Virginia Law

Asbestos abatement workers shall complete at least a four-day (32 hours) training program as outlined below. All training programs shall be approved by the board. The accredited asbestos training program shall include lectures, demonstrations, at least 14 hours of hands-on training, a training program review, and an examination.

The training shall address the following topics:

1. Physical characteristics of asbestos.

a. Identification of asbestos.

b. Aerodynamic characteristics.

c. Typical uses and physical appearance.

d. A summary of abatement control options.

2. Potential health effects related to asbestos exposure.

a. The nature of asbestos-related diseases.

b. Routes of exposure, dose-response relationships and the lack of a safe exposure level.

c. Synergism between cigarette smoking and asbestos exposure.

d. Latency period for disease.

3. Employee personal protective equipment.

a. Classes and characteristics of respirator types.

b. Limitations of respirators and their proper selection, inspection, donning, use, maintenance, and storage procedures.

c. Methods for field testing of the facepiece-to-face seal (positive and negative pressure fitting tests).

d. Qualitative and quantitative fit testing procedures.

e. Variability between field and laboratory protection factors.

f. Factors that alter respirator fit (e.g., facial hair).

g. The components of a proper respiratory protection program.

h. Selection and use of personal protective clothing; use, storage, and handling of nondisposable clothing.

i. Regulations covering personal protective equipment.

4. State-of-the-art work practices.

a. Asbestos abatement activities including descriptions of construction and maintenance of barriers and decontamination enclosure systems.

b. Positioning of warning signs.

c. Electrical and ventilation system lock-out.

d. Working techniques for minimizing fiber release, use of wet methods, use of negative pressure ventilation equipment, use of high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) vacuums.

e. Clean-up and disposal procedures.

f. Work practices for removal, encapsulation, enclosure, and repair.

g. Emergency procedures for sudden releases.

h. Potential exposure situations, and transport and disposal procedures.

i. Recommended and prohibited work practices.

5. Personal hygiene.

a. Entry and exit procedures for the work area, use of showers, avoidance of eating, drinking, smoking, and chewing (gum or tobacco) in the work area.

b. Potential exposures, including family exposure.

6. Additional safety hazards.

a. Hazards encountered during abatement activities and how to deal with them, including electrical hazards, heat stress, air contaminants other than asbestos, fire and explosion hazards.

b. Scaffold and ladder hazards.

c. Slips, trips and falls.

d. Confined spaces.

7. Medical monitoring.

a. OSHA requirements for a pulmonary function test.

b. Chest X-rays and a medical history for each employee.

8. Air monitoring.

a. Procedures to determine airborne concentrations of asbestos fibers.

b. Focusing on how personal air sampling is performed and the reasons for it.

9. Relevant federal, state and local regulatory requirements, procedures and standards, with particular attention directed at relevant EPA, OSHA, and state regulations concerning asbestos abatement workers and Department of Transportation regulations (49 CFR 172 Subpart H), with emphasis on packaging requirements and marking of containers of ACM waste.

10. Establishment of respiratory protection programs.

11. Training program review. A review of key aspects of the accredited asbestos training program.