AHERA Asbestos Worker key terms

A group of naturally occurring fibrous silicate minerals that resist heat and chemicals and can split into very thin, durable fibers when disturbed. Inhalation of these fibers is linked to serious lung disease.

The most common asbestos mineral, a serpentine type whose fibers are curly and flexible. It was widely used in roofing, pipe insulation, and friction products and is the only serpentine asbestos regulated as such.

A family of straight, needle-like asbestos minerals including amosite, crocidolite, anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite. Their fibers are generally more brittle and are associated with higher disease potency than chrysotile.

Any material or product that contains more than one percent asbestos by weight, as determined by an accredited laboratory using polarized light microscopy. Handling and disposal rules apply to all such material.

Describes asbestos material that can be crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder by hand pressure when dry. Friable material readily releases fibers and is subject to the strictest work practice rules.

Describes asbestos material that cannot be crumbled by hand pressure when dry, such as floor tile or transite. It becomes regulated as friable if cutting, grinding, or sanding releases fibers.

Non-friable asbestos material that contains asbestos in a resilient matrix, such as floor tile, mastic, or roofing. It is generally not regulated under NESHAP unless it is sanded, ground, or badly damaged.

Non-friable asbestos material that is not resilient, such as asbestos cement siding or transite pipe. If it will be crumbled or pulverized during demolition, it is treated as a regulated asbestos-containing material.

Friable asbestos material, or non-friable material that may become friable during handling, that is subject to NESHAP removal and disposal rules. RACM must be removed before demolition in most cases.

A chronic scarring disease of the lung caused by inhaling asbestos fibers, producing shortness of breath and reduced lung function. It typically follows years of high-dose exposure and has no cure.

A rare cancer of the thin lining around the lungs or abdomen that is strongly linked to asbestos exposure. It can appear decades after exposure and is usually fatal.

The long delay, often 10 to 40 years, between first asbestos exposure and the appearance of related disease. This delay is why medical surveillance and exposure records matter long after a job ends.

The National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, the federal EPA rules that govern how asbestos is removed, handled, and disposed of. It requires advance notice, wet removal, and proper packaging.

The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, which set training, accreditation, and work practice standards for asbestos work in schools and became a model for many state programs. Workers must be trained under its framework.

The legal airborne asbestos limit of 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter averaged over eight hours. Employers must keep worker exposures at or below it and use engineering controls where feasible.

A short-term OSHA limit of 1.0 fiber per cubic centimeter averaged over 30 minutes. It caps brief high exposures even when the eight-hour average is under the PEL.

A worker designated by the employer who is trained and authorized to identify hazards, select controls, and stop work when conditions are unsafe. OSHA requires one on every asbestos job site.

A test that checks whether a tight-fitting respirator seals against a worker's face. It must be done before first use and at least annually, and whenever a different respirator model is worn.

A health screening required before a worker is assigned to wear a respirator, including a questionnaire and any follow-up exam the physician requires. It confirms the worker can safely wear the assigned respirator.

A device worn over the face that filters or supplies clean air to protect the wearer from airborne asbestos fibers. Selection depends on exposure level and job task, and it must be worn and maintained correctly.

A high-efficiency particulate air filter that traps at least 99.97 percent of particles 0.3 microns in size. It is used in respirators, vacuum cleaners, and air scrubbers to capture asbestos fibers.

A sealed work area kept at lower air pressure than surrounding spaces so air flows inward and fibers cannot escape. It uses plastic sheeting, sealed seams, and air machines with HEPA filters.

A portable unit with a HEPA filter that pulls air from an enclosure and exhausts it outside, keeping the space under negative pressure. Units are sized to achieve the required air changes per hour.

A sequence of connected rooms, typically a dirty room, a shower, and a clean room, that workers pass through when leaving a regulated work area. It prevents fibers from leaving on clothing or skin.

The standard sequence of dirty room, shower, and clean room used for worker exit. Each stage removes more contamination so a worker leaves the site clean.

Water or a water-surfactant mix applied to asbestos material before and during removal to keep fibers from becoming airborne. Material must stay wet until it is packaged.

Water mixed with a surfactant that helps it penetrate asbestos material so fibers stay bound and dust stays down. It is used instead of plain water during wet removal.

The required practice of keeping asbestos material wet while it is cut, removed, and packaged so fibers are not released into the air. Dry removal is prohibited for most regulated material.

A sealed plastic bag with built-in gloves and an access opening that lets a worker remove small amounts of asbestos from pipes or fixtures without a full enclosure. It must be sealed and disposed of as asbestos waste.

Practices such as washing hands and face, showering before leaving, and never eating, drinking, or smoking in the work area. They reduce the chance of carrying fibers home or ingesting them.

The risk of carrying asbestos fibers home on clothing, shoes, or hair and exposing family members. It is prevented by proper decontamination and never wearing contaminated clothing off site.

A program of periodic health checks, including work history and often chest imaging, offered to workers with significant asbestos exposure. It helps detect early signs of asbestos-related disease.

A document that records a worker's measured or estimated asbestos exposure over time. Employers must keep these records, often for 30 years, and provide them to workers on request.

A form that tracks asbestos waste from the generation site to the disposal facility and confirms its arrival. It documents proper handling and must be kept as a disposal record.

Packaging for asbestos waste that will not release fibers during handling or transport, such as sealed, labeled heavy plastic bags or drums. Waste must be wet and placed in such containers before leaving the site.

The process of sampling airborne fibers and counting them, usually by phase contrast microscopy, to measure exposure or verify a work area is clean. Results drive respirator choices and clearance decisions.

The final check that an abatement area is safe to reoccupy, based on a visual inspection and air samples below the required limit. Work is not done until clearance is achieved.

A small piece of material collected and analyzed to determine whether it contains asbestos and in what amount. Proper sampling avoids disturbing fibers and protects the person taking it.