JOHNSON CONTROLS ASBESTOS POLICY I.

INTRODUCTION

APPROXIMATE TIME REQUIRED 10 MINUTES

During the course of your work in buildings whether it be school, commercial or public buildings, you will most likely come across asbestos or materials you think might contain asbestos. This may raise some questions in your mind--Is the presence of asbestos in the area where Im working dangerous to me? What should I do if I encounter asbestos that will interfere with my work? I think Ive been exposed to asbestos before, could my health be at risk? The following information will provide you answers to your questions on asbestos and your work as a JC employee. But before we go further, you need to know about JCs Asbestos Policy--it says our employees or subcontractors will not perform work of any nature involving asbestos containing materials (ACM's). This includes identification of suspect material, removal, disposal or any related work. JC considers asbestos to be the building owner's responsibility. As an employee on the front line, you have a very important role in carrying out Johnson Controls asbestos policy. Lets take some time to review more information on asbestos, how it affects the work we do, and what steps you need to take if you come across it in the course of your work. II. MOST COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT ASBESTOS Q. What is asbestos? A. Asbestos is the common name for a group of minerals. When the fibrous material is separated from the rock during the mining process, the fibers are incorporated into manufactured items. The asbestos is mixed with binding materials such as epoxy, magnesium or cement, and shaped to meet a certain need. Q. How is asbestos used? A. Asbestos has been used in approximately 3,000 different products. The amount of asbestos contained in these products varies from less than one percent to 100 percent, depending on the product's use. Approximately two-thirds of the mined asbestos was used by the construction industry in building materials, insulation and miscellaneous forms. Q. Why does JC have an Asbestos Policy? A. Our concerns can be summarized in two words: Safety and liability. Given the risks associated with asbestos, we do not want our employees or subcontractors employees to be exposed to unnecessary risks. Additionally, the federal and state/provincial regulations covering asbestos removal are very complex and comprehensive. We are not experts in the area and don't want to face the risks associated with performing any of this work in an improper or illegal manner. Q. Where will we encounter ACM's during the course of our work activities? A. Any building built before 1982 is likely to contain some form of asbestos. The products frequently encountered by our employees and subcontractors fit into three general categories:

1. Mechanical Insulation: Exists in forms which include pressure vessels (boilers, chillers, water tanks), pipes, valves, fittings, roof drain pipes, and duct work. Use of asbestos insulation and lagging materials was prohibited in the U.S. by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1975. 2. Surfacing Materials: Includes sprayed-on or troweled-on fireproofing, acoustical, thermal or decorative materials applied onto ceiling, walls or structural members. In 1973, the EPA restricted the spraying of ACM in the U.S., and in 1978 the use of troweled-on or wet-applied ACM's was prohibited. 3. Other Building Materials: Includes many forms of ACM such as ceiling/wall tile, floor tile, sheet rock and transite board. Q. What do these ACM's look like? A. 1. Mechanical Insulation: Asbestos-containing insulation materials can appear as follows: A white, gray or brown chalky appearance. Pre-formed into batts, blocks and pipe covering. A cement or mud-type material, gray in color.

2. Surfacing Materials: Sprayed-on, molded, wet-applied or thermal insulation appearing as follows: Soft and fluffy, varying from white to dark gray in color. Sprayed on structural steel members, undersides of decks, ceilings and walls as fireproofing or acoustical treatment. Material may be exposed, concealed by a suspended ceiling, or painted. Firm, open pore, plaster-like material with a textured surface.

3. Other Building Materials: It is nearly impossible to determine visually if materials in this category such as ceiling tile, wall tile, floor tile, transite board and sheet rock, contain asbestos. Q. If it is difficult to tell if a material contains asbestos, how can the content be determined? A. The only way to make a determination is to collect a bulk sample of the material and submit it to a laboratory for analysis. Because Johnson Controls asbestos policy prohibits our employees or subcontractors from taking bulk samples of suspected ACM, the collection and analysis of these samples is the responsibility of the building owner. Johnson Controls and our subcontractors employees will only make visual determinations based on the appearance, and notify the building owner if further determination is needed. Q. If we run into material that contains asbestos, is it always a health hazard? A. Unless the material is disturbed or dislocated to the extent that asbestos fibers are released, there is little danger to our employees, subcontractors or the area occupants.

