-onds have elapsed between acetone exposureand triacetin application, glue the edges ofthe cover slip to the slide with lacquer ornail polish.

6.5.8. If clearing is slow, warm the slide for15 min on a hot plate having a surface tem-perature of about 50° C to hasten clearing.The top of the hot block can be used if theslide is not heated too long.


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6.5.9. Counting may proceed immediatelyafter clearing and mounting are completed.

6.6. Sample Analysis

Completely align the microscope accordingto the manufacturer’s instructions. Then,align the microscope using the followinggeneral alignment routine at the beginningof every counting session and more often ifnecessary.

6.6.1. Alignment

(1) Clean all optical surfaces. Even a smallamount of dirt can significantly degrade theimage.

(2) Rough focus the objective on a sample.(3) Close down the field iris so that it is

visible in the field of view. Focus the imageof the iris with the condenser focus. Centerthe image of the iris in the field of view.

(4) Install the phase telescope and focus onthe phase rings. Critically center the rings.Misalignment of the rings results in astig-matism which will degrade the image.

(5) Place the phase-shift test slide on themicroscope stage and focus on the lines. Theanalyst must see line set 3 and should see atleast parts of 4 and 5 but, not see line set 6or 6. A microscope/microscopist combinationwhich does not pass this test may not beused.

6.6.2. Counting Fibers

(1) Place the prepared sample slide on themechanical stage of the microscope. Positionthe center of the wedge under the objectivelens and focus upon the sample.

(2) Start counting from one end of thewedge and progress along a radial line to theother end (count in either direction from pe-rimeter to wedge tip). Select fields ran-domly, without looking into the eyepieces,by slightly advancing the slide in one direc-tion with the mechanical stage control.

(3) Continually scan over a range of focalplanes (generally the upper 10 to 15 µm of thefilter surface) with the fine focus controlduring each field count. Spend at least 5 to15 seconds per field.

(4) Most samples will contain asbestos fi-bers with fiber diameters less than 1 µm.Look carefully for faint fiber images. Thesmall diameter fibers will be very hard tosee. However, they are an important con-tribution to the total count.

(5) Count only fibers equal to or longerthan 5 µm. Measure the length of curved fi-bers along the curve.

(6) Count fibers which have a length towidth ratio of 3:1 or greater.

(7) Count all the fibers in at least 20 fields.Continue counting until either 100 fibers arecounted or 100 fields have been viewed;whichever occurs first. Count all the fibersin the final field.

(8) Fibers lying entirely within the bound-ary of the Walton-Beckett graticule fieldshall receive a count of 1. Fibers crossing theboundary once, having one end within thecircle shall receive a count of 1⁄2. Do notcount any fiber that crosses the graticuleboundary more than once. Reject and do notcount any other fibers even though they maybe visible outside the graticule area. If afiber touches the circle, it is considered tocross the line.

(9) Count bundles of fibers as one fiber un-less individual fibers can be clearly identi-fied and each individual fiber is clearly notconnected to another counted fiber. See fig-ure 1 for counting conventions.

(10) Record the number of fibers in eachfield in a consistent way such that filternon-uniformity can be assessed.

(11) Regularly check phase ring alignment.(12) When an agglomerate (mass of mate-

rial) covers more than 25% of the field ofview, reject the field and select another. Donot include it in the number of fields count-ed.

(13) Perform a ‘‘blind recount’’ of 1 in every10 filter wedges (slides). Re-label the slidesusing a person other than the originalcounter.

6.7. Fiber Identification

As previously mentioned in Section 1.3.,PCM does not provide positive confirmationof asbestos fibers. Alternate differentialcounting techniques should be used if dis-crimination is desirable. Differential count-ing may include primary discriminationbased on morphology, polarized light analy-sis of fibers, or modification of PCM data byScanning Electron or Transmission ElectronMicroscopy.

A great deal of experience is required toroutinely and correctly perform differentialcounting. It is discouraged unless it is le-gally necessary. Then, only if a fiber is obvi-ously not asbestos should it be excluded fromthe count. Further discussion of this tech-nique can be found in reference 8.10.

If there is a question whether a fiber is as-bestos or not, follow the rule:

‘‘WHEN IN DOUBT, COUNT.’’

6.8. Analytical Recommendations—QualityControl System

6.8.1. All individuals performing asbestosanalysis must have taken the NIOSH coursefor sampling and evaluating airborne asbes-tos or an equivalent course.

6.8.2. Each laboratory engaged in asbestoscounting shall set up a slide trading arrange-ment with at least two other laboratories inorder to compare performance and eliminateinbreeding of error. The slide exchange oc-curs at least semiannually. The round robinresults shall be posted where all analysts canview individual analyst’s results.


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6.8.3. Each laboratory engaged in asbestoscounting shall participate in the ProficiencyAnalytical Testing Program, the AsbestosAnalyst Registry or equivalent.

6.8.4. Each analyst shall select and countprepared slides from a ‘‘slide bank’’. Theseare quality assurance counts. The slide bankshall be prepared using uniformly distributedsamples taken from the workload. Fiber den-sities should cover the entire range routinelyanalyzed by the laboratory. These slides arecounted blind by all counters to establish anoriginal standard deviation. This historicaldistribution is compared with the quality as-surance counts. A counter must have 95% ofall quality control samples counted withinthree standard deviations of the historicalmean. This count is then integrated into anew historical mean and standard deviationfor the slide.

The analyses done by the counters to es-tablish the slide bank may be used for an in-terim quality control program if the data aretreated in a proper statistical fashion.

7. Calculations

7.1. Calculate the estimated airborne asbes-tos fiber concentration on the filter sampleusing the following formula:

AC

FB

FL

BFB

BFLECA

FR T MFA=

−

×

× × ×1000Where:AC = Airborne fiber concentrationFB = Total number of fibers greater than 5

µm countedFL = Total number of fields counted on the

filterBFB = Total number of fibers greater than 5

µm counted in the blankBFL = Total number of fields counted on the

blankECA = Effective collecting area of filter (385

mm2 nominal for a 25-mm filter.)FR = Pump flow rate (L/min)MFA = Microscope count field area (mm2 ).

This is 0.00785 mm2 for a Walton-BeckettGraticule.

T = Sample collection time (min)1,000 = Conversion of L to cc

NOTE: The collection area of a filter is sel-dom equal to 385 mm2. It is appropriate forlaboratories to routinely monitor the exactdiameter using an inside micrometer. Thecollection area is calculated according to theformula:

Area = π(d/2) 2

7.2. Short-cut Calculation

Since a given analyst always has the sameinterpupillary distance, the number of fields

per filter for a particular analyst will remainconstant for a given size filter. The field sizefor that analyst is constant (i.e. the analystis using an assigned microscope and is notchanging the reticle).

For example, if the exposed area of the fil-ter is always 385 mm2 and the size of the fieldis always 0.00785 mm2, the number of fieldsper filter will always be 49,000. In addition itis necessary to convert liters of air to cc.These three constants can then be combinedsuch that ECA/(1,000 X MFA) = 49. The pre-vious equation simplifies to:

AC

FB

FL

BFB

BFL

FR T=

−

×

×

49

7.3. Recount Calculations

As mentioned in step 13 of Section 6.6.2., a‘‘blind recount’’ of 10% of the slides is per-formed. In all cases, differences will be ob-served between the first and second counts ofthe same filter wedge. Most of these dif-ferences will be due to chance alone, that is,due to the random variability (precision) ofthe count method. Statistical recount cri-teria enables one to decide whether observeddifferences can be explained due to chancealone or are probably due to systematic dif-ferences between analysts, microscopes, orother biasing factors.

The following recount criterion is for apair of counts that estimate AC in fibers/cc.The criterion is given at the type-I errorlevel. That is, there is 5% maximum riskthat we will reject a pair of counts for thereason that one might be biased, when thelarge observed difference is really due tochance.

Reject a pair of counts if:

AC AC

AC CVAVG FB

2 1 2 78− >

× ( ) ×

.

Where:AC1=lower estimated airborne fiber con-

centrationAC2=higher estimated airborne fiber con-

centrationACavg=average of the two concentration esti-

matesCVFB=CV for the average of the two con-

centration estimates

If a pair of counts are rejected by this cri-terion then, recount the rest of the filters inthe submitted set. Apply the test and rejectany other pairs failing the test. Rejectionshall include a memo to the industrial hy-gienist stating that the sample failed a sta-tistical test for homogeneity and the true air

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concentration may be significantly differentthan the reported value.

7.4. Reporting Results

Report results to the industrial hygienistas fibers/cc. Use two significant figures. Ifmultiple analyses are performed on a sam-ple, an average of the results is to be re-ported unless any of the results can be re-jected for cause.

8. References

8.1. Dreesen, W.C., et al, U.S. Public HealthService: A Study of Asbestosis in the AsbestosTextile Industry, (Public Health Bulletin No.241), US Treasury Dept., Washington, DC,1938.

8.2. Asbestos Research Council: The Measure-ment of Airborne Asbestos Dust by the Mem-brane Filter Method (Technical Note), Asbes-tos Research Council, Rockdale, Lancashire,Great Britain, 1969.

8.3. Bayer, S.G., Zumwalde, R.D., Brown,T.A., Equipment and Procedure for MountingMillipore Filters and Counting Asbestos Fibersby Phase Contrast Microscopy, Bureau of Oc-cupational Health, U.S. Dept. of Health, Edu-cation and Welfare, Cincinnati,OH,1969.

8.4. NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods,2nd ed., Vol. 1 (DHEW/NIOSH Pub. No. 77–157–A). National Institute for OccupationalSafety and Health, Cincinnati, OH,1977.pp.239–1–239–21.

8.5. Asbestos, Code of Federal Regulations29 CFR 1910.1001. 1971.

8.6. Occupational Exposure to Asbestos,Tremolite, Anthophyllite, and Actinolite. FinalRule, FEDERAL REGISTER 51: 119 (20 June1986). pp.22612–22790.

8.7. Asbestos, Tremolite, Anthophyllite, andActinolite, Code of Federal Regulations1910.1001. 1988. pp 711–752.

8.8. Criteria for a Recommended Standard—Occupational Exposure to Asbestos (DHEW/NIOSH Pub. No. HSM 72–10267), National In-stitute for Occupational Safety and HealthNIOSH, Cincinnati, OH, 1972. pp. III–1–III–24.

8.9. Leidel, N.A., Bayer, S.G., Zumwalde,R.D., Busch, K.A., USPHS/NIOSH MembraneFilter Method for Evaluating Airborne AsbestosFibers (DHEW/NIOSH Pub. No. 79–127). Na-tional Institute for Occupational Safety andHealth, Cincinnati, OH, 1979.

8.10. Dixon, W.C., Applications of Optical Mi-croscopy in Analysis of Asbestos and Quartz,Analytical Techniques in OccupationalHealth Chemistry, edited by D.D. Dollbergand A.W. Verstuyft. Wash. D.C.: AmericanChemical Society, (ACS Symposium Series120) 1980. pp. 13–41.

Quality Control

The OSHA asbestos regulations requireeach laboratory to establish a quality con-trol program. The following is presented asan example of how the OSHA–SLTC con-

structed its internal CV curve as part ofmeeting this requirement. Data is from 395samples collected during OSHA complianceinspections and analyzed from October 1980through April 1986.

Each sample was counted by 2 to 5 dif-ferent counters independently of one an-other. The standard deviation and the CVstatistic was calculated for each sample.This data was then plotted on a graph of CVvs. fibers/mm2. A least squares regressionwas performed using the following equation:

CV=antilog10[A(log10(x))2+B(log10(x))+C]Where:

x=the number of fibers/mm2

Application of least squares gave:

A=0.182205B=¥0.973343C=0.327499

Using these values, the equation becomes:

CV = antilog10[0.182205(log10 (x))2¥0.973343(log10(x))+0.327499]

Sampling Pump Flow Rate Corrections

This correction is used if a differencegreater than 5% in ambient temperature and/or pressure is noted between calibration andsampling sites and the pump does not com-pensate for the differences.

Q QP

P

T

Tact cal

cal

act

act

cal

= ×

×

Where:

Qact=actual flow rateQcal=calibrated flow rate (if a rotameter was

used, the rotameter value)Pcal=uncorrected air pressure at calibrationPact=uncorrected air pressure at sampling

siteTact=temperature at sampling site (K)Tcal=temperature at calibration (K)

Walton-Beckett Graticule

When ordering the Graticule for asbestoscounting, specify the exact disc diameterneeded to fit the ocular of the microscopeand the diameter (mm) of the circular count-ing area. Instructions for measuring the di-mensions necessary are listed:

(1) Insert any available graticule into thefocusing eyepiece and focus so that the grati-cule lines are sharp and clear.

(2) Align the microscope.(3) Place a stage micrometer on the micro-

scope object stage and focus the microscopeon the graduated lines.

(4) Measure the magnified grid length, PL(µm), using the stage micrometer.

(5) Remove the graticule from the micro-scope and measure its actual grid length, AL(mm). This can be accomplished by using a

142


mechanical stage fitted with verniers, or ajeweler’s loupe with a direct reading scale.

(6) Let D=100 µm. Calculate the circle di-ameter, dc (mm), for the Walton-Beckettgraticule and specify the diameter whenmaking a purchase:

dAL D

PLc =

×

Example: If PL=108 µm, AL=2.93 mm andD=100 µm, then,

d mmc =×

=2 93 100

1082 71

..

(7) Each eyepiece-objective-reticle com-bination on the microscope must be cali-brated. Should any of the three be changed(by zoom adjustment, disassembly, replace-

ment, etc.), the combination must be recali-brated. Calibration may change if interpupil-lary distance is changed.

Measure the field diameter, D (acceptablerange: 100 ±2 µm) with a stage micrometerupon receipt of the graticule from the manu-facturer. Determine the field area (mm2).

Field Area= π(D/2)2

If D=100 µm=0.1 mm, thenField Area=π(0.1 mm/2)2=0.00785 mm2

The Graticule is available from: GraticulesLtd., Morley Road, Tonbridge TN9 IRN,Kent, England (Telephone 011–44–732–359061).Also available from PTR Optics Ltd., 145Newton Street, Waltham, MA 02154 [tele-phone (617) 891–6000] or McCrone Accessoriesand Components, 2506 S. Michigan Ave., Chi-cago, IL 60616 [phone (312) 842–7100]. The grat-icule is custom made for each microscope.


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COUNTS FOR THE FIBERS IN THE FIGURE

Structure No. Count Explanation

1 to 6 ................................... 1 Single fibers all contained within the circle.7 ........................................... 1⁄2 Fiber crosses circle once.8 ........................................... 0 Fiber too short.9 ........................................... 2 Two crossing fibers.10 ......................................... 0 Fiber outside graticule.11 ......................................... 0 Fiber crosses graticule twice.12 ......................................... 1⁄2 Although split, fiber only crosses once.

APPENDIX C TO § 1915.1001—QUALITATIVEAND QUANTITATIVE FIT TESTINGPROCEDURES. MANDATORY

Qualitative Fit Test Protocols

I. Isoamyl Acetate Protocol

A. Odor threshold screening. 1. Three 1-liter glass jars with metal lids (e.g. Mason orBell jars) are required.

2. Odor-free water (e.g. distilled or springwater) at approximately 25 °C shall be usedfor the solutions.

3. The isoamyl acetate (IAA) (also knownas isopentyl acetate) stock solution is pre-pared by adding 1 cc of pure IAA to 800 cc ofodor free water in a 1-liter jar and shakingfor 30 seconds. This solution shall be pre-pared new at least weekly.

4. The screening test shall be conducted ina room separate from the room used for ac-tual fit testing. The two rooms shall be wellventilated but shall not be connected to thesame recirculating ventilation system.

5. The odor test solution is prepared in asecond jar by placing 0.4 cc of the stock solu-tion into 500 cc of odor free water using aclean dropper or pipette. Shake for 30 sec-onds and allow to stand for two to three min-utes so that the IAA concentration above theliquid may reach equilibrium. This solutionmay be used for only one day.

6. A test blank is prepared in a third jar byadding 500 cc of odor free water.

7. The odor test and test blank jars shall belabelled 1 and 2 for jar identification. If thelabels are put on the lids they can be periodi-cally peeled, dried off and switched to main-tain the integrity of the test.

8. The following instructions shall be typedon a card and placed on the table in front ofthe two test jars (i.e. 1 and 2): ‘‘The purposeof this test is to determine if you can smellbanana oil at a low concentration. The twobottles in front of you contain water. One ofthese bottles also contains a small amountof banana oil. Be sure the covers are ontight, then shake each bottle for two sec-onds. Unscrew the lid of each bottle, one ata time, and sniff at the mouth of the bottle.Indicate to the test conductor which bottlecontains banana oil.’’

9. The mixtures used in the IAA odor de-tection test shall be prepared in an area sep-

arate from where the test is performed, inorder to prevent olfactory fatigue in the sub-ject.

10. If the test subject is unable to correctlyidentify the jar containing the odor test so-lution, the IAA qualitative fit test may notbe used.

11. If the test subject correctly identifiesthe jar containing the odor test solution, thetest subject may proceed to respirator selec-tion and fit testing.

B. Respirator Selection. 1. The test subjectshall be allowed to pick the most com-fortable respirator from a selection includ-ing respirators of various sizes from differentmanufacturers. The selection shall includeat least five sizes of elastomeric halffacepieces, from at least two manufacturers.

