Asbestos training for on-site air-sampling consultants

July 1, 1999

Richard L. Frey
Project Scientist
Professional Service Industries, Inc.
[Recipient address omitted]

Dear Mr. Frey:

This is in response to your letter of February 24, 1999 concerning the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA's) standards for asbestos. You request clarification of the training that the standards require to be provided for an on-site asbestos consultant providing on-site abatement monitoring services. We apologize for the delay in our response.

If the only management service provided by the on-site asbestos consultant is sampling of airborne asbestos at asbestos abatement projects, then the consultant would need training as specified in the General Industry Asbestos standard at 29 CFR 1910.1001(j)(7). Please note that according to 29 CFR 1926.1101(o)(3)(i) of the construction industry asbestos standard, on all worksites where employees are engaged in Class I or II asbestos work, a competent person designated in accordance with 29 CFR 1926.1101(e)(6) must supervise the employee exposure monitoring, and ensure that it is conducted as required by 29 CFR 1926.1101(f).

Thank you for your interest in occupational safety and health. We hope you find this information helpful. Please be aware that OSHA's enforcement guidance is subject to periodic review and clarification, amplification, or correction. Such guidance could also be affected by subsequent rulemaking. In the future, should you wish to verify that the guidance provided herein remains current, you may consult OSHA's website at http://www.osha.gov. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact OSHA's Office of Health Compliance Assistance at (202) 693-2190.

Sincerely,

Richard E. Fairfax
Director
Directorate of Compliance Programs