Virginia Law

Asbestos project designers shall complete a three-day (24 hours) training program as outlined below. The three-day asbestos project designer training program shall include lectures, demonstrations, a field trip, training program review, and a written examination. The three-day asbestos project designer training program shall address the following topics:

1. Training program overview.

a. The role of the project designer in the asbestos abatement industry.

b. Discussion of what a project design is.

2. Background information on asbestos.

a. Identification of asbestos; examples and discussion of the uses and locations of asbestos in buildings.

b. Physical appearance of asbestos.

3. Potential health effects related to asbestos exposure.

a. Nature of asbestos-related diseases.

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

c. The synergistic effect between cigarette smoking and asbestos exposure.

d. The latency period of asbestos-related diseases; a discussion of the relationship between asbestos exposure and asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and cancer of other organs.

4. Overview of abatement construction projects.

a. Abatement as a portion of a renovation project.

b. OSHA requirements for notification of other contractors on a multi-employer site (29 CFR 1926.1101).

5. Safety system design specifications.

a. Construction and maintenance of containment barriers and decontamination enclosure systems.

b. Positioning of warning signs.

c. Electrical and ventilation system lock-out.

d. Proper working techniques for minimizing fiber release.

e. Entry and exit procedures for the work area, use of wet methods, use of negative pressure exhaust ventilation equipment, use of high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) vacuums, proper clean-up and disposal of asbestos, work practices as they apply to encapsulation, enclosure, and repair, use of glove bags and a demonstration of glove bag use.

6. Field trip.

a. Visit a proposed abatement site or other suitable building site, including on-site discussions of abatement design.

b. Building walk-through inspection, and discussion following the walk-through.

7. Employee personal protective equipment.

a. Classes and characteristics of respirator types.

b. Limitations of respirators, 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, factors that alter respirator fit (e.g., facial hair, dental work and weight loss or gain).

f. Components of a proper respiratory protection program.

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

h. Regulations covering personal protective equipment.

8. Additional safety hazards.

a. Hazards encountered during abatement activities and how to deal with them.

b. Electrical hazards, heat stress, air contaminants other than asbestos, fire and explosion hazards.

9. Fiber aerodynamics and control.

a. Aerodynamic characteristics of asbestos fibers.

b. Importance of proper containment barriers.

c. Settling time for asbestos fibers.

d. Wet methods in abatement.

e. Aggressive air monitoring following abatement.

f. Aggressive air movement and negative pressure exhaust ventilation as a clean-up method.

10. Designing abatement solutions.

a. Discussions of removal, enclosure, and encapsulation methods.

b. Asbestos waste disposal.

11. Budgeting/cost estimation.

a. Development of cost estimates.

b. Present costs of abatement versus future operations and maintenance costs.

c. Setting priorities for abatement jobs to reduce cost.

12. Writing abatement specifications.

a. Means and methods specifications versus performance specifications.

b. Design of abatement in occupied buildings.

c. Modification of guide specifications to a particular building.

d. Worker and building occupant health/medical considerations.

e. Replacement of ACM with non-asbestos substitutes.

f. Clearance of work area after abatement.

g. Air monitoring for clearance.

13. Preparing abatement drawings.

a. Use of as-built drawings.

b. Use of inspection photographs and on-site reports.

c. Particular problems in abatement drawings.

14. Contract preparation and administration.

15. Legal/liabilities/defenses.

a. Insurance considerations, bonding, hold harmless clauses, and use of abatement contractor's liability insurance.

b. Claims-made versus occurrence policies.

16. Replacement of asbestos with asbestos-free substitutes.

17. Role of other consultants.

a. Development of technical specification sections by industrial hygienists or engineers.

b. The multi-disciplinary team approach to abatement design.

c. The use and responsibilities of a project monitor on the abatement site.

18. Occupied buildings.

a. Special design procedures required in occupied buildings.

b. Education of occupants.

c. Extra monitoring recommendations.

d. Staging of work to minimize occupant exposure.

e. Scheduling of renovation to minimize exposure.

19. Relevant federal, state and local regulatory requirements. Procedures and standards including:

a. Requirements of TSCA Title II;

b. 40 CFR Part 61, National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, Subparts A (General Provisions) and M (National Emission Standard for Asbestos);

c. OSHA standards for respiratory protection (29 CFR 1910.134);

d. EPA Worker Protection Rule, found at 40 CFR Part 763, Subpart G;

e. OSHA Asbestos Construction Standard found at 29 CFR 1926.1101; and

f. OSHA Hazard Communication Standard found in 29 CFR 1926.59.

20. A review of key aspects of the accredited asbestos training program.