

Chief State Medical Examiner
Overview
Asbestos is a category of fibrous minerals that were widely used in industry and commercial building products for their durable properties. It is this durability combined with its ability to penetrate deep into the lung which makes it so hazardous to human health. Asbestos fibers enter the body by being breathed in or by being swallowed and can become lodged in the respiratory or digestive systems. Exposure to asbestos can cause many disabling or fatal diseases; these diseases take years to develop.
Among these diseases is asbestosis, a chronic lung disease characterized by lung scarring which stiffens the lung. This interferes with normal lung function, resulting in shortness of breath, increased vulnerability to lung infections, and sometimes death. Occupational exposure to asbestos increases the risk of lung and gastrointestinal cancer and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a cancerous tumor that spreads rapidly in the membranes covering the lungs and body organs.
Because of the serious health effects that exposure to asbestos can cause, the handling of asbestos-containing materials is regulated in New Jersey. Several different state agencies regulate asbestos as follows:
Jersey. Several different state agencies regulate asbestos as follows:
STATE AGENCY | RESPONSIBILITIES | CONTACT INFO |
NJ Department of Health (NJDOH) - Indoor Environments Program |
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Website Phone: (609) 826-4950 Fax: (609) 826-4975 |
NJ Department of Labor & Workforce Development (NJDLWD) – Asbestos Control and Licensing Section |
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Website Phone: (609) 633-2159 Fax: (609) 633-0664 |
NJ Department of Community Affairs (DCA) – Asbestos/Lead Unit |
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Website Phone: (609) 633-6224 Fax: (609) 633-1040 |
NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) |
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Website Phone: (609) 633-1418 Fax: (609) 633-1112 |
NJ Department of Health & Senior Services (NJDOH) – Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSH) Program |
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Website Phone: (609) 984-1863 Fax: (609) 984-2779 |
The PEOSH General Industry Asbestos Standard has been adopted in full from the U.S. Department of Labor, General Industry Asbestos Standard (29 CFR 1910.1001).
The Standard applies to all occupational exposures to asbestos in general industry. Public employees covered by this standard primarily include housekeeping staff, custodians, and automotive mechanics engaged in brake and clutch work.
Q: What are the requirements for exposure monitoring?
A: The employer must assess all asbestos operations for potential generation of airborne asbestos fibers (except for brake and clutch repair where a "preferred" control method is used). Where an exposure may exceed the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL), employee exposure measurements must be made from breathing zone air samples representing the 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) and 30-minute Exposure Limit (EL) for each employee.
Initial monitoring also must be performed for all employees who are, or may reasonably be expected to be, exposed to airborne concentrations of asbestos at or above the PEL and/or EL unless:
If initial air monitoring indicates that exposures are above the PEL and/or EL, periodic monitoring must be conducted at intervals of at least every six months.
Affected employees and their representatives must be allowed to observe monitoring and must be notified in writing within 15 working days after the receipt of the monitoring results.
Q: What are the requirements for regulated areas?
A: The employer must establish and set apart a regulated area wherever airborne concentrations of asbestos and/or presumed asbestos-containing material exceed the PEL and/or EL.
No smoking, eating, drinking, chewing tobacco or gum, or applying cosmetics is permitted in regulated areas.
Only authorized personnel may enter regulated areas. Personnel must be supplied with and are required to use an appropriate respirator.
Warning signs must be provided and posted at all approaches to regulated areas.
Warning labels must be affixed to all asbestos products (raw materials, mixtures, scrap) and to all containers of asbestos products, including waste containers.
Q: What control methods are in the Standard?
A: Where feasible, engineering and work practice controls must be used to reduce and maintain employee exposure at or below the PEL and or EL. The Standard requires the employer to institute the following methods and work practices:
Q: What specific work practices must be used when working with asbestos?
A: The employer must assure that employees:
Q: What are the respiratory protection requirements?
A: Respirators must be selected, provided, and used while feasible engineering and work practice controls are being installed; during maintenance and repair activities or other activities where engineering and work practice controls are not feasible; in work situations where feasible engineering and work practice controls are not yet sufficient to reduce exposure to or below the PEL and/or EL; and in emergencies. When respirators are used, the employer must:
Q: What personal protective equipment is needed for employees who work with asbestos?
