Asbestos consulting for church schools......

A school system operated by a Conference of churches is subject to the EPA AHERA requirements for asbestos management. I have conducted nine three-year re-inspections and two initial inspections, finding asbestos-containing materials in all but two schools. While complying with the AHERA assessment requirements, I also used the quantitative protocol in the ASTM E2356 Standard Practice for Comprehensive Building Asbestos Surveys. I documented my findings in a narrative report, tables of inspection and sampling results, Operations and Maintenance plans and floor plans, and prepared current versions of the Management Plans. The reports were submitted as electronic files as well as the hard copy required by EPA, and posted on a website that I created for the Conference.

One of the school complexes consists of nine high-school buildings and two elementary-school buildings. My findings included asbestos floor tile under carpet that had not been previously identified in two buildings and asbestos-containing textured finish on ceilings in two other buildings. The Conference accepted my recommendation, based on assessments according to the ASTM E2356 standard, to have the ceilings removed. I managed the abatement project as their representative, conducting the Project Design Survey, soliciting proposals and overseeing the work of the selected contractor. Because work was proceeding in both buildings simultaneously I retained the services of a licensed project monitor for on-site PCM analysis and assistance with visual inspections (according to ASTM E1368) and air sampling. Final clearance samples were analyzed by TEM as required by AHERA regulations and no asbestos structures were detected.

Immediately prior to this project I managed an abatement project to remove carpet and underlying floor tile in another school operated by the Conference. ASTM E1368 visual inspections and TEM analysis of clearance samples were also used on this project.

Some of the school buildings are free-standing while others are physically attached to the church buildings. Some of the spaces used by the school and therefore subject to AHERA are also used for church functions, and are cleaned, maintained and even renovated by church volunteers. This situation poses challenges to compliance with AHERA and OSHA regulations for O&M and communication programs.

Non-asbestos plaster ceiling in classroom

Removing ceiling with asbestos-containing textured finish