§ 23-24.5-14 - Training, curricula, and certification.
SECTION 23-24.5-14
§ 23-24.5-14 Training, curricula, andcertification. – (a) The director shall establish procedures and regulations for the followingprocedures:
(i) For the certification of a competent person, ofdesignated public maintenance employees, of designated teacher and parentrepresentatives, of laboratories performing analysis of asbestos in air orbuilding materials, and of private consultants or inspectors;
(ii) Establish standards and specifications for trainingcourses based upon, but not limited to, those included in this chapter and tocertify that training;
(iii) To train directly or by contract maintenance personnelor competent persons;
(iv) To certify and train designated public maintenancepersonnel and workers in the private sector, including but not limited toelectricians, contractors, plumbers, in safe techniques of spot asbestos repair.
(2) Each trained and certified person shall be issued an"asbestos certified" photo identity card, and only those carded persons shallbe permitted to do spot repairs on asbestos in the buildings of theirjurisdiction. Any person certified for spot repair but not as an asbestos"contractor" shall not undertake any asbestos abatement project larger than thesize limits of a spot repair as defined by the director and shall follow allsafe work practices for spot repair work as required by the director. Thoseemployees in violation of these provisions and/or their employer shall besubject to a fine of no more than five hundred dollars ($500) per violation.
(b) As a guideline for approval of a certified trainingprogram for asbestos contractors, the director shall give due consideration toa course of thirty-two (32) hours of instruction covering the following topics:
(1) The nature of asbestos hazards and a review of improperabatement procedures such as dry removal, lack of protective barriers, and poorrespirator fit problems;
(2) The medical effects of asbestos exposure, the mechanicsof human respiration, the nature of asbestos disease conditions, theirdiagnosis and evaluation, and medical asbestos surveillance methods in exposedpopulations;
(3) Federal and state asbestos regulations including OSHA andEPA regulations, Right-to-Know laws, and this chapter;
(4) Current protection standards, including the role ofrespirators, appropriate housekeeping procedures, appropriate hygiene, thesynergism effects of asbestos with smoking, and the importance ofdecontamination procedures;
(5) The proper preparation of the work area including, butnot limited to, the proper repair and removal abatement techniques, sealing andisolation methods in the work environment, the use of negative pressure airfiltration barriers, the avoidance of power tools, the need for wetting down ofasbestos materials, bagging and labeling of asbestos materials, proper wastestorage, and removal of material;
(6) Identifying asbestos containing materials, study ofdecision protocol for evaluation and prioritizing of abatement, air samplingand other monitoring techniques, negative air pressure filtration system andhigh efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter systems.
(c) The director may assess fees for certifications issued inaccordance with rules or regulations promulgated pursuant to the authorityconferred by this section, provided that those fees are assessed only afterprocedures in accordance with chapter 35 of title 42 have been followed.
(d) Notwithstanding the requirements contained in subsections(a) and (b) of this section, the director may also establish procedures orregulations for reciprocal recognition of training courses and/or certificationprograms for asbestos contractors, site supervisory personnel and/or asbestosabatement workers. The director may assess fees for reciprocal recognition oftraining courses and/or certification programs for asbestos contractors, sitesupervisory personnel and/or asbestos abatement workers issued in accordancewith rules or regulations promulgated pursuant to the authority conferred bythis section, provided that these fees are assessed only after procedures inaccordance with chapter 35 of title 42 have been followed.