A review of some definitions proves valuable in understanding the effects of changes in OSHA's asbestos standard on the roofing profession.
Due to the high tensile strength, incombustibility, corrosion/friction resistance, and thermal and acoustical insulation properties of asbestos, it has been an ingredient in over 3,600 commercial products since its mid-century introduction. It wasn’t until 1970 that OSHA identified the hazards and 1973 until the EPA promulgated the asbestos NESHAP rule to distinguish between friable and non-friable conditions.
In November 1990, the EPA revised its asbestos National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (40 CFR Part 61, Part M) altering, among other things, their applicability to friable and non-friable asbestos-containing materials. Then in August of 1994, OSHA and the National Roofing Contractors Association settled on a joint agreement clarifying the OSHA Asbestos Standard (29 CFR, Part 1926.1101) concerning incidental Asbestos-Containing Roofing Materials (ACRM). A review of some definitions (see sidebar) may prove valuable in understanding the effects of these changes on the roofing profession.