PA Asbestos Abatement flashcards
PA Asbestos Abatement · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Asbestos fiber definition
- A fiber counted under NIOSH 7400 is longer than 5 micrometers, narrower than 3 micrometers, and has an aspect ratio of at least 3 to 1.
- Mesothelioma latency
- Mesothelioma typically develops 20 to 40 years after asbestos exposure. It is a malignancy of the pleural or peritoneal lining and is not caused by smoking.
- Chrysotile versus amphibole
- Chrysotile is a curled serpentine sheet silicate that is more flexible and clears faster. Amphiboles such as amosite and crocidolite form straight, brittle, persistent fibers.
- Asbestosis
- Asbestosis is diffuse interstitial fibrosis of the lung caused by cumulative asbestos exposure. It produces shortness of breath and reduced lung function and is not a cancer.
- NESHAP notification threshold
- Renovation notice is required when regulated ACM measures at least 260 linear feet on pipes, 160 square feet on other components, or 35 cubic feet off facility components.
- OSHA asbestos PEL
- The OSHA permissible exposure limit for asbestos is 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter as an 8-hour time-weighted average. The excursion limit is 1.0 f/cc over 30 minutes.
- AHERA scope
- AHERA, at 40 CFR Part 763, governs asbestos in K-12 schools. It requires accredited inspection, a management plan, 6-month surveillance, and 3-year re-inspection.
- Pennsylvania asbestos authority
- Pennsylvania administers its asbestos abatement and waste program through the Department of Environmental Protection under 25 Pa. Code Chapters 285 and 287, alongside federal rules.
- ACM definition by weight
- Asbestos-containing material contains more than 1 percent asbestos by weight, as determined by polarized light microscopy using an approved method such as EPA 600/R-93/116.
- Friable material
- Friable ACM can be crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder by hand pressure when dry. Friability indicates a high potential for airborne fiber release.
- Homogeneous area
- A homogeneous area is a group of materials with uniform color, texture, and date of application. Each area is sampled separately to characterize the material.
- Category I nonfriable ACM
- Category I nonfriable ACM includes packings, gaskets, resilient floor coverings, and asphalt roofing products that cannot be crumbled by hand pressure.
- Negative exposure assessment
- An NEA is a documented employer demonstration, based on prior monitoring or objective data, that exposure for a specific task will stay below the PEL and excursion limit.
- OSHA exposure record retention
- OSHA requires exposure monitoring records for asbestos to be kept for 30 years. Medical surveillance records are kept for employment duration plus 30 years.
- Abatement plan contents
- The project designer's written plan states scope, work practices, containment design, worker protection, air monitoring, waste handling, and clearance criteria before work starts.
- Three-stage decontamination
- The decon unit has a clean room, a shower, and an equipment or waste room arranged so workers pass from dirty to clean through the shower.
- Critical barriers
- Critical barriers are plastic sheeting sealed over HVAC vents, doors, windows, and other openings before containment is built, preventing fiber migration to occupied spaces.
- Negative air machine
- A negative air machine draws air from the containment through HEPA filtration and exhausts it outside, keeping the containment under negative pressure relative to adjacent areas.
- Glove bag technique
- A glove bag is sealed around a pipe, the insulation is wetted and removed inside the bag, and the bag is sealed and disposed of as asbestos waste.
- Amended water
- Amended water is water mixed with a surfactant that improves wetting of asbestos fibers, reducing airborne release during removal and handling.
- Asbestos waste packaging
- Asbestos waste is placed in leak-tight, labeled containers, often double 6-mil bags that are goosenecked and taped, then shipped by a permitted hauler to an approved landfill.
- PCM versus TEM
- Phase contrast microscopy counts all fibers over 5 micrometers and cannot identify asbestos. Transmission electron microscopy identifies and counts asbestos fibers specifically.
- AHERA clearance criterion
- AHERA school clearance uses five inside TEM samples and requires a result of 70 structures per square millimeter or fewer; exceeding it requires recleaning and re-sampling.
- Aggressive air sampling
- Aggressive sampling uses fans or blowers to disturb settled dust before clearance sampling, increasing the chance of detecting residual contamination in the containment.
- Assigned protection factor
- The APF is the expected level of protection a respirator provides. A half-mask APR has APF 10, a full-face APR 50, and a supplied-air hood 1000.
- Respirator fit testing
- Fit testing verifies a tight seal and is required before initial respirator use and annually thereafter. A user seal check is performed each time the respirator is donned.
- OSHA asbestos medical surveillance
- Medical surveillance is required for employees exposed above the PEL or excursion limit for 30 or more days per year, or who wear negative-pressure respirators.
- Competent person duties
- The competent person inspects the containment daily, monitors work practices, verifies decontamination, and stops work when conditions become unsafe.
- Containment breach response
- Stop work, repair the breach, and evaluate whether additional cleaning or air monitoring is needed before resuming. Document the event and corrective action.
- Heat stress controls
- Impermeable protective clothing and respirators increase heat stress risk. Supervisors monitor workers for symptoms and provide fluids, rest breaks, and cool areas.
- Pennsylvania DEP certification
- Asbestos abatement contractors and workers in Pennsylvania must hold DEP certification obtained through approved training, with annual refresher training to maintain it.
- Regulated asbestos-containing material
- RACM includes friable ACM, Category I nonfriable ACM that will be sanded or abraded, and Category II nonfriable ACM that is in poor condition or will be disturbed.