[ILPlumber]

All this week I'm taking my 40 hour OSHA Asbestos Supervisor class.

Before starting this course I kinda thought abatement was somewhat of a moneymaking scheme.

After 2 days of lecture I have changed my viewpoint. It is some hazardous stuff. Do a Google search on The city of Libby, Montana.

So, anyway. If you do come across something you think is asbestos. Don't mess with it. Call a pro. It can be 10-40 years before symptoms show up. No cure. No way to get it out of you.

Please don't mess with it. You can take it home on your clothes to the family.

 

[rocksteady]

all my asbestos knowledge is pasted together from others opinions and heresay. i always thought that repeated or long term exposure was hazardous but one time or limited was not so bad. is this not the case? say i cut an asbestos vent with a sawzall one time 5 years ago, (i didn't, let's just say i did) am i screwed?





paul

 

[ILPlumber]

I'm not an instructor but, I can say once you inhale fibres. They are in you forever. Are you screwed? I guess only time will tell. I just might be in the same boat you are. I'm not gonna lose any sleep over it though.

 

[Wethead]

do a google search on "second hand smoke"

The funny part is that people worry about asbestos in a boiler room 2 floors down in the basement while sucking on a nice cigarette,

Gasoline is also MORE dangerous if you were to drink it.

You were right the first time, Its a money making scheme

 

[ILPlumber]

do a google search on "second hand smoke"

The funny part is that people worry about asbestos in a boiler room 2 floors down in the basement while sucking on a nice cigarette,

Gasoline is also MORE dangerous if you were to drink it.

You were right the first time, Its a money making scheme

What does second-hand smoke have to do with what I'm talking about.
Although, I do agree second smokers shoud keep it away from others.

I worry about asbestos in a boiler room while not smoking. It is dangerous when disturbed.

The gasoline comment absoutely makes no sense to me:blink:

If you disturb asbestos while working (because hey its not that bad. Just a scheme right) you are subjected to civil litigation.

I'm out.

 

[Wethead]

Right, That's the point, UNTIL it's disturbed it's not dangerous, just like my gasoline comment.

Gasoline is for cars NOT for drinking.

Asbestos is for INSULATING and not PLAYING with,

I mean if your against Asbestos, you might as well be afraid of everything.

Everything is dangerous WHEN not used or dealt with properly, that's my point.

OH and for the "second hand smoke"

Yea, I bet you'll be around someone who smokes but a boiler room with asbestos makes you cringe , it's you who makes no sense, second hand smoke will kill you faster then the 3 minutes in your life that you'll spend with asbestos, hell many people will never even run into it, ever

So yea, just gimmick.

I wonder if we could have the PVC glue police next, You ever look at a MSDS sheet on primer?

Why don't you have a looksie "_". Asbestos won't seem so bad anymore


As you say " I'm out "

JUST MY opinion

What does second-hand smoke have to do with what I'm talking about.
Although, I do agree second smokers shoud keep it away from others.

I worry about asbestos in a boiler room while not smoking. It is dangerous when disturbed.

The gasoline comment absoutely makes no sense to me:blink:

If you disturb asbestos while working (because hey its not that bad. Just a scheme right) you are subjected to civil litigation.

I'm out.

 

[Airgap]

I've had my 40 hour supervisor training for 2 years now, and i am required to have a 1 hour refresher each year to keep being able to do abatements. I have a respect for it similar to working with gas, treat it with respect and know what you are doing and you'll be fine. I also do an average of 2-3 glovebags per month, but I do it out of necessity not as a moneymaking scheme, although at one time this was the case with some AB contractors in the 80's.

 

[ILPlumber]

I've had my 40 hour supervisor training for 2 years now, and i am required to have a 1 hour refresher each year to keep being able to do abatements. I have a respect for it similar to working with gas, treat it with respect and know what you are doing and you'll be fine. I also do an average of 2-3 glovebags per month, but I do it out of necessity not as a moneymaking scheme, although at one time this was the case with some AB contractors in the 80's.

Good post air-gap. I'm glad you shared your experiences with me. I've never met another plumber that was also a certified supervisor. I think it will come in very handy.
Few questions for you:

What kind of mask do you use? I hear 3m is most comfortable?

Where do you buy your stuff? Glove bags/mask/suits/p100 filters

 

[Wethead]

. It can be 10-40 years before symptoms show up. No cure. No way to get it out of you.

Are you referring to these?

 

[ROCKSTARPLUMBER]

Thats wierd, all my marlboro lights have white filters on them. DUDES, we all gotta die sometime. Im with wet, more worried about the glues and primers.

