7.2 Glovebag Technique: Construction, Smoke Testing, Two-Person Execution & Pipe Removal

7.2 Glovebag Technique: Construction, Negative Pressure Smoke Testing, Two-Person Execution & Pipe Removal

The glovebag technique is an engineered micro-containment methodology specifically designed for the localized removal of asbestos-containing thermal system insulation (TSI) from mechanical piping, valves, elbows, tees, and fittings. Governed at the federal level by OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1101(g)(5)(ii)-(iii) and, on New Jersey subcode projects, by the limited containment removal rules in N.J.A.C. 5:23-8.17, glovebag systems provide an impermeable, negative-pressure barrier around the immediate workpiece. This eliminates the necessity of constructing massive, multi-room polyethylene containments when abating isolated pipe runs. However, because glovebags concentrate friable asbestos inside an ultra-compact chamber directly adjacent to the worker's body, their design, installation, testing, and execution are governed by rigid, uncompromising regulatory protocols.

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Glovebag Engineering & Anatomical Construction

A compliant glovebag is not a makeshift plastic bag; it is a precision-manufactured containment unit fabricated to exacting industrial specifications:

                          GLOVEBAG ANATOMY & CONFIGURATION

                       Upper Pipe Collar Band (Sealed with Duct Tape)
                     ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────┐
        Pipe Run ───►│============= PIPE INSULATION =================│◄─── Pipe Run
                     └───────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                       Upper Pipe Collar Band (Sealed with Duct Tape)
                       ┌───────────────────────────────────────────┐
                       │                                           │
                       │     [Port 1]                 [Port 2]     │
                       │   Amended Water            HEPA Vacuum    │
                       │    Spray Wand               Hose Port     │
                       │                                           │
                       │     ┌─────────┐         ┌─────────┐       │
                       │     │ Inward  │         │ Inward  │       │
                       │     │  Glove  │         │  Glove  │       │
                       │     │ (Left)  │         │ (Right) │       │
                       │     └─────────┘         └─────────┘       │
                       │                                           │
                       │   ┌───────────────────────────────────┐   │
                       │   │   Internal Tool Pouch (Inside)    │   │
                       │   └───────────────────────────────────┘   │
                       │                                           │
                       │   ▼ DEBRIS SUMP (Seamless Bottom) ▼       │
                       └───────────────────────────────────────────┘

Material & Structural Specifications

• 6-Mil Plastic, Seamless Bottom: OSHA requires glovebags made of 6-mil plastic and seamless at the bottom (1926.1101(g)(5)(ii)(A)). New Jersey describes the glovebag as an air-tight, tear-resistant enclosure of at least 6-mil polyethylene or other suitable material, with inward-projecting long-sleeve gloves, a tool pouch, a sleeve for water application, and a port for a HEPA vacuum (N.J.A.C. 5:23-8.17(c)1). New Jersey also requires the bottom seam to be sealed with duct tape to guard against a defect.
• Designed for the Fitting: Glovebags used on elbows and other connections must be designed for that purpose and used without modification (1926.1101(g)(5)(ii)(A)(2)).
• Complete Coverage: Each glovebag must completely cover the circumference of the pipe or structure being worked on.
• Single Use, Not Moved: Glovebags may be used only once and may not be moved (OSHA). New Jersey adds that no more than one use of a glovebag is permitted.
• Temperature Limit: Glovebags may not be used on surfaces hotter than 150 °F.
• Negative-Pressure Glovebag Systems: These attach a HEPA vacuum or similar device that runs continuously during removal to keep the bag from collapsing. The bag is collapsed before it comes off the pipe (1926.1101(g)(5)(iii)).
• Quantity: A glovebag holds a limited amount of material. OSHA's Class III definition caps a single disturbance at what fits in one glovebag or waste bag not exceeding 60 inches in length and width. Longer runs need multiple glovebag set-ups or another control method.

