OSHA Asbestos Training Requirements

Asbestos is a material that was widely used to fireproof buildings until it was later banned due to health hazards. Improperly handling asbestos can result in the material's very fine fibers becoming lodged in the lungs. They can then scratch the inner walls of the lung and, over time, cause cancerous growths to form. The substance was banned for use in construction, and OSHA set guidelines for safely working with the material during its removal.

General Duty Clause

• OSHA requires employers to provide a work environment that is free of any and all substances that are known to be hazardous and likely to cause injury or death to employees. While this is a general statement, the clause was designed to specifically apply to substances such as asbestos. Thus, if an workplace is in an old building lined with asbestos, the employer cannot legally have employees working there until the material has been removed and the building has been cleared as safe for employees to congregate and work. If employees are exposed to amounts of asbestos that are higher than the recommended safe amounts, the employer has to provide a training program for safely working in that environment and make sure all employees attend the program.

Asbestos Removal Training

• Any workers who are actively removing asbestos from a building are required to take an accredited safety course equivalent to those required of OSHA's own workers. The course must be given by a course provider approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. The employer must assume the cost of these courses, and the employee is not required to pay anything for attending these safety courses.

Asbestos Testing

• Any group that is testing a building for asbestos contamination needs to be trained to do so in a way that meets OSHA's requirements for safe containment. Air samples must be sampled with mixed cellulose ester filter membranes produced specifically for the purpose of asbestos counting. Samples must be shipped in a rigid container, and packing materials that have the potential for high static charge---such as expanded polystyrene---are prohibited, since static electricity can dislodge asbestos fibers.