Asbestos

Plumbing Systems

Any water, gas, compressed air, waste, drains or other fluid Does not include piping for the HVAC system Vertical Pipes = risers Water Systems -Consumed (potable water) -Circulated (equipment cooling, etc) -Static (fire protection) -Controlled (humidity control)

ACM

Asbestos Containing Material, material greater than 1% asbestos

Why is asbestos dangerous?

Asbestos fibers, once inhaled will cause scarring and may cause cancer

Asbestos Health Facts

Asbestos is a known carcinogen There is no known "safe" level Doesn't kill you instantly, no immediate health effects, will take years if at all Those that are affected typically experienced prolong exposure, rare with limited exposure Asbestos fibers must enter the body while airborne, must be breathed through mouth or nose, or swallowed Fibers do not "leap" off materials, material must be disturbed Fibers cannot enter body through eyes, cuts, skin, etc..

OSHA

Asbestos-containing material (ACM) & Presumed Asbestos-containing materail (PACM)

Procedure Overview

Assemble Equipment -Protective equipment -Sampling equipment -Writing supplies Obtain multiples copies of floor plans Review drawings, documents for possible ACMs Walk through building -never just begin sampling; formulate a plan based on the materials present Record location and describe all possible ACMs -AHERA: ineriors, ACBM Test all surfaces for friability -most often through sampling Draw/Identify Homogenous Areas -written description and/or floor plans Collect samples and document locations Identify all functional spaces (AHERA) Assess all friable suspect materials (AHERA)

Crocidolite

Blue asbestos, fibrous Riebeckite

HVAC ACM

Boiler Insulation Duct Insulation Pipe Insulation Breaching and Flue Insulation Gasket Valve Packing Fire Stop Packing Vibration Dampers Cooling Towers (asbestos cement)

Four-pipe System

Both hot and cold water is delivered to the coils at the same time Can change back and forth between heating and cooling very quickly

How does asbestos enter the body?

Breathe air in through nose or mouth Travels down the throat larynx (voice box) and trachea (windpipe) Goes into lungs through tubes called main-stem bronchi The main-stem bronchi divide into smaller bronchi Further divide into smaller tubes called bronchioles Bronchioles end in tiny air sacs called alveoli (millions in lungs, the size of a tennis court)

Miscellaneous Materials

Broad spectrum of ACM's that do not fall into the other categories (SM or TSI). Ceiling tiles, floor tiles, floor mastics, electrical applications (asbestos cloth used to insulate electrical lines), roofing materials, wall board, sidings, cement panels, corrugated cement board (transite), joint compound, drywall mud, flex connectors, window glazing, caulks, friction products (brake & clutch), patch material, gaskets, o-rings

Amosite

Brown asbestos, fibrous Grunerite

HVAC

Central mechanical room, space or "plant" Where heat transfer occurs Supply and return air -Ducted (supply and return through vents) -Plenum (open space above ceiling, pulls from open space, no return)

Serpentine Group

Chrysotile (White)

What are the most common asbestos minerals?

Chrysotile, Amosite, Crocidolite, Anthophyllite, Tremolite, Actinolite

Homogenous Area

Color, texture, and possibly time of installation For sampling purposes If it appears similar then is sampled as such Each type of material is a separate homogenous material Each material is sampled separately

Synergistic Effect

Combined effect of asbestos exposure and smoking is greater than the effect of single exposure to either

Single Supply Ducts

Delivers either heated or cooled air at a constant temperature Temperature of the conditioned spaced usually controlled by adjusting the volumes of air delivered Variable air volume (VAV)

NESHAP

Demo and Renovation: Regulated friable and non-friable asbestos containing material (ACM/RACM)

Probable Homogenous Area According to the Drawings

Design Drawings Contract Documents Drawings (Addendem's) Record ("as-built") Drawings Floor Plans Sections Finish Schedule (details on what what material is used where) Mechanical Plumbing/Electrical Drawings Structural Drawings

Sample Collection: PPE

Disposable Coveralls -especially when above ceiling grid sampling fireproofing, crawlspaces, badly damaged TSI areas Repertory protection -a respirator is required unless there is a personal air sample data to prove that are below the OSHA PEL/EL during your work Eye protection -always, especially when cutting or breaking materials Gloves -Asbestos is not chemical that soaks through your skin

What are the groups of asbestos?

Serpentine Group, Amphibole Group

Number of: Miscellaneous Materials

Should collect bulk samples from each homogeous area of friable and non-friable miscellaneous material that is not assumed to be ACM Minimum of two: do not be afraid to collect more samples than required Amount of material: 1-2 square inches, of each layer if multiple layers/materials

Structural Systems

Skeleton of the structure Beams Columns Bearing Walls Foundations

Mechanical Systems

HVAC and plumbing

HVAC types

Single Supply Ducts Double-Duct System Water Systems Refrigerant Systems Radiant Systems

Number of: Surfacing Material (S)

<1,000 ft^2 = minimum of 3 1,000 - 5,000 ft^2 - minimum of 5 >5,000 ft^2 - minimum of 7 EPA recommends 9 Amount of material to sample: if homogenous apx a tablespoon or about a half of a "film can" Statistically random sample are required May want/need more samples than minimum than called for by AHERA

Asbestos

A naturally occurring mineral fiber. Characteristics: high strength, highly flexible, does not conduct electricity or heat

Public Relations

A planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between and organization and its publics Work to cure misconceptions Be proactive Be up-front Get management on your side Dont lie Explain as best as you can

Amphibole Group

Amosite (Brown), Crocidolite (Blue), Anthophyllite, Tremolite, Actinolite

Asbestos Uses

Fireproofing Thermal Insulation Acoustical Insualtion Condensate Control Decoration Strengthening

