NAIMA Publication on Exposure Data to Guide Insulation Contractors and Workers

Alexandria, VA - January 24, 2002 - As part of the fiber glass, rock and slag wool insulation industry's Health and Safety Partnership Program (HSPP), the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) recently released a publication entitled "Exposure Data For Fiber Glass, Rock Wool & Slag Wool Under The Health and Safety Partnership Program." The HSPP is a voluntary program for worker protection developed jointly by NAIMA, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and key contractor organizations.

To help contractors and workers determine the level of potential exposure to fiber glass, rock wool or slag wool for a given task, NAIMA has established an Exposure Database containing information about exposure levels categorized by product type and specific work task. NAIMA's Exposure Database is managed and maintained by Arizona State University.

In endorsing the HSPP, OSHA supports the ability of contractors to rely on the NAIMA Exposure Database as the means for determining exposure levels. In the OSHA preamble to the Respiratory Protection Standard, OSHA states that "Data from industry-wide surveys by trade associations for use by their members, as well as from stewardship programs operated by manufacturers for their customers, are often useful in assisting employers, particularly small-business owners, to obtain information on employee exposures in their workplaces... It is clear that such programs can often assist employers to estimate workplace exposures reliably enough to make correct respirator choices without the need for employee monitoring."

Commenting on the Exposure Database, Ken Mentzer, NAIMA President and CEO, noted that "relying on a single source for current data on exposure levels for fiber glass, rock and slag wool helps workers and employers make certain they are taking appropriate action to ensure worker comfort and safety. NAIMA and its members have a long-standing commitment to the safe manufacture and use of insulation. The active implementation of the HSPP, including providing information on exposure levels, is a natural extension of that commitment."

Exposure levels that exceed the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for an eight-hour workday will require action to reduce the exposures to an acceptable level, either through engineering controls or respiratory protection. Information for the "Exposure Data For Fiber Glass, Rock Wool & Slag Wool" publication was taken from the NAIMA Exposure Database, which includes exposure data from a variety of sources including manufacturers, contractors, academic institutions, and third-party organizations.

See also the related publication - Facts # 59: Exposure Data for Fiber Glass, Rock Wool & Slag Wool Under the Health and Safety Partnership Program: PDF |HTML | Order printed copies from Literature Library (N039)