2. The selection process shall be conductedin a room separate from the fit-test chamberto prevent odor fatigue. Prior to the selec-tion process, the test subject shall be shownhow to put on a respirator, how it should bepositioned on the face, how to set strap ten-sion and how to determine a ‘‘comfortable’’respirator. A mirror shall be available to as-sist the subject in evaluating the fit and po-sitioning of the respirator. This instructionmay not constitute the subject’s formaltraining on respirator use, as it is only a re-view.

3. The test subject should understand thatthe employee is being asked to select the res-pirator which provides the most comfortablefit. Each respirator represents a differentsize and shape and, if fit properly and usedproperly will provide adequate protection.

4. The test subject holds each facepiece upto the face and eliminates those which obvi-ously do not give a comfortable fit. Nor-mally, selection will begin with a half-maskand if a good fit cannot be found, the subjectwill be asked to test the full facepiece res-pirators. (A small percentage of users willnot be able to wear any half-mask.)

5. The more comfortable facepieces arenoted; the most comfortable mask is donnedand worn at least five minutes to assess com-fort. All donning and adjustments of thefacepiece shall be performed by the test sub-ject without assistance from the test conduc-tor or other person. Assistance in assessingcomfort can be given by discussing thepoints in #6 below. If the test subject is not


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familiar with using a particular respirator,the test subject shall be directed to don themask several times and to adjust the strapseach time to become adept at setting propertension on the straps.

6. Assessment of comfort shall include re-viewing the following points with the testsubject and allowing the test subject ade-quate time to determine the comfort of therespirator:

• Positioning of mask on nose.• Room for eye protection.• Room to talk.• Positioning mask on face and cheeks.7. The following criteria shall be used to

help determine the adequacy of the res-pirator fit:

• Chin properly placed.• Strap tension.• Fit across nose bridge.• Distance from nose to chin.• Tendency to slip.• Self-observation in mirror.8. The test subject shall conduct the con-

ventional negative and positive-pressure fitchecks (e.g. see ANSI Z88.2–1980). Before con-ducting the negative- or positive-pressuretest the subject shall be told to ‘‘seat’’ themask by rapidly moving the head from side-to-side and up and down, while taking a fewdeep breaths.

9. The test subject is now ready for fit test-ing.

10. After passing the fit test, the test sub-ject shall be questioned again regarding thecomfort of the respirator. If it has becomeuncomfortable, another model of respiratorshall be tried.

11. The employee shall be given the oppor-tunity to select a different facepiece and beretested if the chosen facepiece becomes in-creasingly uncomfortable at any time.

C. Fit test. 1. The fit test chamber shall besimilar to a clear 55 gal drum liner sus-pended inverted over a 2 foot diameterframe, so that the top of the chamber isabout 6 inches above the test subject’s head.The inside top center of the chamber shallhave a small hook attached.

2. Each respirator used for the fitting andfit testing shall be equipped with organicvapor cartridges or offer protection againstorganic vapors. The cartridges or masksshall be changed at least weekly.

3. After selecting, donning, and properlyadjusting a respirator, the test subject shallwear it to the fit testing room. This roomshall be separate from the room used forodor threshold screening and respirator se-lection, and shall be well ventilated, as by anexhaust fan or lab hood, to prevent generalroom contamination.

4. A copy of the following test exercisesand rainbow passage shall be taped to the in-side of the test chamber:

Test Exercises

i. Breathe normally.ii. Breathe deeply. Be certain breaths are

deep and regular.iii. Turn head all the way from one side to

the other. Inhale on each side. Be certainmovement is complete. Do not bump the res-pirator against the shoulders.

iv. Nod head up-and-down. Inhale whenhead is in the full up position (looking to-ward ceiling). Be certain motions are com-plete and made about every second. Do notbump the respirator on the chest.

v. Talking. Talk aloud and slowly for sev-eral minutes. The following paragraph iscalled the Rainbow Passage. Reading it willresult in a wide range of facial movements,and thus be useful to satisfy this require-ment. Alternative passages which serve thesame purpose may also be used.

vi. Jogging in place.vii. Breathe normally.

Rainbow Passage

When the sunlight strikes raindrops in theair, they act like a prism and form a rain-bow. The rainbow is a division of white lightinto many beautiful colors. These take theshape of a long round arch, with its pathhigh above, and its two ends apparently be-yond the horizon. There is, according to leg-end, a boiling pot of gold at one end. Peoplelook, but no one ever finds it. When a manlooks for something beyond reach, hisfriends say he is looking for the pot of goldat the end of the rainbow.

5. Each test subject shall wear the res-pirator for at a least 10 minutes before start-ing the fit test.

6. Upon entering the test chamber, the testsubject shall be given a 6 inch by 5 inch pieceof paper towel or other porous absorbent sin-gle ply material, folded in half and wettedwith three-quarters of one cc of pure IAA.The test subject shall hang the wet towel onthe hook at the top of the chamber.

7. Allow two minutes for the IAA test con-centration to be reached before starting thefit-test exercises. This would be an appro-priate time to talk with the test subject, toexplain the fit test, the importance of co-operation, the purpose for the head exercises,or to demonstrate some of the exercises.

8. Each exercise described in #4 above shallbe performed for at least one minute.

9. If at any time during the test, the sub-ject detects the banana-like odor of IAA, thetest has failed. The subject shall quickly exitfrom the test chamber and leave the testarea to avoid olfactory fatigue.

10. If the test is failed, the subject shall re-turn to the selection room and remove therespirator, repeat the odor sensitivity test,select and put on another respirator, returnto the test chamber, and again begin the pro-cedure described in the c(4) through c(8)


145


above. The process continues until a res-pirator that fits well has been found. Shouldthe odor sensitivity test be failed, the sub-ject shall wait about 5 minutes before retest-ing. Odor sensitivity will usually have re-turned by this time.

11. If a person cannot pass the fit test de-scribed above wearing a half-mask respiratorfrom the available selection, full facepiecemodels must be used.

12. When a respirator is found that passesthe test, the subject breaks the faceseal andtakes a breath before exiting the chamber.This is to assure that the reason the testsubject is not smelling the IAA is the goodfit of the respirator facepiece seal and not ol-factory fatigue.

13. When the test subject leaves the cham-ber, the subject shall remove the saturatedtowel and return it to the person conductingthe test. To keep the area from becomingcontaminated, the used towels shall be keptin a self-sealing bag so there is no significantIAA concentration buildup in the test cham-ber during subsequent tests.

14. At least two facepieces shall be selectedfor the IAA test protocol. The test subjectshall be given the opportunity to wear themfor one week to choose the one which is morecomfortable to wear.

15. Persons who have successfully passedthis fit test with a half-mask respirator maybe assigned the use of the test respirator inatmospheres with up to 10 times the PEL ofairborne asbestos. In atmospheres greaterthan 10 times, and less than 100 times thePEL (up to 100 ppm), the subject must passthe IAA test using a full face negative pres-sure respirator. (The concentration of the1AA inside the test chamber must be in-creased by ten times for QLFT of the fullfacepiece.)

16. The test shall not be conducted if thereis any hair growth between the skin the face-piece sealing surface.

17. If hair growth or apparel interfere witha satisfactory fit, then they shall be alteredor removed so as to eliminate interferenceand allow a satisfactory fit. If a satisfactoryfit is still not attained, the test subject mustuse a positive-pressure respirator such aspowered air-purifying respirators, suppliedair respirator, or self-contained breathingapparatus.

18. If a test subject exhibits difficulty inbreathing during the tests, she or he shall bereferred to a physician trained in respiratordiseases or pulmonary medicine to deter-mine whether the test subject can wear arespirator while performing her or his duties.

19. Qualitative fit testing shall be repeatedat least every six months.

20. In addition, because the sealing of therespirator may be affected, qualitative fittesting shall be repeated immediately whenthe test subject has a:

(1) Weight change of 20 pounds or more,

(2) Significant facial scarring in the area ofthe facepiece seal,

(3) Significant dental changes; i.e.; mul-tiple extractions without prothesis, or ac-quiring dentures,

(4) Reconstructive or cosmetic surgery, or(5) Any other condition that may interfere

with facepiece sealing.D. Recordkeeping. A summary of all test re-

sults shall be maintained in each office for 3years. The summary shall include:

(1) Name of test subject.(2) Date of testing.(3) Name of the test conductor.(4) Respirators selected (indicate manufac-

turer, model, size and approval number).(5) Testing agent.

II. Saccharin Solution Aerosol Protocol

A. Respirator selection. Respirators shall beselected as described in section IB (res-pirator selection) above, except that eachrespirator shall be equipped with a particu-late filter.

B. Taste Threshold Screening.1. An enclosure about head and shoulders

shall be used for threshold screening (to de-termine if the individual can taste sac-charin) and for fit testing. The enclosureshall be approximately 12 inches in diameterby 14 inches tall with at least the front clearto allow free movement of the head when arespirator is worn.

2. The test enclosure shall have a three-quarter inch hole in front of the test sub-ject’s nose and mouth area to accommodatethe nebulizer nozzle.

3. The entire screening and testing proce-dure shall be explained to the test subjectprior to conducting the screening test.

4. During the threshold screening test, thetest subject shall don the test enclosure andbreathe with open mouth with tongue ex-tended.

5. Using a DeVilbiss Model 40 InhalationMedication Nebulizer or equivalent, the testconductor shall spray the threshold checksolution into the enclosure. This nebulizershall be clearly marked to distinguish itfrom the fit test solution nebulizer.

6. The threshold check solution consists of0.83 grams of sodium saccharin, USP inwater. It can be prepared by putting 1 cc ofthe test solution (see C 7 below) in 100 cc ofwater.

7. To produce the aerosol, the nebulizerbulb is firmly squeezed so that it collapsescompletely, then is released and allowed tofully expand.

8. Ten squeezes of the nebulizer bulb are re-peated rapidly and then the test subject isasked whether the saccharin can be tasted.

9. If the first response is negative, tenmore squeezes of the nebulizer bulb are re-peated rapidly and the test subject is againasked whether the saccharin can be tasted.


146


10. If the second response is negative tenmore squeezes are repeated rapidly and thetest subject is again asked whether the sac-charin can be tasted.

11. The test conductor will take note of thenumber of squeezes required to elicit a tasteresponse.

12. If the saccharin is not tasted after 30squeezes (Step 10), the saccharin fit test can-not be performed on the test subject.

13. If a taste response is elicited, the testsubject shall be asked to take note of thetaste for reference in the fit test.

14. Correct use of the nebulizer means thatapproximately 1 cc of liquid is used at a timein the nebulizer body.

15. The nebulizer shall be thoroughlyrinsed in water, shaken dry, and refilled atleast every four hours.

C. Fit test. 1. The test subject shall don andadjust the respirator without the assistancefrom any person.

2. The fit test uses the same enclosure de-scribed in IIB above.

3. Each test subject shall wear the res-pirator for a least 10 minutes before startingthe fit test.

4. The test subject shall don the enclosurewhile wearing the respirator selected in sec-tion IB above. This respirator shall be prop-erly adjusted and equipped with a particu-late filter.

5. The test subject may not eat, drink (ex-cept plain water), or chew gum for 15 min-utes before the test.

6. A second DeVilbiss Model 40 InhalationMedication Nebulizer is used to spray the fittest solution into the enclosure. Thisnebulizer shall be clearly marked to distin-guish it from the screening test solutionnebulizer.

7. The fit test solution is prepared by add-ing 83 grams of sodium saccharin to 100 cc ofwarm water.

8. As before, the test subject shall breathewith mouth open and tongue extended.

9. The nebulizer is inserted into the hole inthe front of the enclosure and the fit test so-lution is sprayed into the enclosure usingthe same technique as for the taste thresholdscreening and the same number of squeezesrequired to elicit a taste response in thescreening. (See B8 through B10 above).

10. After generation of the aerosol read thefollowing instructions to the test subject.The test subject shall perform the exercisesfor one minute each.



the other. Be certain movement is complete.Inhale on each side. Do not bump the res-pirator against the shoulders.

iv. Nod head up-and-down. Be certain mo-tions are complete. Inhale when head is inthe full up position (when looking toward

the ceiling). Do not to bump the respiratoron the chest.


vi. Jogging in place.vii. Breathe normally.

Rainbow Passage

When the sunlight strikes raindrops in theair, they act like a prism and form a rain-bow. The rainbow is a division of white lightinto many beautiful colors. These take theshape of a long round arch, with its pathhigh above, and its two ends apparently be-yond the horizon. There is, according to leg-end, a boiling pot of gold at one end. Peoplelook, but no one ever finds it. When a manlooks for something beyond his reach, hisfriends say he is looking for the pot of goldat the end of the rainbow.

11. At the beginning of each exercise, theaerosol concentration shall be replenishedusing one-half the number of squeezes as ini-tially described in C9.

12. The test subject shall indicate to thetest conductor if at any time during the fittest the taste of saccharin is detected.

13. If the saccharin is detected the fit isdeemed unsatisfactory and a different res-pirator shall be tried.

14. At least two facepieces shall be selectedby the IAA test protocol. The test subjectshall be given the opportunity to wear themfor one week to choose the one which is morecomfortable to wear.

15. Successful completion of the test proto-col shall allow the use of the half mask test-ed respirator in contaminated atmospheresup to 10 times the PEL of asbestos. In otherwords this protocol may be used assign pro-tection factors no higher than ten.

16. The test shall not be conducted if thereis any hair growth between the skin and thefacepiece sealing surface.

17. If hair growth or apparel interfere witha satisfactory fit, then they shall be alteredor removed so as to eliminate interferenceand allow a satisfactory fit. If a satisfactoryfit is still not attained, the test subject mustuse a positive-pressure respirator such aspowered air-purifying respirators, suppliedair respirator, or self-contained breathingapparatus.




147



(1) Weight change of 20 pounds or more,(2) Significant facial scarring in the area of

the facepiece seal,(3) Significant dental changes; i.e.; mul-

tiple extractions without prothesis, or ac-quiring dentures,




(1) Name of test subject(2) Date of testing.(3) Name of test conductor.(4) Respirators selected (indicate manufac-

turer, model, size and approval number).(5) Testing agent.

III. Irritant Fume Protocol

A. Respirator selection. Respirators shall beselected as described in section IB above, ex-cept that each respirator shall be equippedwith a combination of high-efficiency andacid-gas cartridges.

B. Fit test. 1. The test subject shall be al-lowed to smell a weak concentration of theirritant smoke to familiarize the subjectwith the characteristic odor.

2. The test subject shall properly don therespirator selected as above, and wear it forat least 10 minutes before starting the fittest.

3. The test conductor shall review this pro-tocol with the test subject before testing.

4. The test subject shall perform the con-ventional positive pressure and negativepressure fit checks (see ANSI Z88.2 1980).Failure of either check shall be cause to se-lect an alternate respirator.

5. Break both ends of a ventilation smoketube containing stannic oxychloride, such asthe MSA part #5645, or equivalent. Attach ashort length of tubing to one end of thesmoke tube. Attach the other end of thesmoke tube to a low pressure air pump set todeliver 200 milliliters per minute.

6. Advise the test subject that the smokecan be irritating to the eyes and instruct thesubject to keep the eyes closed while the testis performed.

7. The test conductor shall direct thestream of irritant smoke from the tube to-wards the faceseal area of the test subject.The person conducting the test shall beginwith the tube at least 12 inches from thefacepiece and gradually move to within oneinch, moving around the whole perimeter ofthe mask.

8. The test subject shall be instructed to dothe following exercises while the respiratoris being challenged by the smoke. Each exer-cise shall be performed for one minute.



the other. Be certain movement is complete.Inhale on each side. Do not bump the res-pirator against the shoulders.

iv. Nod head up-and-down. Be certain mo-tions are complete and made every second.Inhale when head is in the full up position(looking toward ceiling). Do not bump therespirator against the chest.


Rainbow Passage

When the sunlight strikes raindrops in theair, they act like a prism and form a rain-bow. The rainbow is a division of white lightinto many beautiful colors. These take theshape of a long round arch, with its pathhigh above, and its two end apparently be-yond the horizon. There is, according to leg-end, a boiling pot of gold at one end. Peoplelook, but no one ever finds it. When a manlooks for something beyond his reach, hisfriends say he is looking for the pot of goldat the end of the rainbow.

vi. Jogging in Place.vii. Breathe normally.9. The test subject shall indicate to the

test conductor if the irritant smoke is de-tected. If smoke is detected, the test conduc-tor shall stop the test. In this case, the test-ed respirator is rejected and another res-pirator shall be selected.

10. Each test subject passing the smoketest (i.e. without detecting the smoke) shallbe given a sensitivity check of smoke fromthe same tube to determine if the test sub-ject reacts to the smoke. Failure to evoke aresponse shall void the fit test.

11. Steps B4, B9, B10 of this fit test proto-col shall be performed in a location with ex-haust ventilation sufficient to prevent gen-eral contamination of the testing area by thetest agents.

12. At least two facepieces shall be selectedby the IAA test protocol. The test subjectshall be given the opportunity to wear themfor one week to choose the one which is morecomfortable to wear.

13. Respirators successfully tested by theprotocol may be used in contaminatedatmospheres up to ten times the PEL of as-bestos.