Number of Samples

For each homogenous material

AHERA

Friable and non-friable asbestos-containing building material (ACBM)

Two-pipe System

Has a single supply and a single return pipe Can deliver either hot or cold water to the coils, but not both at the same time Changing from cooling to heating requires one system to be shut down and the other started up

Water Systems

Heated and/or cooled water is delivered to a fan coil unit Air is blown across the coils and is controlled by dampers Two-pipe system Four-pipe system

Thermal System Insulation (TSI)

Insulation material on systems such as: boilers/steam delivery, chilled water, condensate returns and ductwork, stuff on pipes

Latency Period

Lag time between the exposure and the onset of disease

Asbestosis

Latency Period: 15-30 years (shortest) Dose-response relationship Fibrous scarring of the lungs Restrictive lung disease Reduces lung capacity, decreases the amount of oxygen absorbed by lungs Spiderweb on x-ray Doctors trained to determine asbestos disease on x-rays are called "B-Readers"

Lung Cancer

Latency Period: 20-30 years (medium) Abnormal growth of cells in the lung Dose-response relationship Large white mass on x-rays

Mesothelioma

Latency Period: 30-40 (longest) Cancer of the chest No dose response relationship Low chance to contract (rarest) Protective tissue around the lungs and in the gut area This tissue around the lungs is called the pleura This tissue around the gut area is called peritoneum

Double Ducts System

One duct carries cooled air, the other warm The two ducts meet at a mixing box (MB) Temperature is controlled by how much cool or warm air gets through the mixing box

Surfacing Material (SM)

Material that is sprayed, troweled on or applies to surfaces (acoustical plaster or fire proofing materials), sprayed on steel beams for insulation, popcorn ceilings, NOT A SURFACE

Friable ACM

Material, that when dry, may be crumbled, pulverized or reduced to powder by hand pressure. Puffy crunchy stuff. Includes damages non-friable material. Includes non-friable materials that is not kept substantially intact (non-friable broken = friable)

Health Effects

Mesothelioma Lung Cancer Asbestosis

Number of: Thermal System Insulation (TSI)

Minimum = 3 samples per homogenous area Amount of material to sample: all the way to the substrate, some TSI can be thick One pipe may have multiple homogenous areas -straight run -elbows -valves -replacement Patch <6 linear or square feet = 1 sample

NESHAP Regulations for Inspection

National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollution (NESHAP) Demo/Renovations, must inspect for all possible ACMs prior to disruption; notifications "Thorough inspection" prior to disturbance Categorized based on friability (NESHAP categories) Removal of RACM prior to renovation or demolition Notification for all demos and most renovation activities RACM; Friable materials, non-friable materials that have or will become RACM Category 1: Roofing, flooring, flooring mastics, gaskets, packing material (valve stems) Category 2: All other non-friable, asbestos cement (transite), window glazing compound, mastics, putties, caulks Notification trigger quantities -All demos, asbestos or not -Renovations: 160ft^2/260ft^2/35ft^2

Refrigerant Systems

Package units that supply heating or cooling directly into a space through a wall or floor

Inspection

Perform a walk-through, determine building layout Group materials into "homogenous materials" -similar color, texture, or time of installation Describe the locations and extent (quantities) of suspect material Act of obtaining samples of building materials to determine if they contain asbestos Samples are sent to accredited lab to determine types and percentage of asbestos Reports are generated and delivered to client, reports vary depending on needs

Electrical Systems

Power distribution and lighting

AHERA Regulations for Inspection

Schools K-12: requirements are well defined within regulations Local Education Agencies (LEA) must inspect leased, owned, or used buildings Before October 12, 1988 -Re-inspect every 3 years Must inspect for suspect materials and determine friability Assess all friable materials known or assumed to be ACBM Place ACBM into 1 of 7 categories of damage Must inspect all -Surfacing Materials (S) -Thermal System Insulation (TSI) -Miscellaneous Materials Assess all friable materials & TSI, and those that become friable since last inspection Those materials within the building - not roofing, exterior cement board -Covered walkways, proticos (covered entrance way are included) "Non-destructive" Additional sampling most often required before demo/renovation to find all material There are a variety of odd materials that are excluded from AHERA inspections -Concrete, cinder blocks, glass steel and others

Functional Space

Spatially distinct areas within a building that sometimes contain different populations of occupants and different activities Rooms are separate from one another The inspector determines the functional spaces during inspection activities This is used for assessments

The Interrelationship of Building Systems

Structural Systems Mechanical Systems Electrical Systems

ACM Classification

Surfacing Materials (SM) Thermal System Insulation (TSI) Miscellaneous Materials

Electrical Systems ACM

Suspect ACM Asbestos cement ducts for electrical cable runs Breaker boxes and other electrical components mounted on asbestos cement panels Partitions in electrical panels "Arc Chutes" inside high voltage breakers Asbestos cloth to blind bare cables Any woven insulation Often seen on the wiring to stage lighting

Plumbing System ACM

Suspect ACM Primarily insultion Pipes and fittings (elbows, valves, tee's, etc..) Roof drains Asbestos cement piping

Chrysotile

The asbestos variety in +90% of asbestos products in the U.S.

Dose-response relationship

The relationship between the different doses and the responses they generate High dose = high potential Low dose = low potential

Radiant System

Usually use steam or hot water for heating Requires a radiator in the space to be heated

OSHA Regulations for Inspection

Workers protection; inspection and communication before disruption For buildings constructed before 1981, suspect surfacing materials and TSI must be assumed to be ACM or tested Sheet flooring or floor tiles installed before 1981 must be assumed to be ACM or tested OSHA "due diligence" for any material The sampling and analytical portions of the survey must be conducted in accordance with AHERA