SECTION 380:50-6-6. Initial training for asbestos project designers

(a)   In the State of Oklahoma, anyone seeking accreditation or licensure from the Department of Labor, must obtain their training from an EPA or DOL approved training provider, including but not limited to educational institution, labor union, or government agency, or from a private vocational education provider licensed by the state where it operates (pursuant to 70 O.S. § 21-103 within the state of Oklahoma) and accredited by EPA or an EPA approved governmental agency.

(b)   Such institutions, labor unions, or government agencies, may receive their DOL accreditation through the Oklahoma Accreditation Plan providing the following criteria are met:

(1)   The training for AHERA Project Designers shall be specific to the discipline and shall not be combined with training for any other discipline.

(2)   The AHERA Project Designer's course shall be no less than three days in length and shall include: lectures, demonstrations, a field trip, course review and a written examination. The OAP also recommends the use of audio-visual materials to complement lectures, where appropriate. One day of training equals 8 hours, including breaks and lunch.

(3)   Course instruction must be provided by EPA or State approved instructors. EPA or State Instructor approval shall be based on a review of the instructor's academic credentials and/or field experience in asbestos abatement.

(4)   The training course for AHERA Project Designer shall adequately address the following topics:

(A)   Background information. Identification of asbestos; examples and discussion of the uses and locations of asbestos in buildings; physical appearance of asbestos.

(B)   Potential health effects related to asbestos exposure. Nature of asbestos-related disease; routes of exposure; dose-response relationships and the lack of a safe exposure level; the synergistic effect between cigarette smoking and asbestos exposure; the latency period of asbestos-related diseases; a discussion of the relationship between asbestos exposure and asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma and cancers of other organs.

(C)   Overview of abatement construction projects. Abatement as a portion of a renovation project; OSHA requirements for notification of other contractors on a multi-employer site.

(D)   Safety system design specifications. Design, construction and maintenance of containment barriers and decontamination enclosure systems; positioning of warning signs; electrical and ventilation system lock-out; proper working techniques for minimizing fiber release; entry and exit procedures for the work area; use of wet methods; proper techniques for initial cleaning use of negative-pressure exhaust ventilation equipment; use of HEPA vacuums; proper clean-up and disposal of asbestos; work practice as they apply to encapsulation, enclosure and repair; use of glovebags and a demonstration of glovebag use.

(E)   Field Trip. A visit to an abatement site or other suitable building site, including on site discussions of abatement design and building walk-through inspection. Include discussion of rationale for the concept of functional spaces during the walk-through.

(F)   Employee personal protective equipment. Classes and characteristics of respirator types; limitations of respirators; proper selection, inspection, donning, use, maintenance and storage procedures for respirators, methods of field testing of the facepiece-to-face seal (positive and negative pressure fit checks); qualitative and quantitative fit testing procedures; variability between field and laboratory fit (e.g., facial hair, etc.); the components of a proper respiratory protection program; selection and use of personal protective clothing; use, storage and handling of non-disposable clothing.

(G)   Additional safety hazards. 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.

(H)   Fiber aerodynamic and control. Aerodynamic characteristics of asbestos fibers; importance of proper containment barriers; settling time for asbestos fibers; wet methods in abatement; aggressive air monitoring following abatement; aggressive air movement and negative pressure exhaust ventilation as a clean-up method.

(I)   Designing abatement solutions. Discussions of removal, enclosure, and encapsulation methods; asbestos waste disposal.

(J)   Final clearance process. Discussion of the need for written sampling rationale for aggressive final air clearance; requirements of a complete visual inspection; and the relationship of the visual inspection to final air clearance.

(K)   Budgeting/cost estimating. Developing of cost estimates; present costs of abatement versus future operation and maintenance costs; setting priorities for abatement jobs to reduce costs.

(L)   Writing abatement specifications. Preparation of and need for a written project design; means and methods specifications versus performance specifications; design of abatement in occupied buildings; modifications of guide specifications for a particular building' worker and building occupant health/medical considerations; replacement of ACM with non-asbestos substitutes.

(M)   Preparing abatement drawings. Significance and need for drawings; use of as-built drawings as base drawings; use of inspection photographs and on-site reports; methods of preparing abatement reports; methods of preparing abatement drawings; diagraming containment barriers; relationship of drawings to design specifications; particular problems related to abatement drawings.

(N)   Contract preparation and administration.

(O)   Legal/liabilities/defenses. Insurance considerations; bonding; hold-harmless clauses; use of abatement contractor's liability insurance; claims-made versus occurrence policies.

(P)   Replacement. Replacement of asbestos with asbestos-free substitutes.

(Q)   Role of other consultants. Development of technical specifications sections by industrial hygienists or engineering; the multi-disciplinary team approach to approach to abatement design.

(R)   Occupied buildings. Special design procedures required in occupied buildings; education of occupants; extra monitoring recommendations; staging of work to minimize occupant exposure; scheduling of renovation to minimize exposure.

(S)   Relevant State, Federal and local regulatory requirements, procedures and standards. Including but not limited to: TSCA Title II, NESHAP, OSHA Respirator Standard, EPA Worker Protection Rule, Oklahoma Rules for the Abatement of Friable Materials, OSHA Asbestos Construction Standards, Hazard Communications Standards, etc.

(T)   Course Review. A review of key aspects of the training course.

(5)   In addition to the training required for an AHERA Project Designer, persons seeking accreditation or licensure must also have a minimum of a bachelor's or advanced degree in architecture, engineering or industrial hygiene or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience as determined by the Commissioner of Labor.

[Source: Added at 15 Ok Reg 3247, eff 7-13-98; Amended at 30 Ok Reg 848, eff 7-1-13]