14. The test shall not be conducted if thereis any hair growth between the skin and thefacepiece sealing surface.

15. If hair growth or apparel interfere witha satisfactory fit, then they shall be alteredor removed so as to eliminate interference


148


and allow a satisfactory fit. If a satisfactoryfit is still not attained, the test subject mustuse a positive-pressure respirator such aspowered air-purifying respirators, suppliedair respirator, or self-contained breathingapparatus.










(1) Name of test subject(2) Date of testing.(3) Name of test conductor.(4) Respirators selected (indicate manufac-

turer, model, size and approval number).(5) Testing agent

Quantitative Fit Test Procedures

1. General

a. The method applies to the negative-pres-sure non-powered air-purifying respiratorsonly.

b. The employer shall assign one individualwho shall assume the full responsibility forimplementing the respirator quantitative fittest program.

2. Definition

a. ‘‘Quantitative Fit Test’’ means themeasurement of the effectiveness of a res-pirator seal in excluding the ambient atmos-phere. The test is performed by dividing themeasured concentration of challenge agentin a test chamber by the measured con-centration of the challenge agent inside therespirator facepiece when the normal air pu-rifying element has been replaced by an es-sentially perfect purifying element.

b. ‘‘Challenge Agent’’ means the air con-taminant introduced into a test chamber sothat its concentration inside and outside therespirator may be compared.

c. ‘‘Test Subject’’ means the person wear-ing the respirator for quantitative fit test-ing.

d. ‘‘Normal Standing Position’’ meansstanding erect and straight with arms downalong the sides and looking straight ahead.

e. ‘‘Fit Factor’’ means the ratio of chal-lenge agent concentration outside with re-spect to the inside of a respirator inlet cov-ering (facepiece or enclosure).

3. Apparatus

a. Instrumentation. Corn oil, sodium chlo-ride or other appropriate aerosol generation,dilution, and measurement systems shall beused for quantitative fit test.

b. Test chamber. The test chamber shall belarge enough to permit all test subjects tofreely perform all required exercises withoutdistributing the challenge agent concentra-tion or the measurement apparatus. The testchamber shall be equipped and constructedso that the challenge agent is effectively iso-lated from the ambient air yet uniform inconcentration throughout the chamber.

c. When testing air-purifying respirators,the normal filter or cartridge element shallbe replaced with a high-efficiency particularfilter supplied by the same manufacturer.

d. The sampling instrument shall be se-lected so that a strip chart record may bemade of the test showing the rise and fall ofchallenge agent concentration with each in-spiration and expiration at fit factors of atleast 2,000.

e. The combination of substitute air-puri-fying elements (if any), challenge agent, andchallenge agent concentration in the testchamber shall be such that the test subjectis not exposed in excess of PEL to the chal-lenge agent at any time during the testingprocess.

f. The sampling port on the test specimenrespirator shall be placed and constructed sothat there is no detectable leak around theport, a free air flow is allowed into the sam-pling line at all times and so there is no in-terference with the fit or performance of therespirator.

g. The test chamber and test set-up shallpermit the person administering the test toobserve one test subject inside the chamberduring the test.

h. The equipment generating the challengeatmosphere shall maintain the concentra-tion of challenge agent constant within a 10percent variation for the duration of thetest.

i. The time lag (interval between an eventand its being recorded on the strip chart) ofthe instrumentation may not exceed 2 sec-onds.

j. The tubing for the test chamber atmos-phere and for the respirator sampling portshall be the same diameter, length and mate-rial. It shall be kept as short as possible. Thesmallest diameter tubing recommended bythe manufacturer shall be used.


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k. The exhaust flow from the test chambershall pass through a high-efficiency filter be-fore release to the room.

l. When sodium chloride aerosol is used,the relative humidity inside the test cham-ber shall not exceed 50 percent.

4. Procedural Requirements

a. The fitting of half-mask respiratorsshould be started with those having multiplesizes and a variety of interchangeable car-tridges and canisters such as the MSA ComfoII-M, Norton M, Survivair M, A–O M, orScott-M. Use either of the tests outlinedbelow to assure that the facepiece is properlyadjusted.

(1) Positive pressure test. With the exhaustport(s) blocked, the negative pressure ofslight inhalation should remain constant forseveral seconds.

(2) Negative pressure test. With the intakeport(s) blocked, the negative pressure slightinhalation should remain constant for sev-eral seconds.

b. After a facepiece is adjusted, the testsubject shall wear the facepiece for at least5 minutes before conducting a qualitativetest by using either of the methods describedbelow and using the exercise regime de-scribed in 5.a., b., c., d. and e.

(1) Isoamyl acetate test. When using organicvapor cartridges, the test subject who cansmell the odor should be unable to detect theodor of isoamyl acetate squirted into the airnear the most vulnerable portions of thefacepiece seal. In a location which is sepa-rated from the test area, the test subjectshall be instructed to close her/his eyes dur-ing the test period. A combination cartridgeor canister with organic vapor and high-effi-ciency filters shall be used when availablefor the particular mask being tested. Thetest subject shall be given an opportunity tosmell the odor of isoamyl acetate before thetest is conducted.

(2) Irritant fume test. When using high-effi-ciency filters, the test subject should be un-able to detect the odor of irritant fume(stannic chloride or titanium tetrachlorideventilation smoke tubes) squirted into theair near the most vulnerable portions of thefacepiece seal. The test subject shall be in-structed to close her/his eyes during the testperiod.

c. The test subject may enter the quan-titative testing chamber only if she or he hasobtained a satisfactory fit as stated in 4.b. ofthis appendix.

d. Before the subject enters the test cham-ber, a reasonably stable challenge agent con-centration shall be measured in the testchamber.

e. Immediately after the subject enters thetest chamber, the challenge agent concentra-tion inside the respirator shall be measuredto ensure that the peak penetration does not

exceed 5 percent for a half-mask and 1 per-cent for a full facepiece.

f. A stable challenge agent concentrationshall be obtained prior to the actual start oftesting.

1. Respirator restraining straps may not beover-tightened for testing. The straps shallbe adjusted by the wearer to give a reason-ably comfortable fit typical of normal use.

5. Exercise Regime. Prior to entering thetest chamber, the test subject shall be givencomplete instructions as to her/his part inthe test procedures. The test subject shallperform the following exercises, in the ordergiven, for each independent test.

a. Normal Breathing (NB). In the normalstanding position, without talking, the sub-ject shall breathe normally for at least oneminute.

b. Deep Breathing (DB). In the normalstanding position the subject shall do deepbreathing for at least one minute pausing soas not to hyperventilate.

c. Turning head side to side (SS). Standing inplace the subject shall slowly turn his/herhead from side between the extreme posi-tions to each side. The head shall be held ateach extreme position for at least 5 seconds.Perform for at least three complete cycles.

d. Moving head up and down (UD). Standingin place, the subject shall slowly move his/her head up and down between the extremeposition straight up and the extreme posi-tion straight down. The head shall be held ateach extreme position for at least 5 seconds.Perform for at least three complete cycles.

e. Reading (R). The subject shall read outslowly and loud so as to be heard clearly bythe test conductor or monitor. The test sub-ject shall read the ‘‘rainbow passage’’ at theend of this section.

f. Grimace (G). The test subject shall grim-ace, smile, frown, and generally contort theface using the facial muscles. Continue for atleast 15 seconds.

g. Bend over and touch toes (B). The testsubject shall bend at the waist and touchtoes and return to upright position. Repeatfor at least 30 seconds.

h. Jogging in place (J). The test subjectshall perform jog in place for at least 30 sec-onds.

i. Normal Breathing (NB). Same as exercisea.

Rainbow Passage

When the sunlight strikes raindrops in theair, they act like a prism and form a rain-bow. The rainbow is a division of white lightinto many beautiful colors. These take theshape of a long round arch, with its pathhigh above, and its two ends apparently be-yond the horizon. There is, according to leg-end, a boiling pot of gold at one end. Peoplelook, but no one ever finds it. When a manlooks for something beyond reach, his


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friends say he is looking for the pot of goldat the end of the rainbow.

6. The test shall be terminated wheneverany single peak penetration exceeds 5 per-cent for half-masks and 1 percent for fullfacepieces. The test subject may be refittedand retested. If two the three required testsare terminated, the fit shall be deemed inad-equate. (See paragraph 4.h.).

7. Calculation of Fit Factors

a. The fit factor determined by the quan-titative fit test equals the average con-centration inside the respirator.

b. The average test chamber concentrationis the arithmetic average of the test cham-ber concentration at the beginning and ofthe end of the test.

c. The average peak concentration of thechallenge agent inside the respirator shall bethe arithmetic average peak concentrationsfor each of the nine exercises of the testwhich are computed as the arithmetic aver-age of the peak concentrations found foreach breath during the exercise.

d. The average peak concentration for anexercise may be determined graphically ifthere is not a great variation in the peakconcentrations during a single exercise.

8. Interpretation of Test Results.

The fit factor measured by the quan-titative fit testing shall be the lowest of thethree protection factors resulting from threeindependent tests.

9. Other Requirements

a. The test subject shall not be permittedto wear a half-mask or full facepiece mask ifthe minimum fit factor of 100 or 1,000, respec-tively, cannot be obtained. If hair growth orapparel interfere with a satisfactory fit, thenthey shall be altered or removed so as toeliminate interference and allow a satisfac-tory fit. If a satisfactory fit is still not at-tained, the test subject must use a positive-pressure respirator such as powered air-puri-fying respirators, supplied air respirator, orself-contained breathing apparatus.

b. The test shall not be conducted if thereis any hair growth between the skin and thefacepiece sealing surface.

c. If a test subject exhibits difficulty inbreathing during the tests, she or he shall bereferred to a physician trained in respiratordiseases or pulmonary medicine to deter-mine whether the test subject can wear arespirator while performing her or his duties.

d. The test subject shall be given the op-portunity to wear the assigned respirator forone week. If the respirator does not providea satisfactory fit during actual use, the testsubject may request another QNFT whichshall be performed immediately.

e. A respirator fit factor card shall beissued to the test subject with the followinginformation:

(1) Name(2) Date of fit test.(3) Protection factors obtained through

each manufacturer, model and approvalnumber of respirator tested.

(4) Name and signature of the person thatconducted the test.

f. Filters used for qualitative or quan-titative fit testing shall be replaced weekly,whenever increased breathing resistance isencountered, or when the test agent has al-tered the integrity of the filter media.

Organic vapor cartridges/canisters shall bereplaced daily or sooner if there is any indi-cation of breakthrough by the test agent.

10. In addition, because the sealing of therespirator may be affected, quantitative fittesting shall be repeated immediately whenthe test subject has a:





with facepiece sealing.

11. Recordkeeping

A summary of all test results shall bemaintained in for 3 years. The summaryshall include:

(1) Name of test subject(2) Date of testing.(3) Name of the test conductor.(4) Fit factors obtained from every res-

pirator tested (indicate manufacturer,model, size and approval number).

APPENDIX D TO § 1915.1001—MEDICALQUESTIONNAIRES. MANDATORY

This mandatory appendix contains themedical questionnaires that must be admin-istered to all employees who are exposed toasbestos, tremolite, anthophyllite, actino-lite, or a combination of these mineralsabove the permissible exposure limit (0.1 f/cc), and who will therefore be included intheir employer’s medical surveillance pro-gram. Part 1 of the appendix contains theInitial Medical Questionnaire, which must beobtained for all new hires who will be cov-ered by the medical surveillance require-ments. Part 2 includes the abbreviated Peri-odical Medical Questionnaire, which must beadministered to all employees who are pro-vided periodic medical examinations underthe medical surveillance provisions of thestandard.


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APPENDIX E TO § 1915.1001—INTERPRET-ATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF CHESTROENTGENOGRAMS. MANDATORY

(a) Chest roentgenograms shall be inter-preted and classified in accordance with aprofessionally accepted classification systemand recorded on an interpretation form fol-lowing the format of the CDC/NIOSH (M) 2.8form. As a minimum, the content within thebold lines of this form (items 1 through 4)shall be included. This form is not to be sub-mitted to NIOSH.

(b) Roentgenograms shall be interpretedand classified only by a B-reader, a board eli-gible/certified radiologist, or an experiencedphysician with known expertise inpneumoconioses.

(c) All interpreters, whenever interpretingchest roentgenograms made under this sec-tion, shall have immediately available forreference a complete set of the ILO-U/CInternational Classification of Radiographsfor Pneumoconioses, 1980.

APPENDIX F TO § 1915.1001—WORK PRAC-TICES AND ENGINEERING CONTROLSFOR CLASS I ASBESTOS OPERATIONSNON-MANDATORY

This is a non-mandatory appendix to theasbestos standards for construction and forshipyards. It describes criteria and proce-dures for erecting and using negative pres-sure enclosures for Class I Asbestos Work,when NPEs are used as an allowable controlmethod to comply with paragraph (g)(5) (i) ofthis section. Many small and variable detailsare involved in the erection of a negativepressure enclosure. OSHA and most partici-pants in the rulemaking agreed that only themajor, more performance oriented criteriashould be made mandatory. These criteriaare set out in paragraph (g) of this section.In addition, this appendix includes thesemandatory specifications and procedures inits guidelines in order to make this appendixcoherent and helpful. The mandatory natureof the criteria which appear in the regu-latory text is not changed because they areincluded in this ‘‘non-mandatory’’ appendix.Similarly, the additional criteria and proce-dures included as guidelines in the appendix,do not become mandatory because manda-tory criteria are also included in these com-prehensive guidelines.

In addition, none of the criteria, both man-datory and recommended, are meant tospecify or imply the need for use of patentedor licensed methods or equipment. Rec-ommended specifications included in this at-tachment should not discourage the use ofcreative alternatives which can be shown toreliably achieve the objectives of negative-pressure enclosures.

Requirements included in this appendix,cover general provisions to be followed in all

asbestos jobs, provisions which must be fol-lowed for all Class I asbestos jobs, and provi-sions governing the construction and testingof negative pressure enclosures. The firstcategory includes the requirement for use ofwet methods, HEPA vacuums, and imme-diate bagging of waste; Class I work mustconform 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 dropcloths and cov-

erage of all objects within regulated areasIn addition, more specific requirements for

NPEs include:• maintenance of ¥0.02 inches water gauge

within enclosure• manometric measurements• air movement away from employees per-

forming removal work• smoke testing or equivalent for detection

of leaks and air direction• deactivation of electrical circuits, if not

provided with ground-fault circuit interrupt-ers.

Planning the Project

The standard requires that an exposure as-sessment be conducted before the asbestosjob is begun § 1915.1001(f)(1). Informationneeded for that assessment, includes data re-lating to prior similar jobs, as applied to thespecific variables of the current job. The in-formation needed to conduct the assessmentwill be useful in planning the project, and incomplying with any reporting requirementsunder this standard, when significantchanges are being made to a control systemlisted in the standard, [see paragraph (k) ofthis section], as well as those of USEPA (40CFR part 61, subpart M). Thus, although thestandard does not explicitly require the prep-aration of a written asbestos removal plan,the usual constituents of such a plan, i.e., adescription of the enclosure, the equipment,and the procedures to be used throughout theproject, must be determined before the en-closure can be erected. The following infor-mation should be included in the planning ofthe system:

A physical description of the work area;A description of the approximate amount

of material to be removed;A schedule for turning off and sealing ex-

isting ventilation systems;Personnel hygiene procedures;A description of personal protective equip-

ment and clothing to worn by employees;A description of the local exhaust ventila-

tion systems to be used and how they are tobe tested;

A description of work practices to be ob-served by employees;

An air monitoring plan;A description of the method to be used to

transport waste material; and


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The location of the dump site.

Materials and Equipment Necessary for AsbestosRemoval

Although individual asbestos removalprojects vary in terms of the equipment re-quired to accomplish the removal of the ma-terials, some equipment and materials arecommon to most asbestos removal oper-ations.

Plastic sheeting used to protect horizontalsurfaces, seal HVAC openings or to seal ver-tical openings and ceilings should have aminimum thickness of 6 mils. Tape or otheradhesive used to attach plastic sheetingshould be of sufficient adhesive strength tosupport the weight of the material plus allstresses encountered during the entire dura-tion of the project without becoming de-tached from the surface.

Other equipment and materials whichshould be available at the beginning of eachproject are:

—HEPA Filtered Vacuum is essential forcleaning the work area after the asbestos hasbeen removed. It should have a long hose ca-pable of reaching out-of-the-way places, suchas areas above ceiling tiles, behind pipes,etc.

—Portable air ventilation systems in-stalled to provide the negative air pressureand air removal from the enclosure must beequipped with a HEPA filter. The numberand capacity of units required to ventilatean enclosure depend on the size of the areato be ventilated. The filters for these sys-tems should be designed in such a mannerthat they can be replaced when the air flowvolume is reduced by the build-up of dust inthe filtration material. Pressure monitoringdevices with alarms and strip chart recordersattached to each system to indicate the pres-sure differential and the loss due to dustbuildup on the filter are recommended.—Water sprayers should be used to keep the

asbestos material as saturated as possibleduring removal; the sprayers will provide afine mist that minimizes the impact of thespray on the material.

—Water used to saturate the asbestos con-taining material can be amended by addingat least 15 milliliters (1⁄4 ounce) of wettingagent in 1 liter (1 pint) of water. An exam-ple of a wetting agent is a 50/50 mixture ofpolyoxyethylene ether andpolyoxyethylene polyglycol ester.

