Asbestos Building Inspector

Asbestosis

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

Previous inspection reports

- Should provide a starting point - Identified ACM should be verified - Inadequate parts of the inspection should be repeated.

Characteristics of asbestos mineral

-Naturally occurring -Thermal properties (heat stability, thermal, electrical and acoustic insulation) -Resistance to chemical, thermal and biological degradation -Absorption capacity - Tensile strength

Asbestos Applications

-Roofing -Thermal and electrical insulation -Cement pipe and sheets -Flooring -Gaskets -Friction materials (brake pads/shoes) -Coatings and compounds - Plastics, textiles, mastics, thread, fibre jointing and millboard

Categories of ACBM

-Surfacing Materials -Thermal System Insulation -Miscellaneous Materials

Floor plans can be used to:

1- locate and document suspect material which is not sampled (misc. products), 2- delineate homogeneous sampling areas, 3- identify locations of bulk samples 4- record functional spaces

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 , 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

Two categories of asbestos minerals and their characteristics

1. Serpentine- curly, wavy, sheet-like 2. Amphibole- rod-like, straight, chain-like

Yearly Medical Exam entails..

1. Short questionnaire 2. General physical exam 3. PFT

What does the medical exam entail?

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

Asbestosis latency period is:

10-20 years

How long does it take to get sick from asbestos?

10-40 yrs after you breathe it.

Mesothelioma has an extended latency period of:

20-40 years

OSHA right-to-know

29 CFR 1910.1200

OSHA Respirator Standard

29 CFR 1910.134

OSHA Construction Industry Asbestos Standard

29 CFR 1926.1101 - 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 respirators hygiene facilities

How often are re-inspections required by AHEARA after a management plan is in effect?

3 years

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

80x more likely to get lung cancer.

change order

A change to construction documents after a contract for construction has been signed

Negative Pressure Respirator

A respirator in which the air pressure inside the facepiece is negative (lower) during inhalation with respect to the ambient air pressure outside the respirator. During inhalation, air is pulled through a filter device.

Occurrence insurance

A type of liability insurance that covers the insured for any claims arising from an incident that occurred, or is alleged to have occurred, during the time the policy is in force, regardless of when the claim is made.

Friable ACM

ACM that can be crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder by hand pressure. Example: sprayed-on ceiling insulation. Friable ACM cannot be made non-friable

Non-friable ACM

ACM that cannot be pulverized under hand pressure. (If sawed, drilled, stripped, or sanded the material may become friable.) Example: vinyl-asbestos floor tile. - Category I: non-friable includes roofing, flooring, packings, and gaskets. - Category II: non-friable includes all other non-friable asbestos materials

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 or not discovered before demo, 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.

Name the 5 amphiboles

Amosite Tremolite Actinolite Crocidolite Anthopyllite

homogeneous sampling areas

Areas which are uniform by color, texture, construction/application date, and general appearance. These areas are used for sampling suspect material

ACBM

Asbestos Containing Building Material

ASHAA

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

When was Asbestos banned in ceiling treatments (popcorn ceilings) in the USA?

Asbestos was banned in ceiling treatments by the Clean Air Act of 1978 in the United States

Mesothelioma

Cancer of the lining of the lungs or of the belly. Less than 2% of asbestos worker deaths are caused by mesothelioma. 20-40 yr latency period. Not dose-related because even a small amount can cause it.

What type of asbestos is the fibrous serpentine

Chrysotile (white asbestos)- Most common type found in schools

OSHA Asbestos Work Classifications

Class I - activities involving the removal of Thermal System Insulation (TSI), surfacing Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM), and Presumed Asbestos Containing Materials (PACM). Class II - activities involving the removal of ACM which is not thermal system insulation or surfacing material. This includes, but is not limited to, the removal of asbestos containing wallboard, floor tile and sheeting, roofing and siding shingles, and construction mastics. Class III - repair and maintenance operations, where ACM, including TSI and surfacing ACM and PACM, are likely to be disturbed. Class IV- maintenance and custodial activities during which employees contact but do not disturb ACM or PACM and activities to clean up dust, waste, and debris resulting from Class I, II, and III activities

OSHA's classifications of work activities

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.

Three areas of potential liability for a building inspector:

Criminal, Regulatory and Civil

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.

EPA Worker Protection Rule

Extends the OSHA standards to state and local employees who perform asbestos work and who are not covered by the OSHA Asbestos Standards, or by a state OSHA plan.

Functional space

Functional spaces are spatially distinct units within a building and sometimes contain different populations of building occupants. Example: Classroom, Auditorium. These spaces are used for assessing (not sampling) suspect material

What are the categories of suspect materials during a visual inspection

Good, Damaged, Significantly Damaged

Mechanical systems of a building

HVAC systems Plumbing systems Elevator systems

Building occupants/employees can be informed of building hazards in which ways

Holding awareness meetings Posting signs Distributing notices

How is asbestos measured?

In fibers per cubic centimeter (f/cc)

Contract documents

Legally binding building drawings and specifications. Also called construction documents. Includes: Working drawings, specifications, addenda, general conditions of the contract, supplementary conditions, and the owner-contractor agreement.

Minimum number of samples required by AHERA rule

Less than 1,000ft2 = 3 Between 1,000 and 5,000ft2 = 5 Greater than 5,000 ft2 = 7

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. (40 CFR 763 Subpart E Appendix C) mandates safety training for those who do asbestos removal work, and implements the additional training requirements mandated by Congress in the Asbestos School Hazard Reauthorization Act of 1990 as well as its requirements for training of asbestos workers in public and commercial buildings.

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 options does a school have to manage and control ACM and what laid them out?

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

Protection Factor (PF)

PF = outside concentration/inside concentration

Asbestos analysis methods for bulk samples

PLM Point-Counting X-Ray diffraction (XRD) Electron microscopy infrared spectroscopy

When do you need a medical exam?

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: 0.1 f/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

Site Plan

Provides overall perspective on the building and site. -property lines -location of building -grading/drainage, etc.

RACM

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

AHERA

The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act. 40 CFR Part 763, Subpart E. Promulgated in 1986, 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. Promulgated in 1990, effective Nov. 1992, requires that any asbestos inspection conducted in a public or commercial building be performed by an accredited Building Inspector. Extended the accreditation requirements to cover asbestos workers, supervisors, and inspectors in public and commercial buildings. Increased minimum number or training hours for workers and supervisors.

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.

Selection of sampling locations

Use a sampling scheme so that it's representative of the homogenous sampling area.

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.

Claims-made insurance

covers the insured party for only the claims made during the time period the policy is in effect

Errors and Omissions (E&O) coverage

insurance to protect against misjudgments made during building inspections.

Common "tort" theories

negligence, fraud, misrepresentation, assault and battery

How to choose sampling locations

sample locations are selected so that they are representative of the sampling area using a consistent sampling scheme, not based on personal judgment

Latency Period

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