POWER October 2019 - 41

COAL
tos fibers from being generated during
handling and removal, thereby reducing
health effects associated with asbestos
exposure including lung cancer, mesothelioma,
and asbestosis.
A Tiered Abatement System
Asbestos abatement worker protection
and training requirements are established
at the federal level by the U.S.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) and the EPA. Furthermore,
individual state requirements are
similar to the federal regulations but can
include stricter variations and provisions.
The rules generally require asbestos
abatement to be performed by licensed
contractors. Some cities require a city-issued
license. Also, companies must designate
an abatement supervisor (referred
to as an OSHA competent person in 29
CFR 1926.1101, Asbestos) capable of
identifying asbestos hazards in the workplace
and the authority to correct them.
The OSHA regulations use a graded
approach when removing asbestos,
with the majority of resources applied to
Class I and Class II work prior to demolition.
The classes are:
■ Class I. Removal of thermal system
(such as pipe) insulation.
■ Class II. Removal of asbestos-containing
wallboard, floor tile and sheeting,
roofing and siding shingles, and construction
mastics.
■ Class III. Repair and maintenance operations
where asbestos is likely to be
disturbed.
■ Class IV. Maintenance and custodial
activities, where employees contact
but do not disturb asbestos; and activities
to clean up dust, waste, and
debris resulting from Class I, II, and III
activities.
Engineering, administrative, and personal
protective equipment (such as
respirators) prevent employee exposure
and fiber dispersion. For example, ventilation
and piping isolation is performed in
connection with using negative-pressure
enclosures sealed with tape and plastic
sheeting; using high-efficiency particulate
air (HEPA)-filtered vacuums, wetcleaning,
and glove bags; cutting nails
or bolts with flat, sharp instruments; and
decontamination enclosures (such as
shower and clean rooms).
Employee Asbestos Monitoring. Asbestos
air monitoring cassettes are
used to collect worker breathing-zone
air samples by measuring fiber content
for a specific air volume in a stated time
period. The cassette filters are analyzed
using the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH) Method
7400, Asbestos and Other Fibers by
PCM (phase contrast light microscopy)
or Method 7402, Asbestos by TEM
(transmission electron microscopy). Different
cassettes and NIOSH methods
are available depending on the airborne
hazard being monitored.
Workers are issued their own respirators
according to the asbestos class and
29 CFR 1910.134, Respiratory Protection,
to prevent inhalation of asbestos
H + H o f f e r s i n d i v i d u a l
D e N Ox - ( S C R ) S o l u t i o n s
NOx, CO, HCHO and HC reduction
Catalyst Design
Service & Maintenance
1. The microPHAZIR AS asbestos analyzer
is a powerful tool that enables in-field, rapid
screening and identification of asbestos within
seconds. Courtesy: Thermo Fisher Scientific
and other hazardous airborne constituents.
Once abatement is completed,
areas are decontaminated. Additional
encapsulation can be applied using a
lockdown sealant, with area air samples
confirming final clearance criteria.
microPHAZIR AS Asbestos Analyzer.
Typical asbestos sampling can take seven
to 10 business days, costing $5 to
$20/layer for polarized light microscopy
analysis and $50 to $150/layer for TEM
analysis, depending on turnaround time.
The Thermo Scientific hand-held, near-infrared
(NIR) spectroscopy microPHAZIR
AS asbestos analyzer enables rapid (3 to
5 seconds) and qualitative in-field identification
of all six regulated asbestos fiber
types. Similar in concept to an X-ray fluorescence
(XRF) device analyzing for lead
in paint, the microPHAZIR AS (Figure 1)
can scan ducting, pipes, boilers, wallboard,
flooring, and ceiling tiles without
disturbing and releasing asbestos into
the environment.
Regulated Materials Survey
Asbestos is not the only danger encounOctober
2019 | POWER
www.powermag.com
41
http://www.powermag.com
POWER October 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of POWER October 2019