—Backup power supplies are recommended,especially for ventilation systems.

—Shower and bath water should be withmixed hot and cold water faucets. Waterthat has been used to clean personnel orequipment should either be filtered or becollected and discarded as asbestos waste.Soap and shampoo should be provided toaid in removing dust from the workers’skin and hair.

—See paragraphs (h) and (i) of this sectionfor appropriate respiratory protection andprotective clothing.

—See paragraph (k) of this section for re-quired signs and labels.

Preparing the Work Area

Disabling HVAC Systems: The power tothe heating, ventilation, and air condi-tioning systems that service the restrictedarea must be deactivated and locked off. Allducts, grills, access ports, windows and ventsmust be sealed off with two layers of plasticto prevent entrainment of contaminated air.

Operating HVAC Systems in the RestrictedArea: If components of a HVAC system lo-cated in the restricted area are connected toa system that will service another zone dur-ing the project, the portion of the duct in therestricted area must be sealed and pressur-ized. Necessary precautions include caulkingthe duct joints, covering all cracks and open-ings with two layers of sheeting, and pres-surizing the duct throughout the duration ofthe project by restricting the return air flow.The power to the fan supplying the positivepressure should be locked ‘‘on’’ to preventpressure loss.

Sealing Elevators: If an elevator shaft islocated in the restricted area, it should be ei-ther shut down or isolated by sealing withtwo layers of plastic sheeting. The sheetingshould provide enough slack to accommo-date the pressure changes in the shaft with-out breaking the air-tight seal.

Removing Mobile Objects: All movable ob-jects should be cleaned and removed fromthe work area before an enclosure is con-structed unless moving the objects creates ahazard. Mobile objects will be assumed to becontaminated and should be either cleanedwith amended water and a HEPA vacuumand then removed from the area or wrappedand then disposed of as hazardous waste.

Cleaning and Sealing Surfaces: Aftercleaning with water and a HEPA vacuum,surfaces of stationary objects should be cov-ered with two layers of plastic sheeting. Thesheeting should be secured with duct tape oran equivalent method to provide a tight sealaround the object.

Bagging Waste: In addition to the require-ment for immediate bagging of waste for dis-posal, it is further recommended that thewaste material be double-bagged and sealedin plastic bags designed for asbestos disposal.The bags should be stored in a waste storagearea that can be controlled by the workersconducting the removal. Filters removedfrom air handling units and rubbish removedfrom the area are to be bagged and handledas hazardous waste.

Constructing the Enclosure

The enclosure should be constructed toprovide an air-tight seal around ducts and


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openings into existing ventilation systemsand around penetrations for electrical con-duits, telephone wires, water lines, drainpipes, etc. Enclosures should be both airtightand watertight except for those openings de-signed to provide entry and/or air flow con-trol.

Size: An enclosure should be the minimumvolume to encompass all of the working sur-faces yet allow unencumbered movement bythe worker(s), provide unrestricted air flowpast the worker(s), and ensure walking sur-faces can be kept free of tripping hazards.

Shape: The enclosure may be any shapethat optimizes the flow of ventilation airpast the worker(s).

Structural Integrity: The walls, ceilingsand floors must be supported in such a man-ner that portions of the enclosure will notfall down during normal use.

Openings: It is not necessary that thestructure be airtight; openings may be de-signed to direct air flow. Such openingsshould be located at a distance from activeremoval operations. They should be designedto draw air into the enclosure under all an-ticipated circumstances. In the event thatnegative pressure is lost, they should befitted with either HEPA filters to trap dustor automatic trap doors that prevent dustfrom escaping the enclosure. Openings forexits should be controlled by an airlock or avestibule.

Barrier Supports: Frames should be con-structed to support all unsupported spans ofsheeting.

Sheeting: Walls, barriers, ceilings, andfloors should be lined with two layers ofplastic sheeting having a thickness of atleast 6 mil.

Seams: Seams in the sheeting materialshould be minimized to reduce the possibili-ties of accidental rips and tears in the adhe-sive or connections. All seams in the sheet-ing should overlap, be staggered and not belocated at corners or wall-to- floor joints.Areas Within an Enclosure: Each enclosureconsists of a work area, a decontaminationarea, and waste storage area. The work areawhere the asbestos removal operations occurshould be separated from both the wastestorage area and the contamination controlarea by physical curtains, doors, and/or air-flow patterns that force any airborne con-tamination back into the work area.

See paragraph (j) of § 1915.1001 for require-ments for hygiene facilities.

During egress from the work area, eachworker should step into the equipment room,clean tools and equipment, and remove grosscontamination from clothing by wet clean-ing and HEPA vacuuming. Before enteringthe shower area, foot coverings, head cover-ings, hand coverings, and coveralls are re-moved and placed in impervious bags for dis-posal or cleaning. Airline connections fromairline respirators with HEPA disconnects

and power cables from powered air-purifyingrespirators (PAPRs) will be disconnectedjust prior to entering the shower room.

Establishing Negative Pressure Within theEnclosure

Negative Pressure: Air is to be drawn intothe enclosure under all anticipated condi-tions and exhausted through a HEPA filterfor 24 hours a day during the entire durationof the project.

Air Flow Tests: Air flow patterns will bechecked before removal operations begin, atleast once per operating shift and any timethere is a question regarding the integrity ofthe enclosure. The primary test for air flowis to trace air currents with smoke tubes orother visual methods. Flow checks are madeat each opening and at each doorway to dem-onstrate that air is being drawn into the en-closure and at each worker’s position toshow that air is being drawn away from thebreathing zone.

Monitoring Pressure Within the Enclosure:After the initial air flow patterns have beenchecked, the static pressure must be mon-itored within the enclosure. Monitoring maybe made using manometers, pressure gauges,or combinations of these devices. It is rec-ommended that they be attached to alarmsand strip chart recorders at points identifiedby the design engineer.

Corrective Actions: If the manometers orpressure gauges demonstrate a reduction inpressure differential below the requiredlevel, work should cease and the reason forthe change investigated and appropriatechanges made. The air flow patterns shouldbe retested before work begins again.

Pressure Differential: The design param-eters for static pressure differentials be-tween the inside and outside of enclosurestypically range from 0.02 to 0.10 inches ofwater gauge, depending on conditions. Allzones inside the enclosure must have lesspressure than the ambient pressure outsideof the enclosure (–0.02 inches water gaugedifferential). Design specifications for thedifferential vary according to the size, con-figuration, and shape of the enclosure as wellas ambient and mechanical air pressure con-ditions around the enclosure.

Air Flow Patterns: The flow of air pasteach worker shall be enhanced by position-ing the intakes and exhaust ports to removecontaminated air from the worker’s breath-ing zone, by positioning HEPA vacuumcleaners to draw air from the worker’sbreathing zone, by forcing relativelyuncontaminated air past the worker towardan exhaust port, or by using a combinationof methods to reduce the worker’s exposure.

Air Handling Unit Exhaust: The exhaustplume from air handling units should be lo-cated away from adjacent personnel and in-takes for HVAC systems.


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Air Flow Volume: The air flow volume(cubic meters per minute) exhausted (re-moved) from the workplace must exceed theamount of makeup air supplied to the enclo-sure. The rate of air exhausted from the en-closure should be designed to maintain anegative pressure in the enclosure and airmovement past each worker. The volume ofair flow removed from the enclosure shouldreplace the volume of the container at every5 to 15 minutes. Air flow volume will need tobe relatively high for large enclosures, enclo-sures with awkward shapes, enclosures withmultiple openings, and operations employingseveral workers in the enclosure.

Air Flow Velocity: At each opening, the airflow velocity must visibly ‘‘drag’’ air intothe enclosure. The velocity of air flow withinthe enclosure must be adequate to removeairborne contamination from each worker’sbreathing zone without disturbing the asbes-tos-containing material on surfaces.

Airlocks: Airlocks are mechanisms ondoors and curtains that control the air flowpatterns in the doorways. If air flow occurs,the patterns through doorways must be suchthat the air flows toward the inside of theenclosure. Sometimes vestibules, doubledoors, or double curtains are used to preventair movement through the doorways. To usea vestibule, a worker enters a chamber byopening the door or curtain and then closingthe entry before opening the exit door orcurtain.

Airlocks should be located between theequipment room and shower room, betweenthe shower room and the clean room, and be-tween the waste storage area and the outsideof the enclosure. The air flow between adja-cent rooms must be checked using smoketubes or other visual tests to ensure the flowpatterns draw air toward the work area with-out producing eddies.

Monitoring for Airborne Concentrations

In addition to the breathing zone samplestaken as outlined in paragraph (f) of§ 1915.1001 , samples of air should be taken todemonstrate the integrity of the enclosure,the cleanliness of the clean room and showerarea, and the effectiveness of the HEPA fil-ter. If the clean room is shown to be con-taminated, the room must be relocated to anuncontaminated area.

Samples taken near the exhaust of port-able ventilation systems must be done withcare.

General Work Practices

Preventing dust dispersion is the primarymeans of controlling the spread of asbestoswithin the enclosure. Whenever practical,the point of removal should be isolated, en-closed, covered, or shielded from the workersin the area. Waste asbestos containing mate-rials must be bagged during or immediately

after removal; the material must remainsaturated until the waste container is sealed.

Waste material with sharp points or cor-ners must be placed in hard air-tight con-tainers rather than bags.

Whenever possible, large componentsshould be sealed in plastic sheeting and re-moved intact.

Bags or containers of waste will be movedto the waste holding area, washed, andwrapped in a bag with the appropriate labels.

Cleaning the Work Area

Surfaces within the work area should bekept free of visible dust and debris to the ex-tent feasible. Whenever visible dust appearson surfaces, the surfaces within the enclo-sure must be cleaned by wiping with a wetsponge, brush, or cloth and then vacuumedwith a HEPA vacuum.

All surfaces within the enclosure should becleaned before the exhaust ventilation sys-tem is deactivated and the enclosure is dis-assembled. An approved encapsulant may besprayed onto areas after the visible dust hasbeen removed.

APPENDIX G TO § 1915.1001 [RESERVED]

APPENDIX H TO § 1915.1001—SUBSTANCE

TECHNICAL INFORMATION FOR ASBES-TOS. NON-MANDATORY

I. Substance Identification

A. Substance: ‘‘Asbestos’’ is the name of aclass of magnesium-silicate minerals thatoccur in fibrous form. Minerals that are in-cluded in this group are chrysotile, crocid-olite, amosite, anthophyllite asbestos,tremolite asbestos, and actinolite asbestos.

B. Asbestos is and was used in the manu-facture of heat-resistant clothing, auto-motive brake and clutch linings, and a vari-ety of building materials including floortiles, roofing felts, ceiling tiles, asbestos-ce-ment pipe and sheet, and fire-resistantdrywall. Asbestos is also present in pipe andboiler insulation materials and in sprayed-onmaterials located on beams, in crawlspaces,and between walls.

C. The potential for an asbestos-containingproduct to release breathable fibers dependslargely on its degree of friability. Friablemeans that the material can be crumbledwith hand pressure and is therefore likely toemit fibers. The fibrous fluffy sprayed-onmaterials used for fireproofing, insulation,or sound proofing are considered to be fri-able, and they readily release airborne fibersif disturbed. Materials such as vinyl-asbestosfloor tile or roofing felt are considered non-friable if intact and generally do not emitairborne fibers unless subjected to sanding,


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sawing and other aggressive operations. As-bestos—cement pipe or sheet can emit air-borne fibers if the materials are cut orsawed, or if they are broken.

D. Permissible exposure: Exposure to air-borne asbestos fibers may not exceed 0.1 fi-bers per cubic centimeter of air (0.1 f/cc)averaged over the 8-hour workday, and 1fiber per cubic centimeter of air (1.0 f/cc)averaged over a 30 minute work period.

II. Health Hazard Data

A. Asbestos can cause disabling respiratorydisease and various types of cancers if the fi-bers are inhaled. Inhaling or ingesting fibersfrom contaminated clothing or skin can alsoresult in these diseases. The symptoms ofthese diseases generally do not appear for 20or more years after initial exposure.

B. Exposure to asbestos has been shown tocause lung cancer, mesothelioma, and cancerof the stomach and colon. Mesothelioma is arare cancer of the thin membrane lining ofthe chest and abdomen. Symptoms of meso-thelioma include shortness of breath, pain inthe walls of the chest, and/or abdominalpain.

III. Respirators and Protective Clothing

A. Respirators: You are required to wear arespirator when performing tasks that resultin asbestos exposure that exceeds the per-missible exposure limit (PEL) of 0.1 f/cc andwhen performing certain designated oper-ations. Air-purifying respirators equippedwith a high-efficiency particulate air(HEPA) filter can be used where airborne as-bestos fiber concentrations do not exceed 1.0f/cc; otherwise, more protective respiratorssuch as air-supplied, positive-pressure, fullfacepiece respirators must be used. Dispos-able respirators or dust masks are not per-mitted to be used for asbestos work. For ef-fective protection, respirators must fit yourface and head snugly. Your employer is re-quired to conduct a fit test when you arefirst assigned a respirator and every 6months thereafter. Respirators should not beloosened or removed in work situationswhere their use is required.

B. Protective Clothing: You are required towear protective clothing in work areas whereasbestos fiber concentrations exceed the per-missible exposure limit (PEL) of 0.1 f/cc.

IV. Disposal Procedures and Clean-up

A. Wastes that are generated by processeswhere asbestos is present include:

1. Empty asbestos shipping containers.2. Process wastes such as cuttings, trim-

mings, or reject materials.3. Housekeeping waste from wet-sweeping

or HEPA-vacuuming.4. Asbestos fireproofing or insulating mate-

rial that is removed from buildings.

5. Asbestos-containing building productsremoved during building renovation or dem-olition.

6. Contaminated disposable protectiveclothing.

B. Empty shipping bags can be flattenedunder exhaust hoods and packed into air-tight containers for disposal. Empty ship-ping drums are difficult to clean and shouldbe sealed.

C. Vacuum bags or disposable paper filtersshould not be cleaned, but should be sprayedwith a fine water mist and placed into a la-beled waste container.

D. Process waste and housekeeping wasteshould be wetted with water or a mixture ofwater and surfactant prior to packaging indisposable containers.

E. Asbestos-containing material that is re-moved from buildings must be disposed of inleak-tight 6-mil plastic bags, plastic-linedcardboard containers, or plastic-lined metalcontainers. These wastes, which are removedwhile wet, should be sealed in containers be-fore they dry out to minimize the release ofasbestos fibers during handling.

V. Access to Information

A. Each year, your employer is required toinform you of the information contained inthis standard and appendices for asbestos. Inaddition, your employer must instruct youin the proper work practices for handling as-bestos-containing materials, and the correctuse of protective equipment.

B. Your employer is required to determinewhether you are being exposed to asbestos.Your employer must treat exposure to ther-mal system insulation and sprayed-on andtroweled-on surfacing material as asbestosexposure, unless results of laboratory analy-sis show that the material does not containasbestos. You or your representative has theright to observe employee measurements andto record the results obtained. Your em-ployer is required to inform you of your ex-posure, and, if you are exposed above the per-missible exposure limit, he or she is requiredto inform you of the actions that are beingtaken to reduce your exposure to within thepermissible limit.

C. Your employer is required to keeprecords of your exposures and medical ex-aminations. These exposure records must bekept for at least thirty (30) years. Medicalrecords must be kept for the period of youremployment plus thirty (30) years.

D. Your employer is required to releaseyour exposure and medical records to yourphysician or designated representative uponyour written request.


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APPENDIX I TO § 1915.1001—MEDICALSURVEILLANCE GUIDELINES FOR AS-BESTOS, NON-MANDATORY

I. Route of Entry

Inhalation, ingestion.

II. Toxicology

Clinical evidence of the adverse effects as-sociated with exposure to asbestos is presentin the form of several well- conducted epide-miological studies of occupationally exposedworkers, family contacts of workers, andpersons living near asbestos mines. Thesestudies have shown a definite association be-tween exposure to asbestos and an increasedincidence of lung cancer, pleural and peri-toneal mesothelioma, gastrointestinal can-cer, and asbestosis. The latter is a disablingfibrotic lung disease that is caused only byexposure to asbestos. Exposure to asbestoshas also been associated with an increasedincidence of esophageal, kidney, laryngeal,pharyngeal, and buccal cavity cancers. Aswith other known chronic occupational dis-eases, disease associated with asbestos gen-erally appears about 20 years following thefirst occurrence of exposure: There are noknown acute effects associated with expo-sure to asbestos.

Epidemiological studies indicate that therisk of lung cancer among exposed workerswho smoke cigarettes is greatly increasedover the risk of lung cancer among non-ex-posed smokers or exposed nonsmokers. Thesestudies suggest that cessation of smokingwill reduce the risk of lung cancer for a per-son exposed to asbestos but will not reduce itto the same level of risk as that existing foran exposed worker who has never smoked.

III. Signs and Symptoms of Exposure RelatedDisease

The signs and symptoms of lung cancer orgastrointestinal cancer induced by exposureto asbestos are not unique, except that achest X-ray of an exposed patient with lungcancer may show pleural plaques, pleuralcalcification, or pleural fibrosis. Symptomscharacteristic of mesothelioma includeshortness of breath, pain in the walls of thechest, or abdominal pain. Mesothelioma hasa much longer latency period compared withlung cancer (40 years versus 15–20 years), andmesothelioma is therefore more likely to befound among workers who were first exposedto asbestos at an early age. Mesothelioma isalways fatal.