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Pre-Abatement Preparation (N.J.A.C. 5:23-8.17(b), (d))

1. Crew: At least two persons perform glovebag removal. A third person may be needed for air monitoring or supplies.
2. Work Area: The glovebag work area is either a poly enclosure built around the glovebag or the entire room. It must be roped off with caution or danger signs.
3. Air Changes: A glovebag work area enclosure must have one air change every 15 minutes.
4. Systems: If no mini-enclosure is built, shut down and seal off electrical and air-handling systems. With ASCM approval, lighting and receptacles may be used if GFCI-protected and cleanable.
5. Materials First: Bring all materials and supplies into the work area before removal begins. These include glovebags, a 2- to 3-gallon pump-up sprayer, amended water or removal encapsulant, 6-mil disposal bags, a HEPA vacuum with a capillary tube, hand tools, smoke tubes with an aspirator bulb, a roll of 6-mil poly, and tinted encapsulant.
6. Inspect and Protect the Pipe: Wrap any damaged pipe covering nearby in polyethylene secured with duct tape, so hanging lagging is not jarred loose. OSHA requires loose and friable material next to the glovebag to be wrapped and sealed in two layers of 6-mil plastic or otherwise made intact (1926.1101(g)(5)(ii)(B)(6)). Clean up any accumulated asbestos debris. On undamaged pipe, put one layer of duct tape around the pipe at each end where the bag will attach.
7. Fit and Attach the Bag: Slit the top and sides to fit the pipe. Place the tools in the pouch. Reinforce the top edge with duct tape, staple the top closed at about 1-inch intervals, fold it over, and tape it. Tape the ends to the pipe, and seal the bottom seam with duct tape.

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Mandatory Smoke Testing

OSHA requires every glovebag to be smoke-tested for leaks, and leaks sealed, before use (1926.1101(g)(5)(ii)(B)(2)). New Jersey spells out the procedure and requires the AST to personally witness the smoke test of each glovebag (N.J.A.C. 5:23-8.17(d)6 and 8.10(d)5):

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              NEW JERSEY GLOVEBAG SMOKE TEST (N.J.A.C. 5:23-8.17(d)6)    │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 1. Attach the glovebag completely (top stapled and taped, ends taped). │
│ 2. Insert the smoke tube into the wetting-agent sleeve.                │
│ 3. Fill the bag with visible smoke using the aspirator bulb.           │
│ 4. Remove the tube and twist the sleeve closed; hold it tightly.       │
│ 5. Gently squeeze the bag; watch the top and ends for escaping smoke.  │
│ 6. Tape any leaks with duct tape and RE-TEST.                          │
│ 7. The AST must personally witness every test.                         │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Exception: If negative pressure is established and maintained at 0.02 inch w.c., New Jersey does not require smoke testing of the glovebags (N.J.A.C. 5:23-8.17(d)6i).

Smoke tubes release an irritating acid mist when air is squeezed through them. Use them carefully and do not inhale the smoke. No cutting or disturbance of ACM may begin until the bag passes.

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Step-by-Step Two-Person Synchronized Execution

OSHA requires at least two persons for Class I glovebag removal (1926.1101(g)(5)(ii)(B)(9)), and New Jersey requires a minimum of two persons for glovebag removal, with a third as needed for air monitoring or supplies (N.J.A.C. 5:23-8.17(b)1). One worker places their hands in the gloves while the second directs the wetting spray:

The Division of Responsibilities

Step-by-Step Removal Workflow

1. Continuous Wetting at Point of Cut: Worker 1 takes the utility knife from the tool pouch in one hand and the amended water spray wand in the other. Worker 1 slices through canvas or aluminum jacketing while continuously spraying amended water directly into the incision.
2. Banding Wire Severance: Metal bands or wire ties are severed with snips and dropped into the bottom sump.
3. Circumferential & Longitudinal Scoring: Worker 1 makes circumferential cuts at both ends of the target section and a single longitudinal cut along the top of the pipe, maintaining continuous saturation.
4. Stripping to Sump: The insulation half-rounds are gently pried away from the metal pipe and lowered directly into the bottom debris sump. Dropping or crushing dry blocks inside the bag is prohibited.
5. Scrubbing Bare Metal: Using a stiff nylon or brass wire brush, Worker 1 vigorously scrubs the bare metal pipe surface to dislodge remaining fibrous residue, spraying amended water continuously.
6. Damp-Wipe & Encapsulation: Worker 1 wipes the bare pipe clean with disposable damp sponges or rags. Using a paintbrush from the tool pouch, Worker 1 applies an approved bridging encapsulant to the bare metal pipe and to the exposed cut edges of the insulation remaining on the adjoining pipe outside the bag.

