HAR §16-77-114. Training requirements

(a) Applicants shall submit proof of the successful completion by the applicant or the applicant's RME, as the case may be, of a four-day Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or board approved asbestos training course taken within two years prior to the filing of the application for license. The training shall include lectures, demonstrations, six hours of hands-on training, individual respirator fit testing, course review, and a written examination. The written examination shall consist of one hundred multiple choice questions and the passing score shall be seventy per cent. The following topics shall be adequately addressed in the training: (1) The physical characteristics of asbestos, and asbestos-containing materials, including identification of asbestos, aerodynamic characteristics, typical uses, and physical appearance; a review of hazard assessment considerations; and a summary of abatement control options; (2) Potential health effects related to asbestos exposure, including the nature of asbestos-related diseases; routes of exposure; dose-response relationships and the lack of a safe exposure level; synergism between cigarette smoking and asbestos exposure; and latency period for disease; (3) Employee personal protective equipment, including classes and characteristics of respirator types; limitations of respirators and their proper selection, inspection, donning, use, maintenance, and storage procedures; methods for field testing of the facepiece-to-face seal (positive and negative pressure fitting tests); qualitative and quantitative fit testing procedures; variability between field and laboratory protection factors; factors that alter respirator fit (e.g., facial hair); the components of a proper respiratory protection program; selection and use of a personal protective clothing; use, storage, and handling of non-disposable clothing; and regulations covering personal protective equipment; (4) State-of-the-art work practices, including proper work practices for asbestos abatement activities including descriptions of proper construction and maintenance of barriers and decontamination enclosure systems; positioning of warning signs; electrical and ventilation system lockout; proper working techniques for minimizing fiber release; use of wet methods; use of negative pressure ventilation equipment; use of high efficiency particulate air 77-34 §16-77-114 (HEPA) vacuums; proper clean-up and disposal procedures; work practices for removal, encapsulation, enclosure, and repair; emergency procedures for sudden releases; potential exposure situations; transport and disposal procedures, and recommended and prohibited work practices; and any new abatement-related techniques and methodologies; (5) Personal hygiene, including entry and exit procedures for the work area; use of showers; and avoidance of eating, drinking, smoking, and chewing (gum or tobacco) in the work area; and other potential exposures, such as family exposure; (6) Additional safety hazards, including hazards encountered during abatement activities and how to deal with them, such as electrical hazards, heat stress, air contaminants other than asbestos, fire and explosion hazards, scaffold and ladder hazards, slips, trips, and falls, and confined spaces; (7) Medical monitoring, including Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements for a pulmonary function test, chest X-rays, and a medical history for each employee; (8) Air monitoring, including procedures to determine airborne concentrations of asbestos fibers that will provide a description of aggressive sampling, sampling equipment and methods; reasons for air monitoring, types of samples, and interpretation of results, specifically from analysis performed by polarized light, phase- contrast, and electron microscopy analyses; (9) Relevant federal, state, and local regulatory requirements including: (A) Requirements of the Toxic Substances Control Act Title II, Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response (P.L. 99-519, 100 Stat. 2970, et seq., 15 U.S.C. §2641 et seq.); (B) National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, (40 CFR Part 61, Subparts A (General Provisions) and M (National Emission Standard for Asbestos)); (C) OSHA standards for permissible exposure to airborne concentrations of asbestos fibers and respiratory protection (29 CFR §1910.134); (D) OSHA Asbestos Construction Standard (29 CFR §1926.1101); and (E) EPA Worker Protection Rule (40 CFR Part 763, Subpart G (Asbestos Abatement Projects)); (10) Respiratory protection programs and medical surveillance programs; 77-35 §16-77-114 (11) Insurance and liability issues, including contractor issues; workers' compensation coverage and exclusions; third-party liabilities and defenses; insurance coverage and exclusions; (12) Recordkeeping for asbestos abatement projects, including records required by federal, state, and local regulations; and records recommended for legal and insurance purposes; (13) Supervisory techniques for asbestos abatement activities, including supervisory practices to enforce and reinforce the required work practices and discourage unsafe work practices; (14) Contract specifications, involving key elements that are included in contract specifications; and (15) Course review of key aspects of the training course. (b) Applicants shall submit proof of the successful completion by the applicant's asbestos abatement workers or employees of a three-day EPA or board approved asbestos training course taken within two years prior to the filing of the application for license. The training shall include lectures, demonstrations, six hours of hands-on training, individual respirator fit testing, course review, and a written examination. The written examination shall consist of fifty multiple choice questions and the passing score shall be seventy per cent. The following topics shall be adequately addressed in the training: (1) Physical characteristics of asbestos, including identification of asbestos, aerodynamic characteristics, typical uses, and physical appearance, and a summary of abatement control options; (2) Potential health effects related to asbestos exposure, including the nature of asbestos-related diseases, routes of exposure, dose-response relationships and the lack of a safe exposure level, synergism between cigarette smoking and asbestos exposure, and latency period for disease; (3) Employee personal protective equipment, including classes and characteristics of respirator types; limitations of respirators and their proper selection, inspection, donning, use, maintenance, and storage procedures; methods for field testing of the facepiece-to-face seal (positive and negative pressure fitting tests); qualitative and quantitative fit testing procedures; variability between field and laboratory protection factors; factors that alter respirator fit (e.g., facial hair); the components of a proper respiratory protection program; selection and use of personal protective clothing; use, storage, and handling of non-disposal clothing; and regulations covering personal protective equipment; (4) State-of-the-art work practices, including proper asbestos abatement activities which describe proper construction and maintenance of 77-36 §16-77-115 barriers and decontamination enclosure systems; positioning of warning signs; electrical and ventilation system lockout; proper working techniques for minimizing fiber release; use of wet methods; use of negative pressure ventilation equipment; use of high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) vacuums; proper clean-up and disposal procedures; work practices for removal, encapsulation, enclosure, and repair; emergency procedures for sudden releases, potential exposure situations; transport and disposal procedures; and recommended and prohibited work practices; (5) Personal hygiene, including 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; and potential exposures, such as family exposure; (6) Additional safety hazards, including 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, scaffold and ladder hazards, slips, trips, and falls, and confined spaces; (7) Medical monitoring, including OSHA requirements for a pulmonary function test, chest X-rays and a medical history for each employee; (8) Air monitoring, including procedures to determine airborne concentrations of asbestos fibers, focusing on how personal air sampling is performed and the reasons for it; (9) Relevant federal, state, and local regulatory requirements, procedures, and standards, including relevant EPA, OSHA, and state regulations concerning asbestos abatement workers; (10) Establishment of respiratory protection programs; and (11) Course review of key aspects of the training course. (c) One day of training shall equal eight hours, including breaks and lunch. [Eff and comp 4/14/88; am and comp 12/9/02; comp 4/15/04] (Auth: HRS §444-4, 444-7.5) (Imp: HRS §§444-7, 444-7.5, 444-8, 444-9, 444-11)