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Operations and maintenance programs are developed for facilities to provide in place management of asbestos-containing materials and lead-based paint and include: Survey reports and requirements to reassess condition of materials Procedures for responding to emergency releases of materials Procedures to communicate hazards to employees and contractors Requirements for training of individuals working with materials. Need more information, or a proposal? Please click on Information Request, or contact Dan Bruun, CIH, Vice President Asbestos and Lead Management at 888.873.9983, Ext. 17, or dbruun@1ssh.com.     Other Sections: Asbestos and Lead Management and Consultation, Asbestos Surveys and Investigations, Asbestos Abatement Project Design, Asbestos Environmental Quality Assurance Monitoring, Asbestos Operations and Maintenance Programs, Asbestos and Lead Management FAQ

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Asbestos Operations and Management

If you operate a building built before 1980, you may have asbestos-containing materials that must be managed. These may include floor tiles, mastic, pipe insulation, fittings on fiberglass-insulated pipes, transite panels, roofing materials, and others. If the building was built before 1973, there may be surfacing materials such as spray-applied fireproofing, acoustical plaster, and other friable materials. Many of these materials may be hidden or enclosed under carpet or above plaster or acoustic ceilings and not apparent to building occupants or contractors.

If asbestos material is managed in place in your facility, it is important to have an asbestos operations and management (O&M) program to prevent accidental exposures and to facilitate repairs, maintenance, and renovations. Required aspects of an effective O&M program would include:

Asbestos Coordinator
The asbestos coordinator is the one person who manages all aspects of the asbestos program. This includes ensuring surveys are kept up to date, interfacing with building trades people such as plumbers, mechanics, and custodial staff, and being involved in renovations that may impact asbestos. The asbestos coordinator also arranges for abatement or repair of damaged asbestos materials and manages planned abatement projects.

Asbestos Survey and Periodic Evaluations
An asbestos survey is essential to identify and assess asbestos materials. The asbestos survey report is then a tool to use for the operations and maintenance program, hazard communication, coordinating with contractors, and planning renovations. The survey should identify all asbestos-containing material, including friable materials such as pipe insulation, fittings, tank insulation, fireproofing and acoustic plaster and nonfriable materials such as floor tiles, mastic, transite panels, exterior siding, etc. Quantities and conditions of accessible asbestos materials should be determined, and the surveyor should note if there might be concealed asbestos materials above       ceilings, in pipe chases, under carpets, etc. The asbestos materials should be reassessed on a regular basis to document changes and to enable the repair of minor damage.

Training and Contractor Awareness
The locations and conditions of asbestos materials should be communicated to facility maintenance and custodial staff and to contractors who may work in the area of asbestos materials. Personnel should be able to recognize asbestos-containing materials, know how to prevent exposure to themselves, and know what to do if damaged asbestos is discovered in the workplace. Custodial staff should be aware of procedures for maintaining asbestos-containing flooring materials and for cleaning small amounts of asbestos debris. Contractors should be informed if there are asbestos materials in their proposed work areas, even if their work will not intentionally disturb the asbestos materials. Awareness will help prevent damage and accidental exposures. The training can be conducted with a two-hour Asbestos Awareness Training program as described in the OSHA asbestos standards.

Planning Renovations
Consideration of asbestos is an important aspect of planning mechanical or architectural renovations. Plan to remove asbestos before other demolition or construction occurs in the area. Be sure to have enough time in the schedule for the two-week advance notification to local, state, and federal authorities; the actual abatement; clearance sampling, and demobilization of the abatement contractor. The asbestos coordinator should update the survey to document the change in quantities of asbestos present after abatement projects.

Recordkeeping
In addition to the asbestos survey, the asbestos coordinator should keep thorough records of all asbestos work in the facility, including designs of removal projects; abatement notifications and permits; records of abatement environmental quality assurance monitoring, training and air sampling; medical records for in-house staff; and waste disposal manifests.

For additional information or to discuss how an asbestos O&M program will benefit you, please contact Dan Bruun, CIH, vice president at 888.873.9983, ext. 17 or at dbruun@1ssh.com.

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