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Tool Removal, Bag Collapse & Disposal

Once the pipe is clean, tools and waste come out without opening the bag to the room. New Jersey's subcode spells out the order (N.J.A.C. 5:23-8.17(d)12-24): rinse the tools inside the bag, pull them out in a glove sleeve, collapse the bag with the HEPA vacuum, and bag the glovebag while it is still attached to the pipe.

The Inverted Glove Tool Evacuation Protocol

1. Inside the bag, Worker 1 thoroughly washes all tools with amended water and wipes them clean with a damp rag.
2. Worker 1 places all hand tools into the sleeve of one of the gloves (typically the left glove).
3. Worker 1 carefully withdraws their hand from the glove while pulling the glove sleeve outward into the room—turning the sleeve inside-out.
4. The tools are now held inside an exterior poly pouch formed by the inverted glove, with the contaminated surface trapped safely on the inside.
5. Worker 2 twists the sleeve tightly, seals it with tape, and cuts the sleeve away from the bag through the tape.
6. The sealed sleeve with the tools can go directly into the next glovebag without being cleaned. Alternatively, it can be opened underwater in a bucket and the tools dried; that water is handled as asbestos-contaminated waste. Rags and scrub brushes cannot be cleaned this way and are discarded as waste (N.J.A.C. 5:23-8.17(d)18).

Collapsing, Bagging, and Clean-Up (N.J.A.C. 5:23-8.17(d)15-25)

1. Wet the donut-shaped wettable cloths over the exposed ends of insulation remaining on the pipe.
2. Remove the wetting wand, attach the HEPA vacuum nozzle, and run the vacuum briefly to collapse the bag. OSHA requires glovebags to be collapsed with a HEPA vacuum before disposal (1926.1101(g)(5)(ii)(B)(5)).
3. Remove the nozzle, twist the sleeve closed, and seal it with duct tape.
4. With the removed insulation in the bottom of the bag, twist the bag several times and tape it to keep the material at the bottom.
5. Slip a 6-mil disposal bag over the glovebag while it is still attached to the pipe. Remove the tape, open the top of the glovebag, and fold it down into the disposal bag.
6. Clean all surfaces in the work area with cloths wetted with wetting agent. After the surfaces dry, clean them again with a HEPA vacuum. If no mini-enclosure was built, clean the entire room.
7. Put contaminated articles and debris in the bag. Twist the top closed, fold it over, and seal it with duct tape.
8. Label the bag as required by NESHAP, OSHA, and DOT, and dispose of it under N.J.A.C. 5:23-8.22.
9. Air sampling is conducted after glovebag projects to check for undetected leakage. Barriers come down only after the area is found safe for unprotected re-entry (N.J.A.C. 5:23-8.17(d)25). For subcode glovebag projects, clearance may use PCM with at least five samples, each 0.01 f/cc or less (N.J.A.C. 5:23-8.21(e), (g)).

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Strict Prohibition Against Sliding Standard Glovebags

Under OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1101(g)(5)(ii)(B)(3), glovebags may be used only once and may not be moved. New Jersey likewise permits no more than one use of a glovebag (N.J.A.C. 5:23-8.17(d)18):

[!CAUTION] The Sliding Prohibition Rule Standard glovebags are single-use devices engineered exclusively for a single, fixed section of insulation. Attempting to loosen collar tape and slide a glovebag along a pipe shears dry insulation edges, creates severe frictional tearing of the polyethylene collars, breaks the negative pressure seal, and spreads asbestos contamination along the length of the piping. Every individual pipe section requires a separate glovebag installation.