Asbestos Attorney
OSHA’s Asbestos Regulations
The Occupational Safety Health Administration, or OSHA, has long recognized the dangers of asbestos. In an effort to prevent the exposure of employees and therefore to minimize the chances of developing mesothelioma, OSHA has worked closely with the Environmental Protection Agency to develop a set of rules that everyone can follow.
Asbestos, as a well known health hazard, is extremely regulated. Every year, an estimated 1.3 million employees in construction and general industry are likely to face substantial asbestos exposure while on the job. The heaviest chance of exposure is in the construction industry, particularly for individuals who work in the asbestos removal field or in renovation or demolition. The manufacturing world is not immune from the chances of exposure. Employees here are likely to be exposed while manufacturing asbestos products like textiles, friction products, insulation, and a variety of other building materials. Individuals in the car repair world can be exposed while working on brakes and clutches for a variety of vehicles.
To prevent exposure incidents or minimize the risks of exposure, OSHA and the EPA have intertwined their rules. This decreases the chances that people in general will be exposed.
OSHA has given industry a variety of ways to control the exposure to asbestos. It can be done through engineering controls, administrative actions, and personal protective equipment, or PPEs. Engineering controls are the most complex ways of controlling asbestos. It involves isolating the source of asbestos and then using ventilation systems to route air around the area. Administrative actions allow for time limits on potential exposure and providing showers. Showers are important as they wash away the fibers and prevent worker from taking the fibers home to their families. Personal protective equipment is probably the easiest thing to do but the hardest to enforce.
Contact a Asbestos Attorney
If you have been exposed to asbestos fibers or diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact the asbestos attorneys of Williams Kherkher at 1-800-781-3955.