 

[Airgap]

Good post air-gap. I'm glad you shared your experiences with me. I've never met another plumber that was also a certified supervisor. I think it will come in very handy.
Few questions for you:

What kind of mask do you use? I hear 3m is most comfortable?

Where do you buy your stuff? Glove bags/mask/suits/p100 filters

Thanks, I do use a 3m half-mask and you can hardly tell it's there. I started out using a PAPR, but realized quickly that was'nt going to work.

I work for Va Tech in the plumbing maintenance shop, and do residential work on the side as much as I can. I haven't been able to use my AB training as of yet on my business side, but I hope to in the future.

All of our supplies are provided through university budget, so I'm not much help there, but we use a local safety supplier for our Tyveks, and glove bags. I'll see what other info I can dig up tomorrow.

 

[ILPlumber]

Thats wierd, all my marlboro lights have white filters on them. DUDES, we all gotta die sometime. Im with wet, more worried about the glues and primers.

I use the low Voc stuff. Don't in particularly want to get sick from that either.

 

[Wethead]

But seriously and back on topic

@ILplumber

It's good to hear that you are taking a class, its better then not knowing how it can hurt you.

I do agree it is dangerous if messed with

 

[Airgap]

Hey, Ilplumber, just wondering what made you decide to do the ab training? What types of situations do you see it.

 

[ILPlumber]

Hey, Ilplumber, just wondering what made you decide to do the ab training? What types of situations do you see it.

Asbestos Contractor had one wing of a College under containment. They broke a water main (I have no idea how) No valves to the wing to isolate it. I could not go in to make the repair. Ended up shutting water down to that entire building. They had to haul water to finish their work. A week later after they had clean air samples I went in and spent an hour doing the repair. I decided right then to get certified.

I also figure on doing my own stuff if I just have to change a valve or cut in a tee. All minor fibre release stuff though. I don't plan on entering the field as a full fledged contractor. You never know though

 

[Airgap]

Asbestos Contractor had one wing of a College under containment. They broke a water main (I have no idea how) No valves to the wing to isolate it. I could not go in to make the repair. Ended up shutting water down to that entire building. They had to haul water to finish their work. A week later after they had clean air samples I went in and spent an hour doing the repair. I decided right then to get certified.

I also figure on doing my own stuff if I just have to change a valve or cut in a tee. All minor fibre release stuff though. I don't plan on entering the field as a full fledged contractor. You never know though

I think you've made a good decision. If you get your name out there with the supervisor training you can really profit from it. I only do glove bags, no containment work. There are a lot of small jobs out there that most people don't want to fool with. remember, keep it wet, it won't be friable:thumbup:, easy.

 

[Marlin]

Most of the guys at the shop I work for don't pay any mind to it. I am of the opinon though I'm not sure if it's correct that it is fairly harmless when in good shape and not disturbed. So I don't run out of a house when I see it. I certainly am not going to start playing with it though.
My first experiance with it was replacing a boiler. It is a big old oil fired steam (converted to hot water) boiler in a large building. The asbestos has long since been removed from the pipes and three guys and myself cut the headers out. We start taking the jacket off to break up the sections and soon discover it was insulated in asbestos.
No one there pays it any mind and just continues on taking it apart. So I open my mouth and comment on the asbestos. They kind of look at me funny and tell me it's nothing to worry about, we're going to scrape it off and vacuum it up.
I have a good mask but that alone is not enough to go ripping out asbestos. No one else is even equipped with a dust mask and a pair of gloves. I basically say "you're nuts I'm not doing this", walk out, call my boss and tell him I'm not doing it. I can tell he isn't happy about it but he obliges and tells me someone is else is going to come and I can go do something else. I did offer to let someone use my mask so they had at least some protection and nobody wanted it.
I've seen it plenty of times since then and have only been asked to remove it once. We were supposed to rip out a bunch of old insulated steam lines to replace them with new pex water lines. I did the same thing, walked outside, called the boss and said I'm not going this. He doesn't like it but he isn't going to fire me over it and if he does I really don't care. My health is worth more then a few dollars.


OSHA would have had a field day at that job sight.

 

[ILPlumber]

Good for you Marlin!

Gotta protect yourself.

 

[Airgap]

It's harmless if not disturbed. The best insulation we've ever come up with. Unfortunately, there are potentially some long term risks. Marlin, you made the right call, we have to look out for ourselves cause sometimes that's the only person who will. I will say the chances of getting sick from an AB related disease are very slim, even under long term acute exposure. But, why take the chance. Someone who smokes increases the chance greatly though. Something like 50% more likely, but I'm not sure about that number.

 

[ILPlumber]

50 - 90 times more likely. Called the synergestic effect.