Mesothelioma Navy Asbestos Regulations & Prevention 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does a 'competent person' for asbestos work under OSHA standards need to demonstrate?
- A college degree in environmental science
- Successful completion of EPA-accredited training and ability to identify asbestos hazards (Correct answer)
- Membership in an accredited asbestos trade union
- Five years of hands-on shipyard experience only
Correct answer: Successful completion of EPA-accredited training and ability to identify asbestos hazards
An OSHA 'competent person' for asbestos work must complete EPA-accredited training and have the authority to take corrective action to eliminate hazards.
Question 2: Which Navy document, issued in the early 1970s, first identified specific ships and equipment known to contain asbestos insulation?
- Ship Hazardous Material List (SHML) (Correct answer)
- NAVSEA Technical Manual S9086-VD-STM-010
- Bureau of Ships Manual Chapter 9290
- OPNAVINST 6260.2A
Correct answer: Ship Hazardous Material List (SHML)
The Ship Hazardous Material List (SHML) identified asbestos-containing materials present on specific Navy vessel classes to guide safe handling.
Question 3: When asbestos abatement is performed in a Navy building or shore facility, who must be notified under EPA NESHAP regulations before work begins?
- Only the local fire department
- The state or local air pollution control agency (Correct answer)
- The Commanding Officer of the installation only
- No notification required if the building is federally owned
Correct answer: The state or local air pollution control agency
NESHAP requires advance written notification to the state or local air pollution control agency before regulated asbestos abatement projects begin.
Question 4: What action should a Navy veteran take TODAY if they know they worked with asbestos but have no current symptoms?
- No action needed until symptoms appear
- Seek periodic medical surveillance including chest imaging and pulmonary function testing (Correct answer)
- Take daily low-dose aspirin as a preventive measure
- Avoid all seafood because it may contain asbestos fibers
Correct answer: Seek periodic medical surveillance including chest imaging and pulmonary function testing
Asymptomatic veterans with known asbestos exposure should undergo regular medical surveillance because mesothelioma has a latency period of 20–50 years and may be detected early.
Question 5: Under the EPA's 2019 Significant New Use Rule (SNUR) for asbestos, what is required before asbestos can be reintroduced into products that no longer use it?
- A public referendum in affected states
- EPA review and approval before any new use begins (Correct answer)
- Congressional legislation for each new application
- Certification from OSHA that exposure will stay below PEL
Correct answer: EPA review and approval before any new use begins
The 2019 SNUR requires manufacturers to notify the EPA and obtain review/approval before reintroducing asbestos into any product where it is no longer currently used.
Question 6: Which Navy rating (job specialty) historically had among the highest documented rates of asbestos exposure due to working directly with pipe insulation and boiler systems?
- Gunner's Mate (GM)
- Machinist's Mate (MM) and Boiler Technician (BT) (Correct answer)
- Sonar Technician (ST)
- Quartermaster (QM)
Correct answer: Machinist's Mate (MM) and Boiler Technician (BT)
Machinist's Mates and Boiler Technicians worked daily in engine rooms and boiler rooms where asbestos-insulated pipes and equipment were pervasive.
Question 7: What is the purpose of a 'glove bag' technique in asbestos pipe insulation removal?
- To protect workers' hands from sharp pipe edges during cutting
- To remove small sections of pipe insulation in an isolated mini-enclosure without releasing fibers (Correct answer)
- To store asbestos samples for laboratory analysis
- To apply wetting agents evenly to large pipe sections
Correct answer: To remove small sections of pipe insulation in an isolated mini-enclosure without releasing fibers
A glove bag is a sealed plastic enclosure attached around a pipe section that allows workers to remove insulation while keeping fibers contained inside the bag.
Mesothelioma Navy Asbestos Regulations & Prevention 5
What does a 'competent person' for asbestos work under OSHA standards need to demonstrate?