Asbestos Contractor/Supervisor Practice Exam

Which of the following is NOT considered an engineering control for managing asbestos exposure?

1. Wet methods

2. Local exhaust ventilation

3. Personal protective equipment

4. Isolation of work areas

The correct answer is: Personal protective equipment

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is classified as a form of administrative control rather than an engineering control. Engineering controls focus on modifying the environment or equipment to reduce or eliminate exposure to hazards. These include methods like wet methods, which suppress asbestos dust to reduce airborne fibers; local exhaust ventilation, which removes contaminated air at the source; and the isolation of work areas, which physically separates the work environment from non-contaminated areas to limit exposure. In contrast, PPE serves as a last line of defense that protects workers but does not change the hazard itself, which distinguishes it from the other options that are aimed at directly controlling the asbestos exposure at the source.