Asbestos has many applications including electrical insulation, thermal insulation, and flooring. Most manufacturers also use it when making components like cement pipes, textiles, plastics, fiber jointing, paper, thread, and coating products. Unfortunately, asbestos can break down into incredibly tiny fibers that remain airborne for a long time. Health experts associate inhaling asbestos fibers with a chronic lung disease known as Asbestosis. That is why they recommend asbestos training in boosting safety and avoiding the health issues that manifest when people breathe in this compound. Keep reading to learn more.
What is Asbestos Training?
Asbestos training helps maintenance and custodial staff work with or around asbestos without exposing themselves or others to health hazards. Suppose you are an employer and your employees work in environments with considerable fiber level exposure. In that case, authorities like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) require you to ensure your team has adequate training. When it comes to that, most institutions offer three courses: awareness training, special O&M (operation and maintenance) training, and abatement worker training. Awareness training is suitable for personnel handling minor tasks like cleaning in working areas with asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). But, any staff members that maintain or repair ACMs need special O&M training. In addition, if your technicians directly or intentionally contact asbestos-containing materials regularly, they should go through abatement worker training. Most asbestos training programs cover protective clothing, asbestos regulations, work area preparation, and decontamination procedures, among other topics.
Why is Asbestos Training Necessary?
Employees exposed to ACMs need asbestos training to help them:
1. Stay Safe
Excessive asbestos exposure can cause numerous malignant diseases, including ovarian cancer, mesothelioma, lung cancer, and laryngeal cancer. Asbestos training helps workers understand that. It also introduces them to various ways to augment their safety. For instance, trainers may show them how to perform air monitoring and regularly record the outcomes. They are better positioned to notice any unusual fiber spikes in the air. Moreover, asbestos safety classes introduce them to personal protective equipment (PPE) like overalls, footwear, and respiratory protective equipment and how to use them. That is important because PPE protects the wearer from potential risks.
2. Eradicate Airborne Asbestos Fibers
Most people make grave mistakes when removing asbestos from the air or other surfaces. These include sweeping and vacuuming. Such activities aggravate the situation by disturbing loose asbestos fibers and spreading them around. Trained employees are well aware of that. Therefore, they are likely to use safer techniques like wetting down or mopping affected areas. Besides, you need workers trained to use asbestos removal equipment effectively. To summarize, putting your team through asbestos safety training ensures they can improve indoor air quality and well-being by monitoring and decimating high asbestos levels when necessary.
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21 March 2022
Do you own a janitorial service, or are you looking for a great deal on the cleaning supplies you need for your business? Finding the right supplies at the best possible price can go a long way in reducing the overhead for your business. I have compiled a list of products that can be used for several purposes and a general pricing list that can help you budget for what you need. You will also find some useful tips that will help you keep your place of business looking and smelling great. Hopefully, you find the information to be helpful.
