OSHA Standards

Asbestos hazards are addressed in specific standards for general industry and shipyard employment. This section highlights OSHA standards, preambles to final rules (background to final rules), Federal Register notices (rules, proposed rules), directives (instruction to OSHA staff), letters of interpretation (official letters of interpretation of the standards) related to asbestos.

General Industry (29 CFR 1910)

• 1910 Subpart Z, Toxic and hazardous substances [related topic page]
  • 1910.1001, Asbestos
    • Appendix A, OSHA reference method - Mandatory
    • Appendix B, Detailed procedure for asbestos sampling and analysis - Non-mandatory
    • Appendix C, Qualitative and quantitative fit testing procedures - Mandatory
    • Appendix D, Medical questionnaires; Mandatory
    • Appendix E, Interpretation and classification of chest roentgenograms - Mandatory
    • Appendix F, Work practices and engineering controls for automotive brake and clutch inspection, disassembly, repair and assembly - Mandatory
    • Appendix G, Substance technical information for asbestos - Non-mandatory
    • Appendix H, Medical surveillance guidelines for asbestos - Non-mandatory
    • Appendix I, Smoking cessation program information For asbestos - Non-mandatory
    • Appendix J, Polarized light microscopy of asbestos - Non-mandatory [Also see: Polarized Light Microscopy of Asbestos. OSHA Method ID-191, (December 1992).]

Shipyard Employment (29 CFR 1915)

• 1915 Subpart Z, Toxic and hazardous substances
  • 1915.1001, Asbestos
    • Appendix A, OSHA reference method - Mandatory
    • Appendix B, Detailed procedure for asbestos sampling and analysis - Non-mandatory
    • Appendix C, Qualitative and quantitative fit testing procedures - Mandatory
    • Appendix D, Medical questionnaires; Mandatory
    • Appendix E, Interpretation and classification of chest roentgenograms - Mandatory
    • Appendix F, Work practices and engineering controls for Class I asbestos operations - Non-mandatory
    • Appendix G, [Reserved]
    • Appendix H, Substance technical information for asbestos - Non-mandatory
    • Appendix I, Medical surveillance guidelines for asbestos - Non-mandatory
    • Appendix J, Smoking cessation program information for asbestos - Non-mandatory
    • Appendix K, Polarized light microscopy of asbestos - Non-mandatory [Also see: Polarized Light Microscopy of Asbestos. OSHA Method ID-191, (December 1992).]
    • Appendix L, Work practices and engineering controls for automotive brake and clutch inspection, disassembly, repair and assembly - Mandatory

For information related to the construction, see OSHA's Asbestos - Construction page.

Preambles to Final Rules

• Asbestos (1996 - Corrected)
• Asbestos (1994 - Amended)
• Asbestos (1992 - Original)
• Asbestos (1988 - Original)
• Search all available preambles to final rules.

Federal Register Notices

• Submission for OMB Review: Comment Request. Notice 75: 45671-45672, (August 3, 2010).
• Standards Improvement Project, Phase III. Proposed Rules 75:38645-38671, (July 2, 2010).
• Assigned Protection Factors; Final Rule. Final Rules 71:50121-50192, (August 24, 2006). Revises the existing Respiratory Protection Standard to add definitions and requirements for Assigned Protection Factors (APFs) and Maximum Use Concentrations (MUCs). The revisions also supersede the respirator selection provisions of existing substance-specific standards, including the Asbestos Standards, with these new APFs.
• Search all available federal register notices for General Industry Asbestos (1910.1001), or Shipyard Asbestos (1915.1001).

Directives

• OSHA's National Emphasis Program (NEP) on Shipbreaking. CPL 03-00-020, (March 7, 2016). Describes policies and procedures for continued implementation of a National Emphasis Program (NEP) to reduce and eliminate workplace hazards associated with shipbreaking operations.
• Shipyard Employment "Tool Bag" Directive. CPL 02-00-157, (April 1, 2014). Provides OSHA offices, interested industry representatives, State Plan programs and federal agencies with guidance concerning the application of occupational safety and health standards in shipyard employment. Also, this instruction provides current information and ensures the consistent enforcement of OSHA's shipyard employment standards (29 CFR Part 1915).
• Inspection Procedures for Occupational Exposure to Asbestos Final Rule 29 CFR Parts 1910.1001, 1926.1101, and 1915.1001. CPL 02-02-063 [CPL 2-2.63 CH-1], (January 9, 1996). Includes 11 pages of changes only.
• Occupational Exposure to Asbestos, Tremolite, Antrohyllite, and Actinolite; Final Rules Amending Present Standards in General Industry (29 CFR 1910.1001) and in Construction (29 CFR 1926.58), and Lift. CSP 01-01-026 [STP 2-1.126A], (October 21, 1992).
• Search all available directives.

Letters of Interpretation

Scope

• Applicable asbestos standard for replacing a rubber encapsulated asbestos gasket. (September 10, 2003).
• Application of Asbestos Standards to repair and maintenance operations. (September 26, 2001).

Asbestos removal

• Classification of removal of asbestos-containing gaskets; requirement to conduct removal in a "glove bag". (April 5, 2007)
• Application of the asbestos standard and labeling requirements to gaskets or packings containing >1% asbestos. (December 22, 2003).
• Applicable asbestos standard for replacing a rubber encapsulated asbestos gasket. (September 10, 2003).
• Glove bag use. (May 22, 1996).
• High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filters For Vacuum Cleaning Equipment. (September 6, 1990). States that "cold" DOP aerosol is not acceptable for use in testing and certifying the efficiency of HEPA filters.

