Asbestos Building Inspector Initial

Asbestosis

"white lung" a disease that causes scars on the lungs. Not a cancer. Marker disease. Only caused by asbestos.

How AHERA affects your work/changed things:

1. Defines ACM as being more than 1%. 2. Lays out 5 control methods: operations and maintenance, enclosure, encapsulation, repair, and removal. 3. Describes clearance air sampling at end of job with aggressive air sampling and a TEM. 4. Regulates training classes like this one and requires this training for all workers working with asbestos (excludes single-family homes)

How NESHAP affects your work/changes things:

1. Defines any job at least 160 sqft (100 in SoCal under SCAQMD), 260 lf, or 35 cf as a large job 2. Asbestos must be wet before taken down and sealed in airtight container 3. Employer must notify EPA of the job 10 working days before begins (notify even if no asbestos for a demo) 4. Waste bags must be labeled with the location of the job and name of waste generator, be 6 mil thick, say "Danger contains asbestos fibers avoid creating dust cancer and lung disease hazard" 4. Buildings musts be inspected for asbestos prior to demo or reno. 5. Requires there be no visible emissions to the outside air during removal

Building Inspector Responsibilities (AHERA & ASHARA)

1. Determining whether ACBM is present in a building 2. Assessing the physical characteristics of the ACBM within the building.

Three federal agencies that deal with asbestos:

1. EPA - protects against pollution. Under it is: AHERA (the EPA's asbestos in schools reg), ASHARA (the EPA reg that updates AHERA), & NESHAP (The EPA reg that covers asbestos as an air pollution problem) 2. OSHA 3. NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)

A building inspection involves:

1. Investigation of records for the identification of ACBM 2. A physical and visual inspection of the building for suspect materials 3. Sampling and analyzing suspect materials to test for asbestos 4. Assessing the condition and location of the ACBM and other characteristics of the building

What does the yearly medical exam entail?

1. work history questionnaire 2. general physical exam 3. Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) *recommended: chest x-ray every 5 years, 3 in CA

How long does it take to get sick from asbestos?

10-40 yrs after you breathe it.

OSHA right-to-know

29 CFR 1910.1200

OSHA Respirator Standard

29 CFR 1910.134 (CA is Title 8 CCR Section 5144)

OSHA Construction Industry Asbestos Standard

29 CFR 1926.1101 (CA is Title 8 CCR Section 1529) Sets the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 0.1 f/cc and Excursion Limit (EL) of 1.0 f/cc of asbestos in air. Requires: work practices protective suits medical exams recordkeeping air sampling negative air pressure enclosures respiratiors hygiene facilities

How many types of asbestos fibers are there?

6

Combined risk of lung cancer if you smoke and work with asbestos

80x more likely to get lung cancer.

Removal before reno or demo rule & exceptions

All RACM must be removed before demo or reno of a building if the amount of ACM is greater than 160 sqft, 260 lf, or 35 cf Exception: Does not need to be removed if it's Cat I nonfriable ACM (packing, gaskets, asphalt roofing, vinyl - have flexibility and won't become DUST if hit), on a component packed in concrete, not accessible for testing, not discovered before demo, or Cat II nonfriable (that are unlikely to become crumbled, or reduced to powder during demo).

Public and commercial buildings:

All buildings other than school buildings and apartment buildings with greater than 10 units.

Amosite

Amphibole. Less than 15% of all asbestos found in buildings. Does not soak up water easily.

Crocidolite

Amphibole. Less than 5% of all asbestos found in building materials.

ACBM

Asbestos Containing Building Material

SCAQMD Rule 1403

Asbestos Emissions from Demolition/Renovation Activities. Purpose is to specify work practice requirements to limit asbestos emissions from building demo/reno.

ASHAA

Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Act. 1984, Directed EPA to help schools carry out their asbestos hazard responsibilities.

Friable asbestos

Asbestos that can be crumbled in your hand. Example is sprayed-on ceiling insulation.

ACCM

Asbestos-containing construction material: Contains more than 1/10 of 1% (.1%) asbestos by WEIGHT

Mesothelioma

Cancer of the lining of the lungs or of the belly. Less than 2% of asbestos worker deaths are caused by mesothelioma. Die w/in 6 mo - 2 yrs after discovered. Pleural mesothelioma attacks the 2 layered pleural lining of the chest. Peritoneal mesothelioma is a cancer that attacks the lining of the stomach or abdomen. Marker disease. 30-40 yr latency period. Not dose-related because even a small amount can cause it.

Lung Cancer

Cancer of the lungs. 20-25% of asbestos worker deaths caused by lung cancer.

What are the three most common kinds of asbestos fibers?

Chrysotile, amosite, and crocidolite

OSHA Four Asbestos categories

Class I: removal of TSI and surfacing ACM and PACM. Friable and high risk. Class II: miscellaneous. removal of ACM which is not TSI or surfacing material. (ex wallboard, floor tile and sheeting, ceiling tile, roofing and siding shingles, and construction mastics.) Less likely to become friable when moved. Less dangerous than class I. Class III: O&M. .repair and maintenance operations where ACM is likely to be disturbed. Should involve no more than a single glovebag worth (60"x60") of ACM. Very small jobs. Class IV: awareness. Work is maintenance and custodial activities where you come into contact with ACM.

What are the rules for work involving less than 100 sqft of ACCM?

Employer must send report of use to Cal/OSHA.

