Asbestos was a common roofing material in the 20th century due to its strength and low cost. In the roofing industry, the roofing company is responsible for checking the roof for asbestos. If you find it, you will need to notify your roofing contractor, who will have a certified asbestos abatement contractor come out and take care of it. However, it is not safe for roofers or homeowners because of the health risks associated with asbestos exposure. This blog post will discuss Bronx’s roofing services responsibility when finding asbestos roofing materials on a new roof.
What is Asbestos?
Before the 1980s, asbestos was a common building material. Minerals like chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, anthophyllite and actinolite asbestos may or may not have been chemically treated and altered in building materials.
According to OSHA, roofing, and siding asphalt shingles, thermal system insulation, certain ceiling and floor tiles, and other building materials are examples of suspected asbestos-containing materials (PACM). As a result, contractors working on older properties, in particular, must exercise caution to avoid asbestos exposure.
What Are The Dangers of Asbestos Exposure?
Asbestos is a known carcinogen that can lead to a variety of chronic illnesses. In addition, when suitable protective gear, like a respirator, is not worn, the fibers can easily be ingested or eaten.
Asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and gastrointestinal cancer are just a few of the diseases that can develop after being exposed to asbestos fibers for as long as 20 years or more. Although there are therapies for certain illnesses, they cannot be cured.
Workers can sue their employers in some situations if they get a disease like mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure on the job. Following OSHA guidelines can help you avoid being exposed to this dangerous hazard.
What Does OSHA Consider a Hazardous Level of Asbestos?
Some construction materials contain more than 1% asbestos, representing a health risk if not handled properly. According to OSHA, the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for asbestos is “0.1 fiber per cubic centimeter of air as an eight-hour time-weighted average (TWA), with a 30-minute excursion limit (EL) of 1.0 asbestos fibers per cubic centimeter.”
While these are the legal limits, there is no such thing as an “asbestos-free” level. Even a few days of asbestos exposure can result in serious health consequences. Therefore, you must have someone on-site who has been properly trained to recognize and minimize an asbestos hazard. This person is referred to as a “competent person.”
What is The Role of The Competent Person?
According to OSHA, you must have a designated “competent person” on a job site where asbestos is suspected. This person “is capable of identifying existing asbestos hazards in the workplace and selecting the appropriate control strategy for asbestos exposure” and “has the authority to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate” the asbestos, according to OSHA’s definition.
As an employer, you should provide this person with the tools to maintain the site secure. In addition, OSHA mandates that your designated competent person complete particular EPA-certified training.
If you suspect asbestos on the job site, you must let this person inspect it and collect objective data. This will either verify that there is no danger (a Negative Exposure Assessment (NEA)) and that exposure is below the PEL, or the inspection will find that the threat is serious enough to warrant remediation (a Positive Exposure Assessment (PEA). Any cases of asbestos exposure in the workplace must be documented in detail by employers.
What Kind of Recordkeeping is Required For a Job With an Asbestos Hazard?
Employers are required to keep three types of asbestos-related records:
Exposure Monitoring
Records of employee exposure monitoring must be kept for at least 30 years. The materials monitored, the amount of exposure, the techniques of analysis, the number of samples, and the names, Social Security numbers, and exposure levels of the personnel engaged are all included in these extensive records.
Medical Surveillance
Medical surveillance records for employees must be kept for the life of their employment plus further 30 years.
Training
Any training records must be preserved for one year after the employee’s last day of work.
You have a legal obligation to make these records available to the employees, their representatives, and OSHA when they ask for them.
Conclusion
Employers are responsible for a variety of hazmat-related tasks. For example, if asbestos is found on your job site, you must put up warning signs to restrict the area. You must also provide a respirator to anyone entering the area and inform any other roof repair contractors on the job site of the dangers.
You, as the residential roofing contractor, are in charge of limiting exposure and mitigating risks. If you hire a general contractor, they will be in charge of managing the job site and can enforce compliance.
Although it may appear difficult to reduce and eliminate the risk of asbestos exposure, assistance is available. For example, the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) has created a checklist for workers to contact asbestos-containing construction materials. The OSHA website has this, as well as other tools and information on consultation services.
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