Asbestosis is pulmonary fibrosis caused bythe accumulation of asbestos fibers in thelungs. Symptoms include shortness ofbreath, coughing, fatigue, and vague feelingsof sickness. When the fibrosis worsens, short-ness of breath occurs even at rest. The diag-nosis of asbestosis is based on a history ofexposure to asbestos, the presence of charac-

teristics radiologic changes, end-inspiratorycrackles (rales), and other clinical featuresof fibrosing lung disease. Pleural plaques andthickening are observed on X-rays takenduring the early sates of the disease. Asbes-tosis is often a progressive disease even inthe absence of continued exposure, althoughthis appears to be a highly individualizedcharacteristic. In severe cases, death may becaused by respiratory or cardiac failure.

IV. Surveillance and Preventive Considerations

As noted above, exposure to asbestos havebeen linked to an increased risk of lung can-cer, mesothelioma, gastrointestinal cancer,and asbestosis among occupationally ex-posed workers. Adequate screening tests todetermine an employee’s potential for devel-oping serious chronic diseases, such as a can-cer, from exposure to asbestos do not pres-ently exist. However, some tests, particu-larly chest X-rays and pulmonary functiontests, may indicate that an employee hasbeen overexposed to asbestos increasing hisor her risk of developing exposure relatedchronic diseases. It is important for the phy-sician to become familiar with the operatingconditions in which occupational exposure toasbestos is likely to occur. This is particu-larly important in evaluating medical andwork histories and in conducting physicalexaminations. When an active employee hasbeen identified as having been overexposedto asbestos measures taken by the employerto eliminate or mitigate further exposureshould also lower the risk of serious long-term consequences.

The employer is required to institute amedical surveillance program for all employ-ees who are or will be exposed to asbestos ator above the permissible exposure limits (0.1fiber per cubic centimeter of air) for 30 ormore days per year and for all employeeswho are assigned to wear a negative-pressurerespirator. All examinations and proceduresmust be performed by or under the super-vision of licensed physician at a reasonabletime and place, and at no cost to the em-ployee.

Although broad latitude is given to thephysician in prescribing specific tests to beincluded in the medical surveillance pro-gram, OSHA requires inclusion of the follow-ing elements in the routine examination,

(i) Medical and work histories with specialemphasis directed to symptoms of the res-piratory system, cardiovascular system, anddigestive tract.

(ii) Completion of the respiratory diseasequestionnaire contained in appendix D tothis section.

(iii) A physical examination including achest roentgenogram and pulmonary func-tion test that include measurement of theemployee’s forced vital capacity (FYC) andforced expiratory volume at one second(FEV1).


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(iv) Any laboratory or other test that theexamining physician deems by sound medi-cal practice to be necessary.

The employer is required to make the pre-scribed tests available at least annually tothose employees covered; more often thanspecified if recommended by the examiningphysician; and upon termination of employ-ment.

The employer is required to provide thephysician with the following information: Acopy of this standard and appendices; a de-scription of the employee’s duties as they re-late to asbestos exposure; the employee’srepresentative level of exposure to asbestos;a description of any personal protective andrespiratory equipment used; and informationfrom previous medical examinations of theaffected employee that is not otherwiseavailable to the physician. Making this in-formation available to the physician will aidin the evaluation of the employee’s health inrelation to assigned duties and fitness towear personal protective equipment, if re-quired.

The employer is required to obtain a writ-ten opinion from the examining physiciancontaining the results of the medical exam-ination; the physician’s opinion as to wheth-er the employee has any detected medicalconditions that would place the employee atan increased risk of exposure-related disease;any recommended limitations on the em-ployee or on the use of personal protectiveequipment; and a statement that the em-ployee has been informed by the physician ofthe results of the medical examination andof any medical conditions related to asbestosexposure that require further explanation ortreatment. This written opinion must not re-veal specific findings or diagnoses unrelatedto exposure to asbestos, and a copy of theopinion must be provided to the affected em-ployee.

APPENDIX J TO § 1915.1001—SMOKINGCESSATION PROGRAM INFORMATIONFOR ASBESTOS—NON-MANDATORY

The following organizations provide smok-ing cessation information.

1. The National Cancer Institute operates atoll-free Cancer Information Service (CIS)with trained personnel to help you. Call 1–800–4–CANCER* to reach the CIS office serv-ing your area, or write: Office of CancerCommunications, National Cancer Institute,National Institutes of Health, Building 31,Room 10A24, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.

2. American Cancer Society, 3340 PeachtreeRoad, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30026, (404) 320–3333.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) is avoluntary organization composed of 58 divi-sions and 3,100 local units. Through ‘‘TheGreat American Smokeout’’ in November,the annual Cancer Crusade in April, and nu-

merous educational materials, ACS helpspeople learn about the health hazards ofsmoking and become successful ex-smokers.

3. American Heart Association, 7320 Green-ville Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75231, (214) 750–5300.

The American Heart Association (AHA) isa voluntary organization with 130,000 mem-bers (physicians, scientists, and laypersons)in 55 state and regional groups. AHA pro-duces a variety of publications and audio-visual materials about the effects of smok-ing on the heart. AHA also has developed aguidebook for incorporating a weight-controlcomponent into smoking cessation pro-grams.

4. American Lung Association, 1740 Broad-way, New York, New York 10019, (212) 245–8000.

A voluntary organization of 7,500 members(physicians, nurses, and laypersons), theAmerican Lung Association (ALA) conductednumerous public information programsabout the health effects of smoking. ALAhas 59 state and 85 local units. The organiza-tion actively supports legislation and infor-mation campaigns for non-smokers’ rightsand provides help for smokers who want toquit, for example, through ‘‘Freedom FromSmoking,’’ a self-help smoking cessationprogram.

5. Office on Smoking and Health, U.S. De-partment of Health and Human Services 5600Fishers Lane, Park Building, Room 110,Rockville, Maryland 20857.

The Office on Smoking and Health (OSHA)is the Department of Health and HumanServices’ lead agency in smoking control.OSHA has sponsored distribution of publica-tions on smoking-related topics, such as freeflyers on relapse after initial quitting, help-ing a friend or family member quit smoking,the health hazards of smoking, and the ef-fects of parental smoking on teenagers.

*In Hawaii, on Oahu call 524–1234 (call col-lect from neighboring islands),

Spanish-speaking staff members are avail-able during daytime hours to callers fromthe following areas: California, Florida,Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey (area code 201),New York, and Texas. Consult your localtelephone directory for listings of local chap-ters.

APPENDIX K TO § 1915.1001—POLARIZEDLIGHT MICROSCOPY OF ASBESTOS—NON-MANDATORY

Method number: ID–191Matrix: Bulk

Collection Procedure

Collect approximately 1 to 2 grams of eachtype of material and place into separate 20mL scintillation vials.


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Analytical Procedure

A portion of each separate phase is ana-lyzed by gross examination, phase-polar ex-amination, and central stop dispersion mi-croscopy.

Commercial manufacturers and productsmentioned in this method are for descriptiveuse only and do not constitute endorsementsby USDOL-OSHA. Similar products fromother sources may be substituted.

1. Introduction

This method describes the collection andanalysis of asbestos bulk materials by lightmicroscopy techniques including phase-polar illumination and central-stop disper-sion microscopy. Some terms unique to as-bestos analysis are defined below:

Amphibole: A family of minerals whosecrystals are formed by long, thin units whichhave two thin ribbons of double chain sili-cate with a brucite ribbon in between. Theshape of each unit is similar to an ‘‘I beam’’.Minerals important in asbestos analysis in-clude cummingtonite-grunerite, crocidolite,tremolite- actinolite and anthophyllite.

Asbestos: A term for naturally occurring fi-brous minerals. Asbestos includes chrysotile,cummingtonite-grunerite asbestos (amosite),anthophyllite asbestos, tremolite asbestos,crocidolite, actinolite asbestos and any ofthese minerals which have been chemicallytreated or altered. The precise chemical for-mulation of each species varies with the lo-cation from which it was mined. Nominalcompositions are listed:

Chrysotile...............................Mg3 Si2 O5(OH)4

Crocidolite (Riebeckite asbestos)......................... Na2Fe32+Fe23+Si8O22(OH)2

Cummingtonite-Grunerite asbestos(Amosite) ..................(Mg,Fe)7 Si8O22(OH)2

Tremolite-Actinolite asbestos............................. Ca2(Mg,Fe)5Si8O22(OH)2

Anthophyllite asbestos...(Mg,Fe)7 Si8O22(OH)2

Asbestos Fiber: A fiber of asbestos meetingthe criteria for a fiber. (See section 3.5.)

Aspect Ratio: The ratio of the length of afiber to its diameter usually defined as‘‘length : width’’, e.g. 3:1.

Brucite: A sheet mineral with the composi-tion Mg(OH)2.

Central Stop Dispersion Staining (microscope):This is a dark field microscope techniquethat images particles using only light re-fracted by the particle, excluding light thattravels through the particle unrefracted.This is usually accomplished with a McCroneobjective or other arrangement which placesa circular stop with apparent aperture equalto the objective aperture in the back focalplane of the microscope.

Cleavage Fragments: Mineral particlesformed by the comminution of minerals, es-pecially those characterized by relativelyparallel sides and moderate aspect ratio.

Differential Counting: The term applied tothe practice of excluding certain kinds of fi-bers from a phase contrast asbestos countbecause they are not asbestos.

Fiber: A particle longer than or equal to 5µm with a length to width ratio greater thanor equal to 3:1. This may include cleavagefragments. (see section 3.5 of this appendix).

Phase Contrast: Contrast obtained in themicroscope by causing light scattered bysmall particles to destructively interferewith unscattered light, thereby enhancingthe visibility of very small particles and par-ticles with very low intrinsic contrast.

Phase Contrast Microscope: A microscopeconfigured with a phase mask pair to createphase contrast. The technique which usesthis is called Phase Contrast Microscopy(PCM).

Phase-Polar Analysis: This is the use of po-larized light in a phase contrast microscope.It is used to see the same size fibers that arevisible in air filter analysis. Although fibersfiner than 1 µm are visible, analysis of theseis inferred from analysis of larger bundlesthat are usually present.

Phase-Polar Microscope: The phase-polarmicroscope is a phase contrast microscopewhich has an analyzer, a polarizer, a firstorder red plate and a rotating phase con-denser all in place so that the polarized lightimage is enhanced by phase contrast.

Sealing Encapsulant: This is a productwhich can be applied, preferably by spraying,onto an asbestos surface which will seal thesurface so that fibers cannot be released.

Serpentine: A mineral family consisting ofminerals with the general compositionMg3(Si2O5(OH)4 having the magnesium inbrucite layer over a silicate layer. Mineralsimportant in asbestos analysis included inthis family are chrysotile, lizardite,antigorite.

1.1. History

Light microscopy has been used for wellover 100 years for the determination of min-eral species. This analysis is carried outusing specialized polarizing microscopes aswell as bright field microscopes. The identi-fication of minerals is an on-going processwith many new minerals described eachyear. The first recorded use of asbestos wasin Finland about 2500 B.C. where the mate-rial was used in the mud wattle for the wood-en huts the people lived in as well asstrengthening for pottery. Adverse health as-pects of the mineral were noted nearly 2000years ago when Pliny the Younger wroteabout the poor health of slaves in the asbes-tos mines. Although known to be injuriousfor centuries, the first modern references toits toxicity were by the British LaborInspectorate when it banned asbestos dustfrom the workplace in 1898. Asbestosis caseswere described in the literature after the


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turn of the century. Cancer was first sus-pected in the mid 1930’s and a causal link tomesothelioma was made in 1965. Because ofthe public concern for worker and publicsafety with the use of this material, severaldifferent types of analysis were applied tothe determination of asbestos content. Lightmicroscopy requires a great deal of experi-ence and craft. Attempts were made to applyless subjective methods to the analysis. X-ray diffraction was partially successful indetermining the mineral types but was un-able to separate out the fibrous portionsfrom the non-fibrous portions. Also, the min-imum detection limit for asbestos analysisby X-ray diffraction (XRD) is about 1%. Dif-ferential Thermal Analysis (DTA) was nomore successful. These provide useful cor-roborating information when the presence ofasbestos has been shown by microscopy;however, neither can determine the dif-ference between fibrous and non-fibrous min-erals when both habits are present. The sameis true of Infrared Absorption (IR).

When electron microscopy was applied toasbestos analysis, hundreds of fibers werediscovered present too small to be visible inany light microscope. There are two dif-ferent types of electron microscope used forasbestos analysis: Scanning Electron Micro-scope (SEM) and Transmission Electron Mi-croscope (TEM). Scanning Electron Micros-copy is useful in identifying minerals. TheSEM can provide two of the three pieces ofinformation required to identify fibers byelectron microscopy: morphology and chem-istry. The third is structure as determinedby Selected Area Electron Diffraction—SAED which is performed in the TEM. Al-though the resolution of the SEM is suffi-cient for very fine fibers to be seen, accuracyof chemical analysis that can be performedon the fibers varies with fiber diameter in fi-bers of less than 0.2 µ m diameter. The TEMis a powerful tool to identify fibers too smallto be resolved by light microscopy andshould be used in conjunction with thismethod when necessary. The TEM can pro-vide all three pieces of information requiredfor fiber identification. Most fibers thickerthan 1 µ m can adequately be defined in thelight microscope. The light microscope re-mains as the best instrument for the deter-mination of mineral type. This is becausethe minerals under investigation were firstdescribed analytically with the light micro-scope. It is inexpensive and gives positiveidentification for most samples analyzed.Further, when optical techniques are inad-equate, there is ample indication that alter-native techniques should be used for com-plete identification of the sample.

1.2. Principle

Minerals consist of atoms that may be ar-ranged in random order or in a regular ar-

rangement. Amorphous materials haveatoms in random order while crystalline ma-terials have long range order. Many mate-rials are transparent to light, at least forsmall particles or for thin sections. Theproperties of these materials can be inves-tigated by the effect that the material hason light passing through it. The six asbestosminerals are all crystalline with particularproperties that have been identified and cat-aloged. These six minerals are anisotropic.They have a regular array of atoms, but thearrangement is not the same in all direc-tions. Each major direction of the crystalpresents a different regularity. Light pho-tons travelling in each of these main direc-tions will encounter different electricalneighborhoods, affecting the path and timeof travel. The techniques outlined in thismethod use the fact that light travelingthrough fibers or crystals in different direc-tions will behave differently, but predict-ably. The behavior of the light as it travelsthrough a crystal can be measured and com-pared with known or determined values toidentify the mineral species. Usually, Polar-ized Light Microscopy (PLM) is performedwith strain-free objectives on a bright-fieldmicroscope platform. This would limit theresolution of the microscope to about 0.4 µm. Because OSHA requires the counting andidentification of fibers visible in phase con-trast, the phase contrast platform is used tovisualize the fibers with the polarizing ele-ments added into the light path. Polarizedlight methods cannot identify fibers finerthan about 1µ m in diameter even thoughthey are visible. The finest fibers are usuallyidentified by inference from the presence oflarger, identifiable fiber bundles. When fibersare present, but not identifiable by light mi-croscopy, use either SEM or TEM to deter-mine the fiber identity.

1.3. Advantages and Disadvantages

The advantages of light microcopy are:(a) Basic identification of the materials

was first performed by light microscopy andgross analysis. This provides a large base ofpublished information against which tocheck analysis and analytical technique.

(b) The analysis is specific to fibers. Theminerals present can exist in asbestiform, fi-brous, prismatic, or massive varieties all atthe same time. Therefore, bulk methods ofanalysis such as X-ray diffraction, IR analy-sis, DTA, etc. are inappropriate where thematerial is not known to be fibrous.

(c) The analysis is quick, requires littlepreparation time, and can be performed on-site if a suitably equipped microscope isavailable.

The disadvantages are:(a) Even using phase-polar illumination,

not all the fibers present may be seen. Thisis a problem for very low asbestos concentra-tions where agglomerations or large bundles


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of fibers may not be present to allow identi-fication by inference.

(b) The method requires a great degree ofsophistication on the part of themicroscopist. An analyst is only as useful ashis mental catalog of images. Therefore, amicroscopist’s accuracy is enhanced by expe-rience. The mineralogical training of the an-alyst is very important. It is the basis onwhich subjective decisions are made.

(c) The method uses only a tiny amount ofmaterial for analysis. This may lead to sam-pling bias and false results (high or low).This is especially true if the sample is se-verely inhomogeneous.

(d) Fibers may be bound in a matrix andnot distinguishable as fibers so identifica-tion cannot be made.

1.4. Method Performance

1.4.1. This method can be used for deter-mination of asbestos content from 0 to 100%asbestos. The detection limit has not beenadequately determined, although for selectedsamples, the limit is very low, depending onthe number of particles examined. For most-ly homogeneous, finely divided samples, withno difficult fibrous interferences, the detec-tion limit is below 1%. For inhomogeneoussamples (most samples), the detection limitremains undefined. NIST has conducted pro-ficiency testing of laboratories on a nationalscale. Although each round is reported sta-tistically with an average, control limits,etc., the results indicate a difficulty in es-tablishing precision especially in the lowconcentration range. It is suspected thatthere is significant bias in the low range es-pecially near 1%. EPA tried to remedy thisby requiring a mandatory point countingscheme for samples less than 10%. The pointcounting procedure is tedious, and may in-troduce significant biases of its own. It hasnot been incorporated into this method.