Non-friable asbestos

Ex: vinyl-asbestos floor tile. But if you saw, drill, strip, or sand the tile it may become friable. Category I non-friable includes roofings, flooring, packings, and gaskets. Category II non-friable includes all other non-friable asbestos materials

Buildings covered under NESHAP (and exclusions)

Excluded: private homes and apartment buildings with 4 or less units (Except these are covered still in SoCal under SCAQMD) Included: Institutional Buildings (hospitals, schools), commercial buildings (offices, apartment buildings), industrial buildings (warehouses, factories).

EL

Excursion Limit: 1.0 f/cc of asbestos in air over a 30 min period of time. It's the highest amount of fibers a worker can be exposed to in any 30 min per of time. Per OSHA if work area reaches EL stop work and limit amount of asbestos dust in air by using more amended water and bagging up the asbestos waste more quickly.

Amphibole asbestos

Has needle-shaped fibers. Studies suggest it takes less exposure to amphibole asbestos to cause cancer as opposed to serpentine. Amosite and crocidolite are types of amphibole asbestos.

When don't you need to notify under rule 1403?

In a reno where total quantity of ACM to be removed within each calendar year is less than 100 sqft of surface area (unless procedure 5), or if asbestos content less than or equal to 1%

How is asbestos measured?

In fibers per cubic centimeter (f/cc)

Pleural plaques

Lesions that grow slowly made of fibrous tissue that can harden, found in the lining of the lungs.

MUC

Maximum use concentration. = PF x PEL. The largest amount of asbestos fibers that a respirator can handle.

MAP

Model Accreditation Plan. From EPA, said now everyone doing things with asbestos must adhere, not just schools.

NESHAP

National Emissions Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants. 40 CFR Part 61, Subpart M

NIOSH

National institute for occupational safety and health. Researches worker safety and health, and reports its findings to OSHA. Makes recommendations to OSHA and approves respirators.

NEA

Negative Exposure Assessment. When your employer can prove the asbestos in the air will remain below the PEL and EL. You will be exposed below those.

What are the 5 control methods for asbestos, and what laid them out?

O&M, enclosure, encapsulation, repair, and removal. AHERA created.

OSHA

Occupational Safety and Health Administration - Protects workers

When do you need a medical exam? (OSHA)

Per OSHA, if you wear a negative pressure respirator, are exposed to at or above the PEL for 30 days or more, work a class I-III asbestos job below the PEL for 30 dys or more per year, or amount of asbestos in air reaches or exceeds the EL.

PEL

Permissible Exposure Limit: 0.1f/cc of asbestos in air over an 8 hr time weighted average. It's the highest level of fibers in the air allowed by law for a worker to be exposed to. If a work area reaches the PEL, OSHA says must stop until you have: training, RESPIRATORS, protective suits, medical exam, contained the work area, and negative air pressure.

PLM

Polarized Light Microscope/Microscopy. The EPA required method for analyzing bulk materials for asbestos. Uses a light microscope equipped with polarizing filters. The identification of asbestos fiber bundles is determined by the visual properties displayed. The limit of detection by PLM is about 1% BY AREA. Samples containing lower levels are not reliably detected by this technique.

PACM

Presumed Asbestos Containing Material

Rule 1403 5 removal procedures

Procedures 1: friables (want view port) 2: smaller scale friable, glovebag 3: Miscellaneous non-friable 4: Dry removal by CIH/CAC 5: Emergency cleanup by CIH/CAC

PF

Protection Factor. The degree of protection a respirator gives you compared to wearing no respirator at all.

RACM

Regulated asbestos containing material. Friable ACMs (like popcorn ceiling) Category I non-friable materials Category II non-friable materials

Chrysotile

Serpentine. Counts for 80-95% of all asbestos in buildings

AHERA

The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act. 40 CFR Part 763, Subpart E. Started 1986 and requires that all schools, grades K-12 (non-profit), be inspected for the presence of ACBM (asbestos-containing building material).

ASHARA

The Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Reauthorization Act. Started 1990, effective Nov. 1992, requires that an accredited Building Inspector perform any asbestos inspection conducted in a public or commercial building. Extended the training requirement to cover asbestos workers, supervisors, and inspectors in public and commercial buildings. ("Under the ASHARA revisions AHERA's training requirements now apply to all persons working with asbestos in public and commercial buildings...") Increased number of hours required for asbestos worker and supervisor training to 32 and 40 hrs respectively.

TSI

Thermal System Insulation

Bulk Sample

To send a piece of material to a lab to see if it's asbestos

TEM

Transmission Electron Microscope/Microscopy. May be used to detect smaller fibers of asbestos.

Management Planner Role

Uses info from the building inspection to estimate the degree of current or potential hazard posed by the ACM and develop a plan for managing the ACM. After ACM is confirmed, create O&M plan, stays in effect until ACM is removed.

Site surveillance technician

acts as an independent on-site representative of an asbestos consultant. They monitor the asbestos abatement activities of others, provide asbestos air monitoring services for area and personal samples, and performs building surveys and contract administration at the direction of an asbestos consultant. 7185

Asbestos consultant

person who contracts to provide professional health and safety services relating to ACM. They do building inspection, abatement project design, contract administration, sample collection, preparation of asbestos management plans, clearance monitoring, and supervision of site surveillance technicians. 7184

Latency Period

the gap between the time you are exposed to asbestos and the time you start to feel sick.