|
|
Asbestos Hazard Management
BUILDING SURVEYS:
Virtually all-commercial buildings constructed
prior to 1980 contain some form of asbestos.
A wide range of materials and varying degrees
of hazards are associated with the presence of
asbestos. In order for building owners to
assess the status of asbestos-containing
materials in their facilities,
samples of all suspect building materials are carefully
analyzed to determine whether asbestos is present.
We then prepare a detailed report, which
contains
- Description of bulk samples taken
- Method of quality control
- List of all areas found to contain friable asbestos
- Corrective action alternatives
- Abatement Cost Estimates
- List of non-friable materials suspected of containing asbestos
OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE PLANS:
If asbestos-containing materials are found to
be present, an Operations and Maintenance (O&M)
Plan is highly recommended. The O&M Plan
should be continued until the asbestos material
is removed, since removal is the only
permanent means of eliminating the threat of
possible exposure to the occupants of the
building.
An Operations and Maintenance Plan serves
two purposes:
- It provides assurance that prudent steps are being taken to minimize the exposure potential to the employees, public and maintenance workers in the building.
- It serves as documentation of the steps the owner has taken to reduce the exposure potential.
ABATEMENT DESIGN:
When asbestos-containing materials are present,
one of several response actions must be
implemented. Those response actions include
removal, enclosure, encapsulation, repair and
building-specific Operations and Maintenance
(O & M) Programs. Abatement projects should be
designed and managed by experienced asbestos
professionals. The Cole and Associates personnel are EPA
Accredited as Abatement Project Designers and
are also either Professional Engineers or
Industrial Hygienists. Following are some of
the key elements necessary for a successful
abatement project:
- Bid Advertisement - A large pool of qualified bidders will reduce costs to the owner. We recommend pre-qualification of prospective bidders. A project walk through and pre-bid conference are also highly recommended.
- Contract Administration - The project administration includes submittal review, work plan review, issuance of notices to proceed, issuance of addenda, change orders and final closeout. General project supervision is provided throughout the construction phase.
- Abatement Surveillance - Worker protection rules require full time air monitoring and final clearance sampling of the abatement work area. This work is crucial in protecting the abatement worker, building occupants and documenting that the work was done safely.
|
|
