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Asbestos |
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Asbestos workers have increased chances of getting two principal types of
cancer: cancer of the lung tissue itself and mesothelioma, a cancer of the thin
membrane that surrounds the lung and other internal organs. These diseases do
not develop immediately following exposure to asbestos, but appear only after a
number of years. The following documents describe the health hazards of asbestos
and how to recognize it.
- Asbestos Standard for the General Industry.
OSHA Publication 3095, (1995). Also available as a 190 KB PDF.
Provides general OSHA guidelines for asbestos
- Asbestos
Standard for the Construction Industry. OSHA Publication 3096,
(2002). Also available as a 255 KB PDF.
Provides OSHA guidelines for asbestos in construction.
- NIOSH
Recommendations for Limiting Potential Exposures of Workers to Asbestos
Associated with Vermiculite form Libby, Montana. National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Update, (2003, May
21). Cautions that, in general, any vermiculite that
originated from a mine near Libby should be regarded as potentially
contaminated with asbestos.
- NIOSH
Recommendations for Limiting Potential Exposures of Workers to Asbestos
Associated with Vermiculite from Libby, Montana. US Department of Health
and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) Fact Sheet Publication No. 2003-141, (2003, May). Provides information
about vermiculite, its health effects, and how workers can be protected from
asbestos contaminated vermiculite.
- Protecting
Workers' Families: A Research Agenda: Report of the Workers' Family
Protection Task Force. US Department of Health and Human Services,
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication
No. 2002-113, (2002). Represents the Task Force's commentary on the 1995
NIOSH Workers' Home Contamination Study report, identified gaps in the
current knowledge about take-home exposures and related health effects, and
provides a prioritized agenda for Federally sponsored research.
- Protect Your Family: Reduce Contamination at
Home. US Department of Health
and Human Services, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) Publication No. 97-125, (1997). Summarizes a NIOSH conducted
study of contamination of workers' homes by hazardous substances transported
from the workplace.
- Sample
List of Suspect Asbestos-Containing Materials.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region VI, (2002, June). Provides a
list of materials that may contain asbestos.
- Asbestos in Your Home.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Aids in understanding asbestos: what it is, its health effects, where it is in
your home, and what to do about it.
- Asbestos.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Safety and Health Topic, (2003). Provides
recommendations for preventing occupational exposure to asbestos.
- Asbestos
Statistics and Information. US Geological Survey (USGS), (2003). Thousands of tons of asbestos
are currently imported, mined, and used every year in the U.S., mostly for roofing, friction products,
and gaskets. The references in this link provide information on the amount of asbestos produced by year.
- Sample List of Suspect
Asbestos-containing Materials. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region VI,
(2002, June).
Provides a list of materials that may contain
asbestos.
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Report
on Carcinogens (RoC). US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS),
National Toxicology Program (NTP). Identifies and discusses agents, substances,
mixtures, or exposure circumstances that may pose a hazard to human health by
virtue of their carcinogenicity.
- Asbestos. 191 KB PDF,
3 pages. Explains the properties, use, production, exposure, and regulations
regarding asbestos.
- Asbestos Information. Utah Division of Air Quality,
(2002). Discusses asbestos minerals, diseases,
exposure, and occurrence.
- Toxicological Profile for Asbestos.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), (2001, September).
Characterizes the
toxicological and adverse health effects information of asbestos.
- Asbestos: Criteria for a Recommended Standard.
US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), (1976, December). Provides
extensive discussion of asbestos hazards and control measures. Though
the material is dated, this is a valuable resource.
- National Toxicology Program
(NTP). Provides lists of respirable-size mineral fibers that may be
hazardous or considered "reasonably anticipated" carcinogens.
- Ceramic Fibers. 192 KB PDF,
1 page.
- Glass Wool. 194 KB PDF, 2 pages.
- The following references provide information regarding recognition of
asbestos hazards. However, their treatment of compliance issues is out of
date, since the standards were updated in 1994. For regulatory information,
please refer to Asbestos - OSHA
Standards.
- Asbestos. OSHA Fact Sheet, (2002), 63 KB PDF,
2 pages.
- Substance technical information for asbestos. 29
CFR 1926.1101
Appendix H. This non-mandatory appendix to the pre-1994 OSHA standards
was not updated with the standards.
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