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SAFETY MOMENT, SEPTEMBER 15

Never dry sweep, blow off or sand it

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Safety moment, September 15

Never dry sweep, blow off or sand it

Asbestos is still in many older buildings, in insulation, flooring, roofing and other materials. Disturbing it can release fibers too small to see, and you can breathe them in without knowing it. Those fibers can cause lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis, often many years later, and smoking makes the lung cancer risk worse. You cannot tell asbestos by looking at it, so if you are not sure, stop and ask.

SAFETY MOMENT

September 15

The hazard

Asbestos is still in many older buildings, in insulation, flooring, roofing and other materials. Disturbing it can release fibers too small to see, and you can breathe them in without knowing it. Those fibers can cause lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis, often many years later, and smoking makes the lung cancer risk worse. You cannot tell asbestos by looking at it, so if you are not sure, stop and ask.

The action

In construction, dry sweeping, shoveling or other dry cleanup of asbestos dust and debris is prohibited (29 CFR 1926.1101(g)(3)(iii)). Compressed air may not be used to remove asbestos unless an enclosed ventilation system captures the dust cloud (29 CFR 1926.1101(g)(3)(ii)), and sanding asbestos flooring is prohibited (29 CFR 1926.1101(l)(3)(ii)). The rule calls for wet methods and HEPA-filtered vacuums instead, with waste going into leak-tight containers right away (29 CFR 1926.1101(g)(1)). (29 CFR 1926.1101(g)(3)(iii))

ASK THE CREW

What would you do if you uncovered material that might be asbestos in the middle of a job?

From the talk: Asbestos awareness. Read it in full, free, with the questions and the sign-in sheet.

HOW TO USE IT

How to give a safety moment

  1. Gather the crew where they work, before the shift or the meeting starts. Read the hazard out loud.
  2. Ask the question and let two or three people answer. What they say about their own work counts for more than what you read.
  3. Name the action and point to one place on today's job where it applies, so everyone knows what to do differently.
  4. Write the date and the names on a sign-in sheet.

A safety moment is short and does not replace the full talk. When you want to go through a topic with the crew, pick a free toolbox talk.

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