4.1 Work practices, engineering controls, personal protective equipment and other precautions to minimize exposure to airborne asbestos fibers have been extensively documented in regulations, training manuals and other publications. The work described in these publications ranges from large-scale abatement projects to minor disturbances and clean-up. Practices E1368 and E2394 address these issues within the context of their subject matter.
4.2 This practice applies to specific types of asbestos work where the same task is performed by various persons without substantial deviation from a documented procedure and with material containing the same type and similar content of asbestos fiber. The exposure from such operations can be expected to remain fairly consistent as long as these parameters do not vary substantially and the workers have received the required training to perform the task.
4.3 Because of the variability in field conditions under which large-scale work such as asbestos abatement is performed, the opportunity to collect sufficient personal air samples under conditions similar enough to establish statistical confidence can be questioned. For this reason, this practice does not address the collection of such samples and their use for determining exposure data to apply on other projects. Users with such requirements are referred to the applicable regulations for guidance.
4.4 There are many tasks, however, that are of short duration and amenable to testing under controlled conditions for assessing worker exposure. These tasks are performed by equipment installers and other tradesmen in the course of their ordinary duties in what this practice refers to as the current job. The following list of potential tasks where ACMs can be disturbed is by no means inclusive and the feasibility of conducting an Exposure Assessment is the responsibility of the user:
4.4.1 Drilling holes through asbestos floor tile and sheet vinyl flooring,
4.4.2 Removing small pieces of floor tile and sheet vinyl flooring to expose the substrate,
4.4.3 Drilling holes through asbestos-cement roofing, siding, ceiling panels, ducts and pipes,
4.4.4 Drilling and cutting holes in wallboard,
4.4.5 Drilling holes in ceiling tiles,
4.4.6 Removing and replacing ceiling tiles,
4.4.7 Patching roofing materials,
4.4.8 Removing window putty and caulking,
4.4.9 Cleaning asbestos-lined or contaminated ducts,
4.4.10 Removing gaskets and packing,