1.4.2. The precision and accuracy of thequantitation tests performed in this methodare unknown. Concentrations are easier todetermine in commercial products where as-bestos was deliberately added because theamount is usually more than a few percent.An analyst’s results can be ‘‘calibrated’’against the known amounts added by themanufacturer. For geological samples, thedegree of homogeneity affects the precision.

1.4.3. The performance of the method is an-alyst dependent. The analyst must choosecarefully and not necessarily randomly theportions for analysis to assure that detectionof asbestos occurs when it is present. Forthis reason, the analyst must have adequatetraining in sample preparation, and experi-ence in the location and identification of as-bestos in samples. This is usually accom-plished through substantial on-the-job train-ing as well as formal education in mineral-ogy and microscopy.

1.5. Interferences

Any material which is long, thin, andsmall enough to be viewed under the micro-scope can be considered an interference forasbestos. There are literally hundreds ofinterferences in workplaces. The techniquesdescribed in this method are normally suffi-cient to eliminate the interferences. An ana-lyst’s success in eliminating the inter-ferences depends on proper training.

Asbestos minerals belong to two mineralfamilies: the serpentines and the amphiboles.In the serpentine family, the only commonfibrous mineral is chrysotile. Occasionally,the mineral antigorite occurs in a fibrilhabit with morphology similar to theamphiboles. The amphibole minerals consistof a score of different minerals of which onlyfive are regulated by federal standard:amosite, crocidolite, anthophyllite asbestos,tremolite asbestos and actinolite asbestos.These are the only amphibole minerals thathave been commercially exploited for theirfibrous properties; however, the rest can anddo occur occasionally in asbestiform habit.

In addition to the related mineral inter-ferences, other minerals common in buildingmaterial may present a problem for somemicroscopists: gypsum, anhydrite, brucite,quartz fibers, talc fibers or ribbons, wollas-tonite, perlite, attapulgite, etc. Other fi-brous materials commonly present in work-places are: fiberglass, mineral wool, ceramicwool, refractory ceramic fibers, kevlar,nomex, synthetic fibers, graphite or carbonfibers, cellulose (paper or wood) fibers, metalfibers, etc.

Matrix embedding material can sometimesbe a negative interference. The analyst maynot be able to easily extract the fibers fromthe matrix in order to use the method.Where possible, remove the matrix beforethe analysis, taking careful note of the lossof weight. Some common matrix materialsare: vinyl, rubber, tar, paint, plant fiber, ce-ment, and epoxy. A further negative inter-ference is that the asbestos fibers themselvesmay be either too small to be seen in Phasecontrast Microscopy (PCM) or of a very lowfibrous quality, having the appearance ofplant fibers. The analyst’s ability to dealwith these materials increases with experi-ence.

1.6. Uses and Occupational Exposure

Asbestos is ubiquitous in the environment.More than 40% of the land area of the UnitedStates is composed of minerals which maycontain asbestos. Fortunately, the actualformation of great amounts of asbestos isrelatively rare. Nonetheless, there are loca-tions in which environmental exposure canbe severe such as in the Serpentine Hills ofCalifornia.

There are thousands of uses for asbestos inindustry and the home. Asbestos abatement


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workers are the most current segment of thepopulation to have occupational exposure togreat amounts of asbestos. If the material isundisturbed, there is no exposure. Exposureoccurs when the asbestos-containing mate-rial is abraded or otherwise disturbed duringmaintenance operations or some other activ-ity. Approximately 95% of the asbestos inplace in the United States is chrysotile.

Amosite and crocidolite make up nearlyall the difference. Tremolite andanthophyllite make up a very small percent-age. Tremolite is found in extremely smallamounts in certain chrysotile deposits. Ac-tinolite exposure is probably greatest fromenvironmental sources, but has been identi-fied in vermiculite containing, sprayed-oninsulating materials which may have beencertified as asbestos-free.

1.7. Physical and Chemical Properties

The nominal chemical compositions forthe asbestos minerals were given in Section1. Compared to cleavage fragments of thesame minerals, asbestiform fibers possess ahigh tensile strength along the fiber axis.They are chemically inert, non-combustible,and heat resistant. Except for chrysotile,they are insoluble in Hydrochloric acid(HCl). Chrysotile is slightly soluble in HCl.Asbestos has high electrical resistance andgood sound absorbing characteristics. It canbe woven into cables, fabrics or other tex-tiles, or matted into papers, felts, and mats.

1.8. Toxicology (This Section is for Informa-tion Only and Should Not Be Taken asOSHA Policy)

Possible physiologic results of respiratoryexposure to asbestos are mesothelioma of thepleura or peritoneum, interstitial fibrosis,asbestosis, pneumoconiosis, or respiratorycancer. The possible consequences of asbes-tos exposure are detailed in the NIOSH Cri-teria Document or in the OSHA AsbestosStandards 29 CFR 1910.1001 and 29 CFR1926.1101 and 29 CFR 1915.1001.

2. Sampling Procedure

2.1. Equipment for Sampling

(a) Tube or cork borer sampling device(b) Knife(c) 20 mL scintillation vial or similar vial(d) Sealing encapsulant

2.2. Safety Precautions

Asbestos is a known carcinogen. Take carewhen sampling. While in an asbestos-con-taining atmosphere, a properly selected andfit-tested respirator should be worn. Takesamples in a manner to cause the leastamount of dust. Follow these general guide-lines:

(a) Do not make unnecessary dust.(b) Take only a small amount (1 to 2 g).

(c) Tightly close the sample container.(d) Use encapsulant to seal the spot where

the sample was taken, if necessary.

2.3. Sampling procedure

Samples of any suspect material should betaken from an inconspicuous place. Wherethe material is to remain, seal the samplingwound with an encapsulant to eliminate thepotential for exposure from the sample site.Microscopy requires only a few milligrams ofmaterial. The amount that will fill a 20 mLscintillation vial is more than adequate. Besure to collect samples from all layers andphases of material. If possible, make sepa-rate samples of each different phase of thematerial. This will aid in determining theactual hazard. DO NOT USE ENVELOPES,PLASTIC OR PAPER BAGS OF ANY KIND TOCOLLECT SAMPLES. The use of plastic bagspresents a contamination hazard to labora-tory personnel and to other samples. Whenthese containers are opened, a bellows effectblows fibers out of the container onto every-thing, including the person opening the con-tainer.

If a cork-borer type sampler is available,push the tube through the material all theway, so that all layers of material are sam-pled. Some samplers are intended to be dis-posable. These should be capped and sent tothe laboratory. If a non-disposable corkborer is used, empty the contents into a scin-tillation vial and send to the laboratory.Vigorously and completely clean the corkborer between samples.

2.4 Shipment

Samples packed in glass vials must nottouch or they might break in shipment.

(a) Seal the samples with a sample sealover the end to guard against tampering andto identify the sample.

(b) Package the bulk samples in separatepackages from the air samples. They maycross-contaminate each other and will inval-idate the results of the air samples.

(c) Include identifying paperwork with thesamples, but not in contact with the sus-pected asbestos.

(d) To maintain sample accountability,ship the samples by certified mail, overnightexpress, or hand carry them to the labora-tory.

3. Analysis

The analysis of asbestos samples can be di-vided into two major parts: sample prepara-tion and microscopy. Because of the differentasbestos uses that may be encountered bythe analyst, each sample may need differentpreparation steps. The choices are outlinedbelow. There are several different tests thatare performed to identify the asbestos spe-cies and determine the percentage. They willbe explained below.


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3.1. Safety

(a) Do not create unnecessary dust. Handlethe samples in HEPA-filter equipped hoods.If samples are received in bags, envelopes orother inappropriate container, open themonly in a hood having a face velocity at orgreater than 100 fpm. Transfer a smallamount to a scintillation vial and only han-dle the smaller amount.

(b) Open samples in a hood, never in theopen lab area.

(c) Index of refraction oils can be toxic.Take care not to get this material on theskin. Wash immediately with soap and waterif this happens.

(d) Samples that have been heated in themuffle furnace or the drying oven may behot. Handle them with tongs until they arecool enough to handle.

(e) Some of the solvents used, such as THF(tetrahydrofuran), are toxic and should onlybe handled in an appropriate fume hood andaccording to instructions given in the Mate-rial Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).

3.2. Equipment

(a) Phase contrast microscope with 10x, 16xand 40x objectives, 10x wide-field eyepieces,G–22 Walton-Beckett graticule, Whippledisk, polarizer, analyzer and first order redor gypsum plate, 100 Watt illuminator, rotat-ing position condenser with oversize phaserings, central stop dispersion objective,Kohler illumination and a rotatingmechanicalstage. (See figure 1).

(b) Stereo microscope with reflected lightillumination, transmitted light illumina-tion, polarizer, analyzer and first order redor gypsum plate, and rotating stage.

(c) Negative pressure hood for the stereomicroscope

(d) Muffle furnace capable of 600 °C(e) Drying oven capable of 50–150 °C(f) Aluminum specimen pans(g) Tongs for handling samples in the fur-

nace(h) High dispersion index of refraction oils

(Special for dispersion staining.)n=1.550n=1.585n=1.590n=1.605n=1.620n=1.670n=1.680n=1.690

(i) A set of index of refraction oils fromabout n=1.350 to n=2.000 in n=0.005 incre-ments. (Standard for Becke line analysis.)

(j) Glass slides with painted or frosted ends1 x 3 inches 1mm thick, precleaned.

(k) Cover Slips 22 x 22 mm, #11⁄2(l) Paper clips or dissection needles(m) Hand grinder(n) Scalpel with both #10 and #11 blades(o) 0.1 molar HCl

(p) Decalcifying solution (Baxter ScientificProducts) Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid,

Tetrasodium ..........................................0.7 g/lSodium Potassium Tartrate .........8.0 mg/literHydrochloric Acid ..........................99.2 g/literSodium Tartrate.............................0.14 g/liter

(q) Tetrahydrofuran (THF)(r) Hotplate capable of 60 °C(s) Balance(t) Hacksaw blade(u) Ruby mortar and pestle

3.3. Sample Pre-Preparation

Sample preparation begins with pre-prepa-ration which may include chemical reduc-tion of the matrix, heating the sample todryness or heating in the muffle furnace. Theend result is a sample which has been re-duced to a powder that is sufficiently fine tofit under the cover slip. Analyze differentphases of samples separately, e.g., tile andthe tile mastic should be analyzed separatelyas the mastic may contain asbestos whilethe tile may not.

(A) Wet Samples

Samples with a high water content will notgive the proper dispersion colors and must bedried prior to sample mounting. Remove thelid of the scintillation vial, place the bottlein the drying oven and heat at 100 °C to dry-ness (usually about 2 h). Samples which arenot submitted to the lab in glass must be re-moved and placed in glass vials or aluminumweighing pans before placing them in thedrying oven.

(B) Samples With Organic Interference—MuffleFurnace

These may include samples with tar as amatrix, vinyl asbestos tile, or any other or-ganic that can be reduced by heating. Re-move the sample from the vial and weigh ina balance to determine the weight of the sub-mitted portion. Place the sample in a mufflefurnace at 500 °C for 1 to 2 h or until all obvi-ous organic material has been removed. Re-trieve, cool and weigh again to determinethe weight loss on ignition. This is necessaryto determine the asbestos content of the sub-mitted sample, because the analyst will belooking at a reduced sample.

NOTES: Heating above 600 °C will cause thesample to undergo a structural changewhich, given sufficient time, will convert thechrysotile to forsterite. Heating even atlower temperatures for 1 to 2 h may have ameasurable effect on the optical propertiesof the minerals. If the analyst is unsure ofwhat to expect, a sample of standard asbes-tos should be heated to the same tempera-ture for the same length of time so that itcan be examined for the proper interpreta-tion.


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(C) Samples With Organic Interference—THF

Vinyl asbestos tile is the most commonmaterial treated with this solvent, although,substances containing tar will sometimesyield to this treatment. Select a portion ofthe material and then grind it up if possible.Weigh the sample and place it in a test tube.Add sufficient THF to dissolve the organicmatrix. This is usually about 4 to 5 mL. Re-member, THF is highly flammable. Filter theremaining material through a tared silvermembrane, dry and weigh to determine howmuch is left after the solvent extraction.Further process the sample to remove car-bonate or mount directly.

(D) Samples With Carbonate Interference

Carbonate material is often found on fibersand sometimes must be removed in order toperform dispersion microscopy. Weigh out aportion of the material and place it in a testtube. Add a sufficient amount of 0.1 M HCl ordecalcifying solution in the tube to react allthe carbonate as evidenced by gas formation;i.e., when the gas bubbles stop, add a littlemore solution. If no more gas forms, the re-action is complete. Filter the material outthrough a tared silver membrane, dry andweigh to determine the weight lost.

3.4. Sample Preparation

Samples must be prepared so that accuratedetermination can be made of the asbestostype and amount present. The followingsteps are carried out in the low-flow hood (alow-flow hood has less than 50 fpm flow):

(1) If the sample has large lumps, is hard,or cannot be made to lie under a cover slip,the grain size must be reduced. Place a smallamount between two slides and grind thematerial between them or grind a smallamount in a clean mortar and pestle. Thechoice of whether to use an alumina, ruby,or diamond mortar depends on the hardnessof the material. Impact damage can alter theasbestos mineral if too much mechanicalshock occurs. (Freezer mills can completelydestroy the observable crystallinity of asbes-tos and should not be used). For some sam-ples, a portion of material can be shaved offwith a scalpel, ground off with a hand grind-er or hack saw blade.

The preparation tools should either be dis-posable or cleaned thoroughly. Use vigorousscrubbing to loosen the fibers during thewashing. Rinse the implements with copiousamounts of water and air-dry in a dust-freeenvironment.

(2) If the sample is powder or has been re-duced as in 1) above, it is ready to mount.Place a glass slide on a piece of optical tis-sue and write the identification on the paint-ed or frosted end. Place two drops of index ofrefraction medium n=1.550 on the slide. (Themedium n=1.550 is chosen because it is thematching index for chrysotile. Dip the end of

a clean paper-clip or dissecting needle intothe droplet of refraction medium on the slideto moisten it. Then dip the probe into thepowder sample. Transfer what sticks on theprobe to the slide. The material on the end ofthe probe should have a diameter of about 3mm for a good mount. If the material is veryfine, less sample may be appropriate. Fornon-powder samples such as fiber mats, for-ceps should be used to transfer a smallamount of material to the slide. Stir the ma-terial in the medium on the slide, spreadingit out and making the preparation as uni-form as possible. Place a cover-slip on thepreparation by gently lowering onto theslide and allowing it to fall ‘‘trapdoor’’ fash-ion on the preparation to push out any bub-bles. Press gently on the cover slip to evenout the distribution of particulate on theslide. If there is insufficient mounting oil onthe slide, one or two drops may be placednear the edge of the coverslip on the slide.Capillary action will draw the necessaryamount of liquid into the preparation. Re-move excess oil with the point of a labora-tory wiper.

Treat at least two different areas of eachphase in this fashion. Choose representativeareas of the sample. It may be useful to se-lect particular areas or fibers for analysis.This is useful to identify asbestos in severelyinhomogeneous samples.

When it is determined that amphibolesmay be present, repeat the above processusing the appropriate high- dispersion oilsuntil an identification is made or all six as-bestos minerals have been ruled out. Notethat percent determination must be done inthe index medium 1.550 because amphibolestend to disappear in their matching medi-ums.

3.5. Analytical procedure

NOTE: This method presumes some knowl-edge of mineralogy and optical petrography.

The analysis consists of three parts: Thedetermination of whether there is asbestospresent, what type is present and the deter-mination of how much is present. The gen-eral flow of the analysis is:

(1) Gross examination.(2) Examination under polarized light on

the stereo microscope.(3) Examination by phase-polar illumina-

tion on the compound phase microscope.(4) Determination of species by dispersion

stain. Examination by Becke line analysismay also be used; however, this is usuallymore cumbersome for asbestos determina-tion.

(5) Difficult samples may need to be ana-lyzed by SEM or TEM, or the results fromthose techniques combined with light mi-croscopy for a definitive identification. Iden-tification of a particle as asbestos requires


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that it be asbestiform. Description of par-ticles should follow the suggestion of Camp-bell. (Figure 1)


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For the purpose of regulation, the mineralmust be one of the six minerals covered andmust be in the asbestos growth habit. Largespecimen samples of asbestos generally havethe gross appearance of wood. Fibers are eas-ily parted from it. Asbestos fibers are verylong compared with their widths. The fibershave a very high tensile strength as dem-onstrated by bending without breaking. As-bestos fibers exist in bundles that are easilyparted, show longitudinal fine structure andmay be tufted at the ends showing ‘‘bundleof sticks’’ morphology. In the microscopesome of these properties may not be observ-able. Amphiboles do not always show stri-ations along their length even when they areasbestos. Neither will they always show tuft-ing. They generally do not show a curved na-ture except for very long fibers. Asbestos andasbestiform minerals are usually character-ized in groups by extremely high aspect ra-tios (greater than 100:1). While aspect ratioanalysis is useful for characterizing popu-lations of fibers, it cannot be used to identifyindividual fibers of intermediate to short as-pect ratio. Observation of many fibers isoften necessary to determine whether a sam-ple consists of ‘‘cleavage fragments’’ or of as-bestos fibers.

