1. Asbestos (Awareness)

2. Asbestos (Awareness) • DHEC • Disturbance of ACBM during renovations and demolitions • Focus on environmental impact • OSHA • Disturbance of ACM during renovations, demolition, maintenance • Work practices, training, exposure limits • Focus on worker protection

3. Characteristics of asbestos • Separate into smaller and smaller fiber bundles when disturbed or handled – up to 700 times smaller than human hair • Resistant to heat, bacteria and chemicals • Great tensile strength and stiffness • Excellent electrical and thermal insulator • Noise insulator • Resistant to effects of friction and wear

4. Asbestos – Where is it? • 1973 – banned in thermal, surfacing, fireproofing materials • Commonly found in • Floor tiles (9” x 9” and 12” x 12”) – most common • Ceiling tiles • TSI (water, steam and chilled water lines) • Fireproofing (Jones PSC, Law Center, Capstone) • Transite panels • Tank insulation • Acoustical spray (popcorn) ceiling • Roofing felts and shingles • High temperature gaskets and valve packing's

5. Uses of asbestos • Fireproofing material – sprayed on steel beams, columns and decking • Added to concrete or other materials to enhance strength (i.e. siding, roofing shingles, wallboard, pipes, asphalt, vinyl) • Acoustical plaster, textured ceilings • Insulation of pipes/equipment

6. Definitions • ACM– asbestos containing materials • ACBM – asbestos containing building materials • Friable – can be reduced to powder by hand pressure when dry • EPA and OSHA define ACM as materials that contain more than 1% asbestos, by weight. Asbestos content can only be determined through analysis of bulk samples!

7. Asbestos Health Risks Majority of people who have died from asbestos exposure were asbestos workers, exposed to high concentrations each day with little or no protection.

8. Health Effects of AsbestosAsbestos Diseases • Asbestosis • Lung Cancer • Pleural Mesothelioma

9. Health Effects of AsbestosAsbestosis • Scarring of lung tissue • Macrophages • Clear dose-response relationship • Shortness of breath • Latency period of 15 – 30 years

10. Notices and Labeling • Entrances to mechanical rooms • Entrances to regulated abatement areas • Entrances to crawl spaces

11. Activities Involving Potential Exposure • “Occupational Exposure” – exposure at or above 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter (f/cc) • Maintenance, repair, renovation, demolitions that disturb ACM • Fiber release from • Fallout (old/deteriorated ACM) • Contact (striking, cutting, drilling, air erosion) • Reentrainment (sweeping, dusting, unfiltered vacuuming of settled dust)

12. Minimizing Potential Exposure • Damage and deterioration • Avoid touching or disturbing ACM on ceilings, pipes, boilers • Do not drill, sand or scrape ACM • Do not attempt to clean friable ACM • Cleanup only by HEPA vac and wet methods • Do not go above ceiling grid in PSC, Law Center, or Capstone

13. What causes asbestos materials to become damaged and friable? • Applied in a friable state (fireproofing, acoustical insulation) • Physical disturbance • Contact with asbestos ceiling • Damaged ceiling tile when removing • Air erosion • Delamination • Water leaks from ceiling causes ceiling asbestos coating to pull away (delaminate) from base material.

14. Minimizing Potential Exposure • Floor care • Do not sand or scrape asbestos flooring • Strip only with wet methods at speeds < 300 rpm. • Do not dust, dry sweep or vacuum dirt/debris where there is damaged ACM • Jones PSC – wet wiping and HEPA vacs only for routine cleaning

15. Roles of Custodial & Maintenance Personnel • Be familiar with health hazards of asbestos • Be aware that some areas can contain ACM • Report evidence of disturbance or damage to Work Management @ 7-4217. • Report improper actions which could damage ACM

16. Procedures for Crawl Spaces • Due to recent soil sampling, all crawl spaces and mechanical rooms with dirt floors are being treated as contaminated • Entry will be restricted to asbestos certified employees until poly is applied in the space • Asbestos signs will be posted – DO NOT ENTER if you see this sign

17. DO NOT ENTER