Industrial Hygiene

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fiber. Individual asbestos fibers cannot be seen by the naked eye, which puts workers at an increased risk. Asbestos is regulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The EPA regulates asbestos use, removal and disposal, while OSHA regulates asbestos exposure to workers.

• According to EPA and OSHA regulations, an asbestos-containing material (ACM) is considered any material or product containing more than one percent (>1%) asbestos.
• OSHA also maintains exposure concerns with materials that contain <1% asbestos during renovation and/or demolition.

MTSU uses trained and accredited asbestos building inspectors employed by a third party environmental consulting firm to conduct all asbestos surveys in MTSU owned or operated facilities. Surveys are conducted in accordance with the protocols established by EPA regulation 40 CFR 763, the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA).

Contact Mark Hatcher, Kaye Soileau or Jim Rowland with questions.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to the air quality within and around buildings and structures, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants. Understanding and controlling common pollutants indoors can help reduce your risk of indoor health concerns. 

Many factors affect IAQ; poor ventilation (lack of outside air), problems controlling temperature, high or low humidity, recent remodeling, and other activities in or near a building that can affect the fresh air coming into the building. The right ventilation and building care can prevent and fix IAQ problems.

For more information about IAQ, visit:

• EPA’s Indoor Air Quality page
• OSHA’s Indoor Air Quality page 

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is equipment worn to minimize exposure to serious workplace injuries and illnesses. These injuries and illnesses may result from contact with chemical, radiological, physical, electrical, mechanical, or other workplace hazards. Personal protective equipment may include items such as gloves, safety glasses and shoes, earplugs or muffs, hard hats, respirators, or coveralls, vests and full body suits.

All PPE should be safely designed and constructed, and should be maintained in a clean and reliable fashion. It should fit comfortably, encouraging worker use. If the PPE does not fit properly, it can make the difference between being safely covered or dangerously exposed.

Personal Protective Equipment Selection