Most cleavage fragments of the asbestosminerals are easily distinguishable from trueasbestos fibers. This is because true cleavagefragments usually have larger diametersthan 1 µ m. Internal structure of particleslarger than this usually shows them to haveno internal fibrillar structure. In addition,cleavage fragments of the monoclinicamphiboles show inclined extinction undercrossed polars with no compensator. Asbes-tos fibers usually show extinction at zero de-grees or ambiguous extinction if any at all.Morphologically, the larger cleavage frag-ments are obvious by their blunt or steppedends showing prismatic habit. Also, theytend to be acicular rather than filiform.

Where the particles are less than 1 µ m indiameter and have an aspect ratio greaterthan or equal to 3:1, it is recommended thatthe sample be analyzed by SEM or TEM ifthere is any question whether the fibers arecleavage fragments or asbestiform particles.

Care must be taken when analyzing byelectron microscopy because the inter-ferences are different from those in light mi-croscopy and may structurally be very simi-lar to asbestos. The classic interference isbetween anthophyllite and biopyribole or in-termediate fiber. Use the same morphologi-cal clues for electron microscopy as are usedfor light microscopy, e.g. fibril splitting, in-ternal longitudinal striation, fraying, cur-vature, etc.

(1) Gross examination:Examine the sample, preferably in the

glass vial. Determine the presence of any ob-vious fibrous component. Estimate a per-centage based on previous experience and

current observation. Determine whether anypre-preparation is necessary. Determine thenumber of phases present. This step may becarried out or augmented by observation at6 to 40× under a stereo microscope.

(2) After performing any necessary pre-preparation, prepare slides of each phase asdescribed above. Two preparations of thesame phase in the same index medium can bemade side-by-side on the same glass for con-venience. Examine with the polarizing stereomicroscope. Estimate the percentage of as-bestos based on the amount of birefringentfiber present.

(3) Examine the slides on the phase-polarmicroscopes at magnifications of 160 and400×. Note the morphology of the fibers.Long, thin, very straight fibers with littlecurvature are indicative of fibers from theamphibole family. Curved, wavy fibers areusually indicative of chrysotile. Estimatethe percentage of asbestos on the phase-polarmicroscope under conditions of crossedpolars and a gypsum plate. Fibers smallerthan 1.0 µ m in thickness must be identifiedby inference to the presence of larger, identi-fiable fibers and morphology. If no larger fi-bers are visible, electron microscopy shouldbe performed. At this point, only a tentativeidentification can be made. Full identifica-tion must be made with dispersion micros-copy. Details of the tests are included in theappendices.

(4) Once fibers have been determined to bepresent, they must be identified. Adjust themicroscope for dispersion mode and observethe fibers. The microscope has a rotatingstage, one polarizing element, and a systemfor generating dark-field dispersion micros-copy (see Section 4.6. of this appendix). Aligna fiber with its length parallel to the polar-izer and note the color of the Becke lines.Rotate the stage to bring the fiber lengthperpendicular to the polarizer and note thecolor. Repeat this process for every fiber orfiber bundle examined. The colors must beconsistent with the colors generated bystandard asbestos reference materials for apositive identification. In n=1.550,amphiboles will generally show a yellow tostraw-yellow color indicating that the fiberindices of refraction are higher than the liq-uid. If long, thin fibers are noted and the col-ors are yellow, prepare further slides asabove in the suggested matching liquids list-ed below:

Type of asbestos Index of refraction

Chrysotile ............................... n=1.550.Amosite .................................. n=1.670 r 1.680.Crocidolite .............................. n=1.690.Anthophyllite ........................... n=1.605 nd 1.620.Tremolite ................................ n=1.605 and 1.620.Actinolite ................................. n=1.620.

Where more than one liquid is suggested,the first is preferred; however, in some cases


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this liquid will not give good dispersioncolor. Take care to avoid interferences in theother liquid; e.g., wollastonite in n=1.620 willgive the same colors as tremolite. In n=1.605wollastonite will appear yellow in all direc-tions. Wollastonite may be determined undercrossed polars as it will change from blue toyellow as it is rotated along its fiber axis bytapping on the cover slip. Asbestos mineralswill not change in this way.

Determination of the angle of extinctionmay, when present, aid in the determinationof anthophyllite from tremolite. True asbes-tos fibers usually have 0° extinction or am-biguous extinction, while cleavage fragmentshave more definite extinction.

Continue analysis until both preparationshave been examined and all present speciesof asbestos are identified. If there are no fi-bers present, or there is less than 0.1%present, end the analysis with the minimumnumber of slides (2).

(5) Some fibers have a coating on themwhich makes dispersion microscopy very dif-ficult or impossible. Becke line analysis orelectron microscopy may be performed inthose cases. Determine the percentage bylight microscopy. TEM analysis tends tooverestimate the actual percentage present.

(6) Percentage determination is an esti-mate of occluded area, tempered by gross ob-servation. Gross observation information isused to make sure that the high magnifica-tion microscopy does not greatly over- orunder-estimate the amount of fiber present.This part of the analysis requires a greatdeal of experience. Satisfactory models forasbestos content analysis have not yet beendeveloped, although some models based onmetallurgical grain-size determination havefound some utility. Estimation is more eas-ily handled in situations where the grainsizes visible at about 160× are about the sameand the sample is relatively homogeneous.

View all of the area under the cover slip tomake the percentage determination. Viewthe fields while moving the stage, paying at-tention to the clumps of material. These arenot usually the best areas to perform disper-sion microscopy because of the interferencefrom other materials. But, they are the areasmost likely to represent the accurate per-centage in the sample. Small amounts of as-bestos require slower scanning and more fre-quent analysis of individual fields.

Report the area occluded by asbestos asthe concentration. This estimate does notgenerally take into consideration the dif-ference in density of the different speciespresent in the sample. For most samples thisis adequate. Simulation studies with similarmaterials must be carried out to applymicrovisual estimation for that purpose andis beyond the scope of this procedure.

(7) Where successive concentrations havebeen made by chemical or physical means,the amount reported is the percentage of the

material in the ‘‘as submitted’’ or originalstate. The percentage determined by micros-copy is multiplied by the fractions remain-ing after pre-preparation steps to give thepercentage in the original sample. For exam-ple:

Step 1. 60% remains after heating at 550 °Cfor 1 h.

Step 2. 30% of the residue of step 1 remainsafter dissolution of carbonate in 0.1 mHCl.

Step 3. Microvisual estimation determinesthat 5% of the sample is chrysotile asbes-tos.

The reported result is:

R=(Microvisual result in percent)×(Fractionremaining after step 2)×(Fraction re-maining of original sample after step 1)

R =(5)×(.30)×(.60)=0.9%

(8) Report the percent and type of asbestospresent. For samples where asbestos wasidentified, but is less than 1.0%, report ‘‘As-bestos present, less than 1.0%.’’ There musthave been at least two observed fibers orfiber bundles in the two preparations to bereported as present. For samples where as-bestos was not seen, report as ‘‘None De-tected.’’

4. Auxiliary Information

Because of the subjective nature of asbes-tos analysis, certain concepts and proceduresneed to be discussed in more depth. This in-formation will help the analyst understandwhy some of the procedures are carried outthe way they are.

4.1. Light

Light is electromagnetic energy. It travelsfrom its source in packets called quanta. Itis instructive to consider light as a planewave. The light has a direction of travel.Perpendicular to this and mutually per-pendicular to each other, are two vectorcomponents. One is the magnetic vector andthe other is the electric vector. We shallonly be concerned with the electric vector.In this description, the interaction of thevector and the mineral will describe all theobservable phenomena. From a light sourcesuch a microscope illuminator, light travelsin all different direction from the filament.

In any given direction away from the fila-ment, the electric vector is perpendicular tothe direction of travel of a light ray. Whileperpendicular, its orientation is randomabout the travel axis. If the electric vectorsfrom all the light rays were lined up by pass-ing the light through a filter that would onlylet light rays with electric vectors orientedin one direction pass, the light would then bePOLARIZED.

Polarized light interacts with matter inthe direction of the electric vector. This is


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the polarization direction. Using this prop-erty it is possible to use polarized light toprobe different materials and identify themby how they interact with light. The speed oflight in a vacuum is a constant at about2.99×10 8 m/s. When light travels in differentmaterials such as air, water, minerals or oil,it does not travel at this speed. It travelsslower. This slowing is a function of both thematerial through which the light is travelingand the wavelength or frequency of the light.In general, the more dense the material, theslower the light travels. Also, generally, thehigher the frequency, the slower the lightwill travel. The ratio of the speed of light ina vacuum to that in a material is called theindex of refraction (n). It is usually meas-ured at 589 nm (the sodium D line). If whitelight (light containing all the visible wave-lengths) travels through a material, rays oflonger wavelengths will travel faster thanthose of shorter wavelengths, this separationis called dispersion. Dispersion is used as anidentifier of materials as described in Sec-tion 4.6.

4.2. Material Properties

Materials are either amorphous or crys-talline. The difference between these two de-scriptions depends on the positions of theatoms in them. The atoms in amorphous ma-terials are randomly arranged with no longrange order. An example of an amorphousmaterial is glass. The atoms in crystallinematerials, on the other hand, are in regulararrays and have long range order. Most ofthe atoms can be found in highly predictablelocations. Examples of crystalline materialare salt, gold, and the asbestos minerals.

It is beyond the scope of this method to de-scribe the different types of crystalline ma-terials that can be found, or the full descrip-tion of the classes into which they can fall.However, some general crystallography isprovided below to give a foundation to theprocedures described.

With the exception of anthophyllite, allthe asbestos minerals belong to themonoclinic crystal type. The unit cell is thebasic repeating unit of the crystal and formonoclinic crystals can be described as hav-ing three unequal sides, two 90° angles andone angle not equal to 90°. The orthorhombicgroup, of which anthophyllite is a memberhas three unequal sides and three 90° angles.The unequal sides are a consequence of thecomplexity of fitting the different atomsinto the unit cell. Although the atoms are ina regular array, that array is not symmet-rical in all directions. There is long rangeorder in the three major directions of thecrystal. However, the order is different ineach of the three directions. This has the ef-fect that the index of refraction is differentin each of the three directions. Using polar-ized light, we can investigate the index of re-

fraction in each of the directions and iden-tify the mineral or material under investiga-tion. The indices α, β, and γ are used to iden-tify the lowest, middle, and highest index ofrefraction respectively. The x direction, as-sociated with α is called the fast axis. Con-versely, the z direction is associated with γand is the slow direction. Crocidolite has αalong the fiber length making it ‘‘length-fast’’. The remainder of the asbestos min-erals have the γ axis along the fiber length.They are called ‘‘length-slow’’. This orienta-tion to fiber length is used to aid in the iden-tification of asbestos.

4.3. Polarized Light Technique

Polarized light microscopy as described inthis section uses the phase-polar microscopedescribed in Section 3.2. A phase contrastmicroscope is fitted with two polarizing ele-ments, one below and one above the sample.The polarizers have their polarization direc-tions at right angles to each other. Depend-ing on the tests performed, there may be acompensator between these two polarizingelements. Light emerging from a polarizingelement has its electric vector pointing inthe polarization direction of the element.The light will not be subsequently transmit-ted through a second element set at a rightangle to the first element. Unless the light isaltered as it passes from one element to theother, there is no transmission of light.

4.4. Angle of Extinction

Crystals which have different crystal regu-larity in two or three main directions aresaid to be anisotropic. They have a differentindex of refraction in each of the main direc-tions. When such a crystal is inserted be-tween the crossed polars, the field of view isno longer dark but shows the crystal incolor. The color depends on the properties ofthe crystal. The light acts as if it travelsthrough the crystal along the optical axes. Ifa crystal optical axis were lined up along oneof the polarizing directions (either the polar-izer or the analyzer) the light would appearto travel only in that direction, and it wouldblink out or go dark. The difference in de-grees between the fiber direction and theangle at which it blinks out is called theangle of extinction. When this angle can bemeasured, it is useful in identifying the min-eral. The procedure for measuring the angleof extinction is to first identify the polariza-tion direction in the microscope. A commer-cial alignment slide can be used to establishthe polarization directions or useanthophyllite or another suitable mineral.This mineral has a zero degree angle of ex-tinction and will go dark to extinction as italigns with the polarization directions. Whena fiber of anthophyllite has gone to extinc-tion, align the eyepiece reticle or graticulewith the fiber so that there is a visual cue as


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to the direction of polarization in the field ofview. Tape or otherwise secure the eyepiecein this position so it will not shift.

After the polarization direction has beenidentified in the field of view, move the par-ticle of interest to the center of the field ofview and align it with the polarization direc-tion. For fibers, align the fiber along this di-rection. Note the angular reading of the ro-tating stage. Looking at the particle, rotatethe stage until the fiber goes dark or ‘‘blinksout’’. Again note the reading of the stage.The difference in the first reading and thesecond is an angle of extinction.

The angle measured may vary as the ori-entation of the fiber changes about its longaxis. Tables of mineralogical data usually re-port the maximum angle of extinction. As-bestos forming minerals, when they exhibitan angle of extinction, usually do show anangle of extinction close to the reportedmaximum, or as appropriate depending onthe substitution chemistry.

4.5. Crossed Polars With Compensator

When the optical axes of a crystal are notlined up along one of the polarizing direc-tions (either the polarizer or the analyzer)part of the light travels along one axis andpart travels along the other visible axis. Thisis characteristic of birefringent materials.

The color depends on the difference of thetwo visible indices of refraction and thethickness of the crystal. The maximum dif-ference available is the difference betweenthe α and the γ axes. This maximum dif-ference is usually tabulated as thebirefringence of the crystal.

For this test, align the fiber at 45° to thepolarization directions in order to maximizethe contribution to each of the optical axes.The colors seen are called retardation colors.They arise from the recombination of lightwhich has traveled through the two separatedirections of the crystal. One of the rays isretarded behind the other since the light inthat direction travels slower. On recombina-tion, some of the colors which make upwhite light are enhanced by constructive in-terference and some are suppressed by de-structive interference. The result is a colordependent on the difference between the in-dices and the thickness of the crystal. Theproper colors, thicknesses, and retardationsare shown on a Michel-Levy chart. The threeitems, retardation, thickness andbirefringence are related by the following re-lationship:

R = t(nγ—α)R = retardation, t = crystal thickness in µ m,

andα,γ = indices of refraction.

Examination of the equation for asbestosminerals reveals that the visible colors foralmost all common asbestos minerals and

fiber sizes are shades of gray and black. Theeye is relatively poor at discriminating dif-ferent shades of gray. It is very good at dis-criminating different colors. In order tocompensate for the low retardation, a com-pensator is added to the light train betweenthe polarization elements. The compensatorused for this test is a gypsum plate of knownthickness and birefringence. Such a com-pensator when oriented at 45° to the polar-izer direction, provides a retardation of 530nm of the 530 nm wavelength color. This en-hances the red color and gives the back-ground a characteristic red to red-magentacolor. If this ‘‘full-wave’’ compensator is inplace when the asbestos preparation is in-serted into the light train, the colors seen onthe fibers are quite different. Gypsum, likeasbestos has a fast axis and a slow axis.When a fiber is aligned with its fast axis inthe same direction as the fast axis of thegypsum plate, the ray vibrating in the slowdirection is retarded by both the asbestosand the gypsum. This results in a higher re-tardation than would be present for either ofthe two minerals. The color seen is a secondorder blue. When the fiber is rotated 90°using the rotating stage, the slow directionof the fiber is now aligned with the fast di-rection of the gypsum and the fast directionof the fiber is aligned with the slow directionof the gypsum. Thus, one ray vibrates fasterin the fast direction of the gypsum, andslower in the slow direction of the fiber; theother ray will vibrate slower in the slow di-rection of the gypsum and faster in the fastdirection of the fiber. In this case, the effectis subtractive and the color seen is a firstorder yellow. As long as the fiber thicknessdoes not add appreciably to the color, thesame basic colors will be seen for all asbestostypes except crocidolite. In crocidolite thecolors will be weaker, may be in the oppositedirections, and will be altered by the blue ab-sorption color natural to crocidolite. Hun-dreds of other materials will give the samecolors as asbestos, and therefore, this test isnot definitive for asbestos. The test is usefulin discriminating against fiberglass or otheramorphous fibers such as some synthetic fi-bers. Certain synthetic fibers will show re-tardation colors different than asbestos;however, there are some forms of poly-ethylene and aramid which will show mor-phology and retardation colors similar to as-bestos minerals. This test must be supple-mented with a positive identification testwhen birefringent fibers are present whichcan not be excluded by morphology. Thistest is relatively ineffective for use on fibersless than 1 µ m in diameter. For positive con-firmation TEM or SEM should be used if nolarger bundles or fibers are visible.


