Asbestos
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fiber known for its strength and resistance to heat and fire. Because of these properties, it was widely used in building materials. Asbestos was used in everyday products such as toasters and hair dryers, but it was mainly found in construction materials. These include pipe and boiler insulation, plasters and brown coats, roofing materials, ceiling and floor tiles, spray-on insulation, and decorative finishes like stucco.
Asbestos Inspection/ ACP-5 Form Preparation
JLC has completed thousands of ACM inspections, which in many cases are required as part of the environmental due diligence process prior to the start of a renovation or demolition project. An ACM inspection evaluates the building materials present to determine whether asbestos is present and whether it will be impacted by a project’s proposed Scope of Work.
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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has divided ACMs into three main categories:
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• Surfacing Materials, such as spray-applied insulation or plaster and brown coats, which were commonly used to help protect buildings in the event of a fire.
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• Thermal System Insulation (TSI), such as tank and duct insulation, radiator backing, and pipe insulation, which were used to prevent heat loss or heat gain in building systems.
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• Miscellaneous Materials, such as vinyl asbestos floor tiles (VAT), transite cement panels, and roofing materials.
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JLC’s certified inspectors conduct a site visit to assess the condition of suspect materials and collect bulk material samples of suspected ACM. These samples are analyzed by a certified laboratory to determine asbestos content. Bulk samples are analyzed using Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) and/or Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) to ensure accurate identification of all materials.
Asbestos Air Monitoring and Project Monitoring
Asbestos fibers may be released into the air by the disturbance of ACM during product use, demolition work, building or home maintenance, repair, and remodeling. In general, exposure may occur only when the ACM is disturbed or damaged in some way that releases microscopic fibers into the air.
Asbestos air monitoring is required during abatement activities by many states and municipalities including the NYC DEP and New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL). JLC's staff of certified Project Monitors serve as on-site representatives of the building owner to conduct air sampling and to work with the abatement contractor overseeing the asbestos abatement work. Air samples are collected and analyzed using PCM and TEM method in order to obtain re-occupancy of spaces undergoing abatement of ACM.
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Ambient air monitoring can also be conducted when a client has concerns about the possibility of asbestos being present in the air around them in either their work or home environment. Such air samples are usually analyzed by TEM method.
Asbestos Abatement Design and CADD Services
JLC has NYS DOL certified Project Designers on staff who prepare Asbestos Abatement Specifications for Asbestos Abatement projects. Such specifications are necessary for large projects to avoid any errors on part of the Asbestos Abatement Contractor.
JLC also uses CADD to prepare drawings with Abatement Specifications.
Asbestos Operation & Maintenance (O&M) Plan
An Operations and Maintenance (O&M) plan is a formulated plan of training, cleaning, work practices, and surveillance to maintain asbestos-containing materials (ACM) within buildings in good condition. The goal is to minimize exposure of all building occupants to asbestos fibers.
JLC prepares O&M plans for owners and managers of office buildings, shopping centers, apartment buildings, hospitals, and similar facilities that may contain asbestos materials. It provides building owners, managers, workers, and other key building staff basic information on how to develop and carry out O&M programs for managing asbestos in a place.