Q. Why is disturbed ACM hazardous to my health? A. Once asbestos fibers are disturbed, they can float in the air for hours, even days. Fibers, so small they are not visible to the human eye, can bypass our nose hairs and mucous membranes which typically trap inhaled particles, and be inhaled into the lungs or swallowed. Once in the lungs, asbestos fibers may lodge and remain there. Q. Why is it so important to prevent exposure to asbestos? A. Exposure to asbestos may cause cancer or lung disease. Individual reactions to asbestos exposure vary greatly. Most people will not develop disease from minor exposure. Exposures however, have cumulative effects. It can take 15-40 years after exposure for an asbestos-related disease to surface--if at all. While asbestos is so prevalent in our society that all of us may have been exposed to some extent in the past, (as school children, fibers released from automobile brake linings, etc.), we would rather be safe than sorry when it comes to exposing our employees or subcontractors to additional risks. Eliminating work place exposure to asbestos is the safest approach. Q. How do I know if Ive been exposed to asbestos? A. It is important to note that nearly all of us are exposed to low levels of asbestos on a daily basis in both indoor and outdoor air. This is because of the widespread use of asbestos in everything from brakes to building materials. Asbestos exposure does not have an immediate effect on the body--like making you itch or cough. Based on the body's reaction to asbestos fibers, asbestos-related diseases develop 15-40 years after exposure. Q. If I am already at risk once exposure to asbestos occurs, why should further exposure be prevented? A. The more exposure a person has to asbestos, the more likely the person will develop an asbestos-related disease. If future exposure is reduced, the chances of developing an asbestos-related disease are also reduced. If a person exposed to asbestos smokes cigarettes, the chances of getting lung cancer can increase substantially--50 to 90%. If youve been exposed to asbestos, the first step you should take to reduce the risk of getting lung cancer is to stop smoking. Q. What can be done about my past exposure to asbestos? A. The exposure to asbestos that may have occurred in the past cannot be changed or reversed in any way. The most important thing you can do is avoid future asbestos exposure. Q. Are some ACM's more dangerous than others? A. Yes. The types of materials asbestos is manufactured into may increase or decrease the hazard potential of the material. Asbestos products that are very friable--the material crumbles with the slightest pressure, usually have a high hazard potential. These products are dangerous because the fibers get into the air very easily if the material is disturbed in any way. Once airborne, these fibers can be inhaled into the body. Examples include fireproofing blown on a structural beam, or damaged or deteriorated pipe insulation.

Q. What kind of ACM's have a low hazard potential? A. Products containing asbestos that is bonded or embedded in another material, such as epoxy or cement, are generally nonfriable or not easily crushed, and have a low hazard potential. The asbestos fibers in these materials are not readily released into the air unless the products are demolished or grinded. Examples of asbestos with a low hazard potential include transite used for decorative or acoustical purposes, and ceiling tile. Q. How do we know if the building we are working in for JC contains ACMs? A. Our customers are required by law to identify asbestos-containing materials in their buildings for occupants and contractors so inadvertent disturbance of the material is avoided. Unfortunately, many customers have not yet evaluated all of their building materials for asbestos. Despite this fact, we can work in these buildings safely by following these rules: 1. If not initially provided and the building was built prior to 1982, ask your supervisor for the portion of the customers asbestos building assessment that applies to your work area(s). It is not acceptable for JC to start work on the basis of a customers verbal statement that the work area does not contain ACMs. The content must be verified through a building survey or assessment prepared or signed by an individual identified as having asbestos assessment credentials, Once removed or identified as non-asbestos containing, you can continue your work. 2. Outside of fiberglass, do not disturb mechanical insulation unless you know it to be non-asbestos containing through customer labeling, building assessment information, or through customer-conducted evaluation of the materials for asbestos. Note: Small scale removal of fiberglass insulation requires the use of gloves and dust mask. 3. When working in mechanical rooms or pipe chases that contain unidentified thermal insulation, contact your supervisor or customer contact (if appropriate), if the material is in poor repair (covering is broken, insulation is crumbling), and/or it could be disturbed during your work. It is the customers responsibility to identify the material and arrange for its removal. Before work is conducted above false ceilings in buildings built before 1978, discuss with your supervisor or if appropriate, the customer contact to determine the need for safety equipment such as respiratory protection, and/or special work practices to protect you as well as the building occupants during work in the ceiling space. 4. In the case of an inadvertent disturbance of asbestos or suspected asbestoscontaining material, contact your supervisor and if appropriate, your customer contact. Do not take any measures yourself to clean or dispose of the disturbed material. Q. We only need to remove a small amount of asbestos to get the job done. Does this policy still apply? A. Yes. Johnson Controls policy applies to removal of small amounts of asbestos just as it does to the removal of large amounts. The federal and state regulations governing asbestos removal apply across the board. The same asbestos removal work practices, personal protective equipment, and air and medical monitoring requirements must be followed for any asbestos removal, regardless of size. These regulations are complex and would involve efforts and expenses which are not in our best interests. We do not

want to face the risks associated with performing work which does not comply with federal and state regulations. Q. With a policy like this, will we lose customers? A. We do not think so. In any abatement or removal project the building owner is ultimately responsible for the performance of the work. Our policy is intended to protect the owner by ensuring that he gets qualified people, trained and insured, to perform the work. Q. What is so special or complicated about asbestos removal? Cant we get training? A. The laws, regulations and guidelines regarding ACM removal work are too complex and the health risks associated with doing the work are too great to get involved. The way Johnson Controls sees it, there isn't any reason to put our employees, or the company in that position. Asbestos removal must be performed by certified licensed professionals who receive very specialized training. Building owners have become more aware of the ACM's in their buildings, and they expect asbestos removal work to be performed by qualified people, properly trained and insured, and in compliance with all state/provincial and federal regulations. III. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS A. How does Johnson Controls asbestos policy pertain to your work specifically? B. Where do you encounter asbestos-containing materials most often during your work? C. What types of asbestos are more hazardous than others? What does the friable nature of the material have to do with it? D. What should you do when you suspect there is asbestos at a jobsite that may interfere with your work?