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Asbestos Operations and Maintenance Program

Download the Asbestos Operations and Maintenance Program (PDF)

Purpose and Scope

This program outlines the Boise State University asbestos management procedure. The program is designed to provide guidance to University faculty, staff, students, contractors, consultants, and visitors in order to minimize and/or eliminate the possibility of exposure to airborne asbestos fibers.

The Asbestos Program covers the identification, maintenance, and removal of regulated asbestos containing material in University facilities.

This protocol does not provide guidance for University operations in leased spaces.

Definitions

  • ACM – Asbestos containing material. Any material containing more than 1% asbestos.
  • AHERA – Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act
  • Competent Person – One who is capable of identifying existing asbestos hazards in the workplace and selecting the appropriate control strategy for asbestos exposure and who has the authority to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.
  • Contracting Department – For the purposes of this procedure, any department that contracts to have work done in University owned buildings and facilities; e.g., Facilities Operations and Maintenance, Student Housing, Student Union, Pavilion, Morrison Center, Office of Information and Technology, etc.
  • Friable asbestos – material containing at least one percent asbestos which, when dry, can be crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder by hand pressure.
  • Negative Exposure Assessment – A demonstration by means of analytical sampling and assessment that employee exposure during an operation is expected to be consistently below OSHA permissible exposure limits.
  • NESHAP – National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants. NESHAP-size projects are at least 260 linear feet of friable asbestos on pipes or 160 square feet of friable asbestos on other surfaces, or at least 35 cubic feet of friable asbestos on components not previously measured.
  • OSHA – Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
  • PACM – Presumed asbestos containing material. Thermal system insulation and surfacing material found in buildings constructed before 1980.
  • Regulated area – A demarcated area where the airborne concentrations of asbestos exceed, or there is a reasonable possibility they may exceed, the permissible exposure limits.

Protocol

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Re- authorization Act requires that before renovation or demolition of public and commercial buildings or parts of buildings of any size, thorough inspection and sampling for ACM must be conducted using an accredited AHERA inspector unless written affidavits are on file from the architect and builder of the facility that ACM was not used (i.e., an asbestos-free building). Operations in which any asbestos material is drilled, cut, abraded, sanded, chipped, broken, crushed, or sawed are not allowed.

Identification of ACM and PACM must be made by a “competent person”. Suspect materials will be tested for asbestos content prior to disturbing for any reason. Samples must be collected by a certified AHERA inspector.

Except for Student Housing, there are currently no University AHERA-accredited asbestos abatement workers or supervisors. When any work near or on asbestos containing materials will result in the material being disturbed, AHERA-accredited asbestos abatement contractors must perform the work. Removal must be done by a licensed abatement contractor meeting University insurance requirements.

All contractors (e.g., general, electrical, mechanical, etc.) that could possibly disturb or be exposed to ACM in campus facilities must be informed of the University’s program on asbestos, including identification of known ACM locations.

Responsibilities

Building Occupants

  1. Follow procedures as outlined above
  2. Report any loose or damaged ACM or PACM to EHS

Contracting Departments or Offices

  1. Prepare bidding documents to ensure compliance with applicable asbestos regulations including advanced notification in accordance with State of Idaho Department of Environmental Quality regulations
  2. Contract with Department of Environmental Quality licensed abatement contractors who also meet the University’s insurance requirements. Variations in practice must be coordinated with EHS
  3. Ensure that any bulk samples that are collected are done so by a Department of Environmental Quality certified inspector. Provide all results to EHS
  4. Provide appropriate communications to contractors, contract employees, and building occupants regarding the presence and removal of ACM and PACM

Environmental Health and Safety

  1. Develop and maintain the University’s Asbestos O&M Program. Develop and maintain a database locating asbestos- containing materials still on campus
  2. Provide industrial hygiene (“competent person”) consultation, training and service. Relay requirements to University supervisors and managers.
  3. Collect bulk and air samples for analysis as requested or required

Facilities O&M, OIT, and Custodial Supervisors

  1. Ensure employees receive training on possible location of asbestos containing materials, hazards, and procedures for reporting incidents. Document training which should be conducted with all new personnel and annually thereafter
  2. Report asbestos incidents to EHS for follow-up
  3. Report any loose or damaged ACM or PACM to EHS

Departmental Maintenance, Telecommunications, and Custodial Personnel

  1. Perform duties as trained
  2. Report any labeled, loose or damaged ACM or PACM to
    EHS

References

Environmental Protection Agency, 40 CFR Part 61, National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
Environmental Protection Agency, Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Re-authorization Act, U.S. Code, Title 15, Chapter 53, Sub-chapter II, Section 2646
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 29 CFR Part 1910.1001 and 1910.1101