Sampling & analysis, and characteristics of asbestos-containing materials

• Correct manner to interpret air sample measurements of an employee's asbestos exposure when the samples are overloaded. (January 17, 2006).
• Sheetrock and joint compound. (April 28, 1997). States that OSHA regards sheetrock (drywall) and joint compound as separate materials.
• OSHA Asbestos Standard. (March 4, 1996). Answers several questions concerning the general industry asbestos standard.
• Exposure monitoring requirements. (August 19, 1993). Equivalent methods and samplers. States that the exposure monitoring requirements be evaluated using the OSHA Reference Method (ORM). If an alternative method to the ORM is used, certain criteria must be met.
• Reporting limits for Asbestos air concentrations. (August 28, 1991). Discusses what limit to report for asbestos analysis.
• NIOSH 582 training requirements relating to asbestos analysis slides. (August 28, 1991). States that person preparing slides for asbestos analysis need not be 582 trained, but the person reading the slides is required to be trained.
• OSHA requires a minimum of 2 and at least 10% blanks be taken for all samples regardless of purpose. (May 4, 1990). States that whenever either of the major asbestos methods are used, blanks are required to be used.
• Recommended changes for asbestos sampling from SLCAL. (April 26, 1989). Discusses the sampling differences between the 37 mm cassette and the 25 mm cassette.

Friction materials, including brakes

• Current studies on the use of engineering controls to decrease asbestos exposures to mechanics performing brake and clutch repair. (February 10, 2004).
• Application of asbestos standard's brake and clutch repair provisions. (September 13, 1999).
• The protection of employees working with automotive brakes. (December 11, 1995). Addresses the control of asbestos fibers during the inspection process, during the use of aerosol products, and when asbestos fibers have contaminated the working surface of the repair or inspection area of the establishment.
• The use of solvent aerosol for controlling exposure to asbestos during automotive brake repair. (September 29, 1995). Discusses the required work practices for the use of solvent aerosol.
• Asbestos in the car repair industry. (March 22, 1995). Discusses OSHA's revised Asbestos Standard as it pertains to asbestos in the car repair industry.

Building evaluation and use

• Installing a barrier film over asbestos-containing flooring. (April 21, 2014).
• Requirement for facility owners to notify tenants or employers of presence of ACM and PACM. (January 16, 2007).
• Requirements for providing awareness training for employees performing housekeeping duties; providing notification of ACM/PACM for employers and employees. (January 17, 2006).
• Duty of building owners to determine the presence, location, and quantity of ACM and PACM. (November 17, 1999).
• Questions concerning OSHA's Asbestos Standard. (September 5, 1996). Answers a variety of questions regarding the asbestos standard.
• Building and/or facility owner notification requirements. (February 21, 1996). Discusses building and/or facility owner notification requirements in OSHA's general industry asbestos standard.
• The requirements of a building owner for conducting a survey, and the labeling of asbestos materials under the OSHA asbestos standard. (February 16, 1996). Describes how survey should be an evaluation of each building and how the standard does not require that samples be taken during the survey, unless the owner is trying to demonstrate that no asbestos is present in the building.
• OSHA Asbestos Standard. (January 24, 1996). Discusses clarification on three issues related to the asbestos standard: warning labels and signs, training for Class III workers, and when working at costumer locations.
• (OSHA) revised asbestos standard. (May 8, 1995). Discusses three issues: the training required for a floor maintenance worker, the requirement to identify asbestos-containing floors, and the possible OSHA penalties for non-compliance.
• Smoking and occupational exposure to asbestos. (September 4, 1990). Provides guidance concerning the intent of the new regulations on smoking and occupational exposure to asbestos.

Worker protection

• Clarification of OSHA's asbestos standards for general industry and construction and the respiratory protection standard as applied to medical surveillance of employees. (May 10, 2007).
• Qualifications for interpreting/classifying chest roentenograms and maintenance of interpretation forms. (November 30, 2005).
• Questions regarding the cleaning of asbestos-containing floor tile. (November 5, 1999).
• Clarification of OSHA's risk assessment and approach for setting the asbestos PEL. (July 23, 1999). Provides clarification of the rational OSHA used to set the current PEL.
• Employee safety and the laundering of contaminated clothing. (April 1,1997). Discusses how contaminated work clothes should be washed.
• Regulation on OSHA's Occupational Exposure to Asbestos. (May 9, 1995). Discusses which standard applies to workers engaged in telecommunications work.
• Respirator fit testing requirements in the revised asbestos standard. (September 25, 1986). Discusses when qualitative fit testing of full-face-piece respirator is considered to be in accord with the asbestos standard.
• Evaluation of X-rays and pulmonary function tests for early diagnosis of lung disease. (February 4, 1985). Discusses the notification of employees of medical test results.

Emergency response

• Asbestos Standard for Construction. (September 4, 1996). Discusses when the construction standard or the general standard applies during cleanup of asbestos.
• HAZWOPER and Asbestos standards apply to any emergency response to an uncontrolled hazardous substance release involving the presence of asbestos. (April 26, 1994). Provides clarification on the use of direct reading instruments during the initial response phase to an emergency release of asbestos.
• Search all available letters of interpretation for General Industry Asbestos (1910.1001), App A - OSHA Reference Method - Mandatory, or Shipyard Asbestos (1915.1001).

Other Resources

• The Asbestos Advisor. OSHA Expert Systems. Provides interactive compliance assistance. Once installed on your PC, it can interview you about buildings and worksites, and the kinds of tasks workers perform there. It will produce guidance on how the Asbestos Standard may apply to those buildings.