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4.6. Dispersion Staining

Dispersion microscopy or dispersion stain-ing is the method of choice for the identi-fication of asbestos in bulk materials. Beckeline analysis is used by some laboratoriesand yields the same results as does disper-sion staining for asbestos and can be used inlieu of dispersion staining. Dispersion stain-ing is performed on the same platform as thephase-polar analysis with the analyzer andcompensator removed. One polarizing ele-ment remains to define the direction of thelight so that the different indices of refrac-tion of the fibers may be separately deter-mined. Dispersion microscopy is a dark-fieldtechnique when used for asbestos. Particlesare imaged with scattered light. Light whichis unscattered is blocked from reaching theeye either by the back field image mask in aMcCrone objective or a back field imagemask in the phase condenser. The most con-venient method is to use the rotating phasecondenser to move an oversized phase ringinto place. The ideal size for this ring is forthe central disk to be just larger than theobjective entry aperture as viewed in theback focal plane. The larger the disk, theless scattered light reaches the eye. This willhave the effect of diminishing the intensityof dispersion color and will shift the actualcolor seen. The colors seen vary even on mi-croscopes from the same manufacturer. Thisis due to the different bands of wavelengthexclusion by different mask sizes. The maskmay either reside in the condenser or in theobjective back focal plane. It is imperativethat the analyst determine by experimen-tation with asbestos standards what the ap-propriate colors should be for each asbestostype. The colors depend also on the tempera-ture of the preparation and the exact chem-istry of the asbestos. Therefore, some slightdifferences from the standards should be al-lowed. This is not a serious problem for com-mercial asbestos uses. This technique is usedfor identification of the indices of refractionfor fibers by recognition of color. There is nodirect numerical readout of the index of re-fraction. Correlation of color to actual indexof refraction is possible by referral to pub-lished conversion tables. This is not nec-essary for the analysis of asbestos. Recogni-tion of appropriate colors along with theproper morphology are deemed sufficient toidentify the commercial asbestos minerals.Other techniques including SEM, TEM, andXRD may be required to provide additionalinformation in order to identify other typesof asbestos.

Make a preparation in the suspectedmatching high dispersion oil, e.g., n=1.550 forchrysotile. Perform the preliminary tests todetermine whether the fibers arebirefringent or not. Take note of the mor-phological character. Wavy fibers are indic-ative of chrysotile while long, straight, thin,

frayed fibers are indicative of amphibole as-bestos. This can aid in the selection of theappropriate matching oil. The microscope isset up and the polarization direction is notedas in Section 4.4. Align a fiber with the po-larization direction. Note the color. This isthe color parallel to the polarizer. Then ro-tate the fiber rotating the stage 90° so thatthe polarization direction is across the fiber.This is the perpendicular position. Againnote the color. Both colors must be consist-ent with standard asbestos minerals in thecorrect direction for a positive identificationof asbestos. If only one of the colors is cor-rect while the other is not, the identificationis not positive. If the colors in both direc-tions are bluish-white, the analyst has cho-sen a matching index oil which is higherthan the correct matching oil, e.g. the ana-lyst has used n = 1.620 where chrysotile ispresent. The next lower oil (Section 3.5.)should be used to prepare another specimen.If the color in both directions is yellow-white to straw-yellow-white, this indicatesthat the index of the oil is lower than theindex of the fiber, e.g. the preparation is inn = 1.550 while anthophyllite is present. Se-lect the next higher oil (Section 3.5.) and pre-pare another slide. Continue in this fashionuntil a positive identification of all asbestosspecies present has been made or all possibleasbestos species have been ruled out by nega-tive results in this test. Certain plant fiberscan have similar dispersion colors as asbes-tos. Take care to note and evaluate the mor-phology of the fibers or remove the plant fi-bers in pre-preparation. Coating material onthe fibers such as carbonate or vinyl may de-stroy the dispersion color. Usually, therewill be some outcropping of fiber which willshow the colors sufficient for identification.When this is not the case, treat the sampleas described in Section 3.3. and then performdispersion staining. Some samples will yieldto Becke line analysis if they are coated orelectron microscopy can be used for identi-fication.

5. References

5.1. Crane, D.T., Asbestos in Air, OSHAmethod ID160, Revised November 1992.

5.2. Ford, W.E., Dana’s Textbook of Mineral-ogy; Fourth Ed.; John Wiley and Son, NewYork, 1950, p. vii.

5.3. Selikoff,.I.J., Lee, D.H.K., Asbestos andDisease, Academic Press, New York, 1978, pp.3, 20.

5.4. Women Inspectors of Factories. AnnualReport for 1898, H.M. Statistical Office, Lon-don, p. 170 (1898).

5.5. Selikoff,.I.J., Lee, D.H.K., Asbestos andDisease, Academic Press, New York, 1978, pp.26, 30.

5.6. Campbell, W.J., et al, Selected SilicateMinerals and Their Asbestiform Varieties,United States Department of the Interior,


184


Bureau of Mines, Information Circular 8751,1977.

5.7. Asbestos, Code of Federal Regulations,29 CFR 1910.1001 and 29 CFR 1926.58.

5.8. National Emission Standards for Hazard-ous Air Pollutants; Asbestos NESHAP Revision,FEDERAL REGISTER, Vol. 55, No. 224, 20 No-vember 1990, p. 48410.

5.9. Ross, M. The Asbestos Minerals: Defini-tions, Description, Modes of Formation, Phys-ical and Chemical Properties and Health Risk tothe Mining Community, Nation Bureau ofStandards Special Publication, Washington,D.C., 1977.

5.10. Lilis, R., Fibrous Zeolites and En-demic Mesothelioma in Cappadocia, Turkey,J. Occ Medicine, 1981, 23, (8) ,548–550.

5.11. Occupational Exposure to Asbestos—1972, U.S. Department of Health Educationand Welfare, Public Health Service, Centerfor Disease Control, National Institute forOccupational Safety and Health, HSM–72–10267.

5.12. Campbell,W.J., et al, Relationship ofMineral Habit to Size Characteristics forTremolite Fragments and Fibers, United StatesDepartment of the Interior, Bureau of Mines,Information Circular 8367, 1979.

5.13. Mefford, D., DCM Laboratory, Denver,private communication, July 1987.

5.14. Deer, W.A., Howie, R.A., Zussman, J.,Rock Forming Minerals, Longman, Thetford,UK, 1974.

5.15. Kerr, P.F., Optical Mineralogy; ThirdEd. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1959.

5.16. Veblen, D.R. (Ed.), Amphiboles andOther Hydrous Pyriboles—Mineralogy, Reviewsin Mineralogy, Vol 9A, Michigan, 1982, pp 1–102.

5.17. Dixon, W.C., Applications of Optical Mi-croscopy in the Analysis of Asbestos andQuartz, ACS Symposium Series, No. 120, Ana-lytical Techniques in Occupational HealthChemistry, 1979.

5.18. Polarized Light Microscopy, McCroneResearch Institute, Chicago, 1976.

5.19. Asbestos Identification, McCrone Re-search Institute, G & G printers, Chicago,1987.

5.20. McCrone, W.C., Calculation of Refrac-tive Indices from Dispersion Staining Data,The Microscope, No 37, Chicago, 1989.

5.21. Levadie, B. (Ed.), Asbestos and OtherHealth Related Silicates, ASTM TechnicalPublication 834, ASTM, Philadelphia 1982.

5.22. Steel, E. and Wylie, A., Riordan, P.H.(Ed.), Mineralogical Characteristics of As-bestos, Geology of Asbestos Deposits, pp. 93–101,SME–AIME, 1981.

5.23. Zussman, J., The Mineralogy of Asbes-tos, Asbestos: Properties, Applications and Haz-ards, pp. 45–67 Wiley, 1979.

APPENDIX L TO § 1915.1001—WORK PRAC-TICES AND ENGINEERING CONTROLSFOR AUTOMOTIVE BRAKE AND CLUTCHINSPECTION, DISASSEMBLY, REPAIRAND ASSEMBLY—MANDATORY

This mandatory appendix specifies engi-neering controls and work practices thatmust be implemented by the employer dur-ing automotive brake and clutch inspection,disassembly, repair, and assembly oper-ations. Proper use of these engineering con-trols and work practices by trained employ-ees will reduce employees’ asbestos exposurebelow the permissible exposure level duringclutch and brake inspection, disassembly, re-pair, and assembly operations. The employershall institute engineering controls andwork practices using either the method setforth in paragraph [A] or paragraph [B] ofthis appendix, or any other method whichthe employer can demonstrate to be equiva-lent in terms of reducing employee exposureto asbestos as defined and which meets therequirements described in paragraph [C] ofthis appendix, for those facilities in which nomore than 5 pairs of brakes or 5 clutches areinspected, disassembled, reassembled and/orrepaired per week, the method set forth inparagraph [D] of this appendix may be used:

[A] Negative Pressure Enclosure/HEPA VacuumSystem Method

(1) The brake and clutch inspection, dis-assembly, repair, and assembly operationsshall be enclosed to cover and contain theclutch or brake assembly and to prevent therelease of asbestos fibers into the worker’sbreathing zone.

(2) The enclosure shall be sealed tightlyand thoroughly inspected for leaks beforework begins on brake and clutch inspection,disassembly, repair, and assembly.

(3) The enclosure shall be such that theworker can clearly see the operation andshall provide impermeable sleeves throughwhich the worker can handle the brake andclutch inspection, disassembly, repair andassembly. The integrity of the sleeves andports shall be examined before work begins.

(4) A HEPA-filtered vacuum shall be em-ployed to maintain the enclosure under neg-ative pressure throughout the operation.Compressed-air may be used to remove as-bestos fibers or particles from the enclosure.

(5) The HEPA vacuum shall be used first toloosen the asbestos containing residue fromthe brake and clutch parts and then to evac-uate the loosened asbestos containing mate-rial from the enclosure and capture the ma-terial in the vacuum filter.

(6) The vacuum’s filter, when full, shall befirst wetted with a fine mist of water, thenremoved and placed immediately in an im-permeable container, labeled according to


185


paragraph (k)(8) of this section and disposedof according to paragraph (l) of this section.

(7) Any spills or releases of asbestos con-taining waste material from inside of the en-closure or vacuum hose or vacuum filtershall be immediately cleaned up and dis-posed of according to paragraph (l) of thesection.

[B] Low Pressure/Wet Cleaning Method

(1) A catch basin shall be placed under thebrake assembly, positioned to avoid splashesand spills.

(2) The reservoir shall contain water con-taining an organic solvent or wetting agent.The flow of liquid shall be controlled suchthat the brake assembly is gently flooded toprevent the asbestos-containing brake dustfrom becoming airborne.

(3) The aqueous solution shall be allowedto flow between the brake drum and brakesupport before the drum is removed.

(4) After removing the brake drum, thewheel hub and back of the brake assemblyshall be thoroughly wetted to suppress dust.

(5) The brake support plate, brake shoesand brake components used to attach thebrake shoes shall be thoroughly washed be-fore removing the old shoes.

(6) In systems using filters, the filters,when full, shall be first wetted with a finemist of water, then removed and placed im-mediately in an impermeable container, la-beled according to paragraph (k)(8) of thissection and disposed of according to para-graph (l) of this section.

(7) Any spills of asbestos-containing aque-ous solution or any asbestos-containingwaste material shall be cleaned up imme-diately and disposed of according to para-graph (l) of this section.

(8) The use of dry brushing during low pres-sure/wet cleaning operations is prohibited.

[C] Equivalent Methods

An equivalent method is one which has suf-ficient written detail so that it can be repro-duced and has been demonstrated that theexposures resulting from the equivalentmethod are equal to or less than the expo-sures which would result from the use of themethod described in paragraph [A] of this ap-pendix. For purposes of making this com-parison, the employer shall assume that ex-posures resulting from the use of the methoddescribed in paragraph [A] of this appendixshall not exceed 0.016 f/cc, as measured bythe OSHA reference method and as averagedover at least 18 personal samples.

[D] Wet Method

(1) A spray bottle, hose nozzle, or other im-plement capable of delivering a fine mist ofwater or amended water or other deliverysystem capable of delivering water at lowpressure, shall be used to first thoroughly

wet the brake and clutch parts. Brake andclutch components shall then be wiped cleanwith a cloth.

(2) The cloth shall be placed in an imper-meable container, labelled according to para-graph (k)(8) of this section and then disposedof according to paragraph (l) of this section,or the cloth shall be laundered in a way toprevent the release of asbestos fibers in ex-cess of 0.1 fiber per cubic centimeter of air.

(3) Any spills of solvent or any asbestoscontaining waste material shall be cleanedup immediately according to paragraph (l) ofthis section.

(4) The use of dry brushing during the wetmethod operations is prohibited.

[59 FR 41080, Aug. 10, 1994, as amended at 60FR 33344, June 28, 1995; 60 FR 33987–33995,June 29, 1995; 60 FR 36044, July 13, 1995; 60 FR50412, Sept. 29, 1995; 61 FR 43457, Aug. 23, 1996;63 FR 35137, June 29, 1998]

§ 1915.1002 Coal tar pitch volatiles; in-terpretation of term.

NOTE: The requirements applicable to ship-yard employment under this section areidentical to those set forth at § 1910.1002 ofthis chapter.

[61 FR 31430, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1003 13 carcinogens (4–Nitrobiphenyl, etc.).


[61 FR 31430, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1004 alpha-Naphthylamine.


[61 FR 31430, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1005 [Reserved]

§ 1915.1006 Methyl chloromethyl ether.


[61 FR 31430, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1007 3,3′-Dichlorobenzidiene(and its salts).

NOTE: The requirements applicable to ship-yard employment under this section are


186


identical to those set forth at § 1910.1003 ofthis chapter.

[61 FR 31430, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1008 bis-Chloromethyl ether.NOTE: The requirements applicable to ship-

yard employment under this section areidentical to those set forth at § 1910.1003 ofthis chapter.

[61 FR 31430, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1009 beta-Naphthylamine.NOTE: The requirements applicable to ship-


[61 FR 31430, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1010 Benzidine.NOTE: The requirements applicable to ship-


[61 FR 31430, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1011 4-Aminodiphenyl.NOTE: The requirements applicable to ship-


[61 FR 31430, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1012 Ethyleneimine.NOTE: The requirements applicable to ship-


[61 FR 31430, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1013 beta-Propiolactone.NOTE: The requirements applicable to ship-


[61 FR 31430, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1014 2-Acetylaminofluorene.NOTE: The requirements applicable to ship-


[61 FR 31430, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1015 4-Dimethylaminoazobenzene.

NOTE: The requirements applicable to ship-yard employment under this section are


[61 FR 31430, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1016 N-Nitrosodimethylamine.NOTE: The requirements applicable to ship-


[61 FR 31430, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1017 Vinyl chloride.NOTE: The requirements applicable to ship-


[61 FR 31430, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1018 Inorganic arsenic.NOTE: The requirements applicable to ship-


[61 FR 31431, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1020 Access to employee expo-sure and medical records.


[61 FR 31431, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1025 Lead.NOTE: The requirements applicable to ship-


[61 FR 31431, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1027 Cadmium.NOTE: The requirements applicable to ship-


[61 FR 31431, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1028 Benzene.NOTE: The requirements applicable to ship-


[61 FR 31431, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1030 Bloodborne pathogens.NOTE: The requirements applicable to ship-

yard employment under this section are


187

Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor Pt. 1917


[61 FR 31431, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1044 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane.


[61 FR 31431, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1045 Acrylonitrile.


[61 FR 31431, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1047 Ethylene oxide.


[61 FR 31431, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1048 Formaldehyde.


[61 FR 31431, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1050 Methylenedianiline.


[61 FR 31431, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1052 Methylene chloride.

NOTE: The requirements applicable to ship-yard employment under this section areidentical to those set forth at 29 CFR1910.1052.

[62 FR 1619, Jan. 10, 1997]

§ 1915.1200 Hazard communication.


[61 FR 31431, June 20, 1996]

§ 1915.1450 Occupational exposure tohazardous chemicals in labora-tories.


[61 FR 31431, June 20, 1996]

PART 1917—MARINE TERMINALS

Subpart A—Scope and Definitions

Sec.1917.1 Scope and applicability.1917.2 Definitions.1917.3 Incorporation by reference.

Subpart B—Marine Terminal Operations

1917.11 Housekeeping.1917.12 Slippery conditions.1917.13 Slinging.1917.14 Stacking of cargo and pallets.1917.15 Coopering.1917.16 Line handling. (See also § 1917.95(b)).1917.17 Railroad facilities.1917.18 Log handling.1917.19 Movement of barges and rail cars.1917.20 Interference with communications.1917.21 Open fires.1917.22 Hazardous cargo (see § 1917.2(p)).1917.23 Hazardous atmospheres and sub-

stances (See also § 1917.2(r)).1917.24 Carbon monoxide.1917.25 Fumigants, pesticides, insecticides

and hazardous preservatives (see§ 1917.2(p)).

1917.26 First aid and lifesaving facilities.1917.27 Personnel.1917.28 Hazard communication (See also

§ 1917.1(a)(2)(vi)).1917.29 Retention of DOT markings, plac-

ards and labels.1917.30 Emergency action plans.

Subpart C—Cargo Handling Gear andEquipment

1917.41 House falls.1917.42 Miscellaneous auxiliary gear.1917.43 Powered industrial trucks.1917.44 General rules applicable to vehicles.1917.45 Cranes and derricks (See also

§ 1917.50).1917.46 Load indicating devices.1917.47 Winches.1917.48 Conveyors.1917.49 Spouts, chutes, hoppers, bins, and

associated equipment.1917.50 Certification of marine terminal ma-

terial handling devices (See also manda-tory appendix IV, part 1918 of this chap-ter).

1917.51 Hand tools.


part 1915—occupational safe- ty and health...

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