Think Asbestos Before Renovation and Demolition Ideal Environmental Engineering, Inc. 2904 Tractor Lane Bloomington Illinois 61704 (800)535-0964 or (309)828-4259 www.idealenvironmental.com
Welcome and Overview! • We will be discussing how asbestos could impact your renovation and demolition project as it pertains to commercial and public buildings. • The importance of properly bulk sampling materials suspect for asbestos. • Rules and regulations from OSHA, Illinois EPA, and the Illinois Department of Public Health. • Protecting the occupants of the building and the general public. • Reducing the liability of the building owner by complying with rules and regulations. • We will open it up to discussion at the conclusion, but if you have a question during the presentation, please raise your hand and we’ll get it answered!
Regulation Timeline 1990 – NESHAP (EPA) National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants regulates asbestos in demolition and renovation. 1994 – Final Rule on Asbestos (OSHA) Regulates asbestos removal and inspections in commercial/public buildings. 1995 – Public Act 89-143 (IDPH) Requires workers, supervisors, inspectors, and contractors to be licensed when working in commercial/public buildings. 1999 – Asbestos Abatement Act (IDPH) Revised their regulations to include commercial/public buildings.
What Facilities are Regulated? The EPA defines a facility to include any institutional, commercial, public, industrial or residential structure, installation or building. Residential buildings with four or fewer dwelling units are excluded.
Do Sampling First! Before you begin any renovation or demolition project, having a proper building inspection by a licensed asbestos inspector is the first step. Any suspect building material to be disturbed must be sampled. What’s suspect? If it’s not rubber, wood, or metal – it should be sampled before disturbance.
Reading the Results The company that does your bulk sampling should provide you a detailed report with lab results, their credentials, and other key information to document what was sampled. Most bulk samples are analyzed by PLM – polarized light microscopy. Sometimes further testing is done with point counting or TEM – transmission electron microscopy. A building material must have greater than 1% asbestos to be considered an asbestos containing material. OSHA has minimal rules to follow for materials with trace amounts of asbestos. Plan for the unexpected! You never know what’s inside walls or ceilings, so be careful as the project unfolds and keep an eye out.
Important to Note! The demolition contractor must have a person on site who understands the EPA NESHAP standard, so if a problem comes up, they know enough to stop the job and fix the problem. The demo notification that is submitted to the IEPA says the contractor will have that person on site, so it is a requirement! IEPA will ask when they arrive on site, who that person is. In addition, they may ask to see the inspection report and any asbestos removal documentation.
Annual Review Some industrial/commercial building owners are having annual asbestos inspections done of their buildings. Even if the inspection was done properly, an annual review is good to be sure the condition of the material(s) are unchanged. It’s also a good way to be sure your documentation is in order. Anything identified as a change should be addressed. For example, some damaged pipe insulation in the boiler room that was hit with a ladder. That should be cleaned up and repaired by qualified personnel. Annual asbestos awareness training is a good way to be sure your maintenance and custodial personnel know what’s going on. OSHA requires that training be done annually and documented.
Things Most Don’t Think About Ceramic Tile Grout/Mortar Metal Sink Undercoating Vermiculite Insulation Window Caulking/Glazing Drywall Joint Compound Gaskets/Sealants Mastics – flooring, ceiling tile Duct Pin Mastic Lightweight Concrete Floor Leveling Compound
Vermiculite Issues Vermiculite was commonly used in blown-in insulation for attics or walls. It was often poured in concrete blocks for insulation and sound proofing. Vermiculite is mined in Libby, Montana and does not naturally contain asbestos, but is found where asbestos is. Most labs don’t analyze it for asbestos content, and merely state that the material is vermiculite and should be treated like asbestos. Over 25 million homes have it in the walls or attic as insulation. It’s also found in many commercial buildings. It can be difficult to completely remove.
Asbestos Abatement If materials sampled are found to contain asbestos, then decisions need to be made. Change plans, cover it up, or possibly hire an asbestos abatement contractor to remove it safely. Some asbestos removal jobs require full plastic containments and shower facilities, while others require very little set up. Prior to demolition, all friable asbestos and non-friable asbestos that will become friable, must be removed in Illinois. Cook County requires it all to be removed!
Asbestos Abatement Prior to Demo Friable is a material that can be crumbled or reduced to a powder by hand pressure. Typical friable materials are pipe insulation, boiler/tank insulation, popcorn spray on ceilings, and more. Non-friable materials are things like transite, floor tile, mastics, roof flashing, plaster, and drywall. Some of these materials can remain in the building, but others must come out before demolition. Transite, plaster and drywall would be examples of non-friable materials that must be removed prior to demolition. Even though floor tile and mastics can usually remain in the building, if they are on concrete, then removal is more cost effective so the concrete can be recycled. This would apply to roof flashing on metals that might be valuable to recycle compared to disposal.
Protecting Others When you have employees or the general public in the building, keeping them safe is important. Some may be concerned when asbestos is brought up, so having things done properly will be key in responding to questions. Hiring the right professionals will also be important to be sure the job is done right and as safe as possible. Good documentation at the end of the job will help if anything comes up later on.
Limiting Liability Liability is a concern with anything you do, especially when you’re dealing with environmental matters and regulations. Hiring the right people is key. Ask them for references, and search their company name on the internet to see if you can find them in the news or in other places. Doing your due diligence will go a long way in getting the job done.
Keep us in mind to help you on your next project! • Asbestos Inspections and Sampling • Asbestos Removal and Repair • Asbestos Project Management/Design/Air Monitoring • Asbestos , Lead, and Safety Training • Asbestos Consulting • Asbestos Management Plan Reorganization • Lead Inspections and Risk Assessments • Lead in Water Testing • Indoor Environmental Quality • Bleacher Inspections www.idealenvironmental.com (800)535-0964 or (309)828-4259
THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING!
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