What Employers and Workers Need to Know about Asbestos Awareness Training

If you have to work with asbestos in your workplace, you should receive regular training. The training will convert your dangerous work environment into a safer environment. In the following sections, we provide everything you need to know about asbestos awareness training.

What is Asbestos Awareness Training?

Asbestos awareness includes training content for workers and supervisors who are exposed to asbestos. The purpose of this training program is to enable employees to work safely with asbestos-containing materials. This ensures that workers can know where asbestos is found and what steps to take to stay safe.

The training includes the following:

• Identification, handling, and control methods
•  Asbestos-containing products (such as asbestos duct connectors, asbestos fireproofing, asbestos plastics, and asbestos vinyl products)
• Loose-fill asbestos (raw asbestoses that are crushed into a fine state and installed as ceiling insulation)

Therefore, your employer is obliged to provide:

• Detailed information on hazards and control measures to have a safe environment.
• The right training content for each worker

Who needs Asbestos awareness?

Asbestos awareness training is a must for any people who encounter asbestos in their workplace. For example, the following people must receive this training:

• Insulation installers; pest spray operators; air-conditioning installers; repair workers; solar panel providers
• Electricians; plumbers; carpenters and joiners; plasterers
• Painters and decorators; gas fitters; demolition workers; floor finishers
• Construction workers
• Emergency services workers

What does Asbestos awareness training cover?

Asbestos awareness training should include the following items:

• Characteristics of asbestos and its detrimental effects on health (for example, increasing the risk of lung cancer)
• The types, applications, sources, and likely occurrence of asbestos
• General procedures in emergency situations (for example, when asbestos dust is uncontrollably released in the workplace)
• How to avoid the risk of exposure to asbestos
• Federal, state, and local asbestos regulations
• Protective clothing donning and handling
• How to use a respirator and do fit-testing
• Appropriate decontamination procedures
• Waste handling and disposal

Let’s sum up …

Always remember that you should not work with asbestos-containing materials without receiving the necessary training. You must first be able to identify asbestos-containing materials in your work environment. Then you need to know what protective equipment you need and how to use it. In addition, you need to know what to do in an emergency situation. You should also be aware of the harmful effects of asbestos on your health.

Our specialists at the Southern Nevada Occupational Health Center offer the Asbestos Physical Exam. You can call us to schedule an appointment or fill out the form on the left side of the page. Please feel free to ask your questions.