A: For any employee exposed to airborne concentrations of asbestos that exceed the PEL and/or EL, the employer must provide at no cost to the employee protective clothing such as coveralls or similar full-body clothing, head coverings, gloves, and foot coverings. If the possibility of eye irritation exists, face shields, vented goggles, or other appropriate protective equipment must be provided and worn.
Asbestos-contaminated work clothing must be removed in change rooms and placed and stored in closed, labeled containers. The employer must provide clean protective clothing and equipment at least weekly to each affected employee and inform the person who launders the asbestos-contaminated clothing of the potentially harmful effects of exposure to asbestos.
Contaminated clothing and equipment must be transported in sealed impermeable bags, or other closed containers, and must be labeled.
Q: What hygiene facilities and practices are required?
A: Employees who are exposed above the PEL/EL must be provided with clean change rooms, shower facilities, and lunchrooms. Change rooms must have two separate lockers or storage facilities (one for contaminated clothing, the other for street clothing). Employees must shower at the end of the shift. Lunchroom facilities must have a positive pressure filtered air supply and be accessible. The employer must ensure that employees wash their hands prior to eating, drinking, or smoking. Smoking is prohibited in regulated areas.
Q: What obligations do building owners have to employers?
A: The Standard requires building/facility owners and employers of potentially exposed employees to institute the following practices:
Q: What information and training is required?
A: Employers must develop a training program for all employees who are exposed to airborne concentrations of asbestos at or above the PEL and/or EL. This training must be provided prior to or at the time of initial assignment and then yearly and include information on how employees can safeguard their health. Employers must provide an annual awareness training course for employees who do custodial/housekeeping operations in facilities where asbestos-containing materials or presumed asbestos-containing materials are present. The training must include:
Training must be made available to employees on work time without cost and in a clearly understandable manner.
Q: What are the housekeeping requirements if I have asbestos-containing building materials in my building?
A: All surfaces must be kept as free as possible of accumulations of waste containing asbestos and/or asbestos dust. The preferred methods of cleanup are wet cleaning and/or vacuuming with HEPA filtered vacuuming equipment. Compressed air and dry sweeping must not be used. All spills and sudden releases of asbestos containing materials must be immediately cleaned up. Sanding asbestos-containing floors is prohibited. Stripping of floor finishes must be conducted using wet methods and low abrasion pads at speeds lower than 300 rpm.
Q: Do I have to provide medical surveillance to all of my employees?
A: The employer must institute a medical surveillance program for all employees who are or will be exposed to airborne concentrations of asbestos at or above the PEL and/or EL.
All medical examinations and procedures must be performed by or under the supervision of a licensed physician. All medical examinations must occur at a reasonable time and place and be provided at no cost to the employee.
Annual examinations must include:
An abbreviated Periodic Medical Questionnaire [pdf ??k] (CFR part 1910.1001 Appendix D, Part 2 of the Standard) must be administered to employees who are provided periodic medical examinations. The employer must provide the examining physician with the following information:
When the physician has completed the exam, he must supply the employer a written signed opinion that includes the medical examination results, whether the employee has any medical conditions that would place the employee at an increased risk from exposure to asbestos; any recommended limitations on employee use of personal protective equipment, a statement that the employee has been informed of their examination results, and a statement that the employee has been informed of the increased risk of lung cancer due to the combined effect of smoking and asbestos exposure. The physician is not to reveal to the employer specific findings or diagnoses unrelated to occupational asbestos exposure. The employer must provide a copy of the physician's written opinion to the affected employee within 30 days of its receipt.
Q: What records need to be kept on file?
A: The employer must keep employee asbestos exposure records for 30 years. Medical surveillance records must be kept for the duration of employment plus 30 years. Employee training records must be kept for one year beyond the last date of employment. Building and facility owners are required to keep records about the presence, location, and quantity of asbestos containing material and presumed asbestos-containing material in the building and/or facility. These records must be kept for the duration of ownership and must be transferred to the subsequent owners.