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Evolving Asbestos Standards

The concern regarding asbestos and health risk evolved quickly in the early 1980’s and resulted in a blizzard of standards and regulations. The very first federal standard that applied to building owners and operators was proposed by EPA in 1980 and promulgated in 1982. The standard is known as 40 CFR 763, Friable Asbestos-Containing Materials in Schools, and specifically targets schools as the name implies. The standard required public and private educational authorities (K-12) to inspect their buildings for friable ACM, sample the buildings to determine asbestos content, and assess the potential hazard. [Read more…]

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Asbestos Information and Awareness

Asbestos is a ubiquitous mineral product that has been widely used for more than one hundred years. It has been used in numerous building products, including thermal insulation (pipes, boilers, water tanks), fireproofing, acoustical plasters, and an enormous number of miscellaneous products, including floor tiles, ceiling tiles, textiles such as gloves and blankets, vehicle brake and clutch linings, and various roofing and siding materials. It wide use was due to its superior insulating characteristics, fire resistance, chemical resistance, tensile strength, and abundance. [Read more…]

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Asbestos Hazard Recognition

While asbestos products were widely used in building construction since the early 1900’s, the recognition of health hazard evolved slowly. The occupational hazard of asbestos was identified in the 1930’s in Great Britain and was recognized in the medical literature in the United States by World War II. The occupational disease asbestosis was the first asbestos disease recognized in the medical literature and was cited in the Worker’s Compensation laws in many states in the US. It took much longer to recognize the cancer mesothelioma, since it tends to have a long latency period. As stated in the National Cancer Institute paper, “Also, very high exposures, which were likely to have occurred in the 1930’s and 1940’s, may have resulted in lung cancer or asbestosis before mesothelioma could develop.” [Read more…]

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Should I Spray Bleach on my Mold Growth?

The presence of active mold growth inside an occupied building requires remediation measures to remove the growth. Existing industry standards published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), American Industrial Association (AIHA), Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), American Conference of Industrial Hygiene (ACGIH) and others all emphasize  the need to remove the mold growth. This is defined as the demolition and removal of affected porous materials such as carpet, drywall and insulation, and the thorough cleaning of non-porous materials such as wood, metal, vinyl and hard plastic. [Read more…]

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What is Sick Building Syndrome?

Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is a term used to describe a situation in which building occupants experience acute health effects or comfort issues that appear to be linked to the time spent in the building, with no specific illness or identified cause. SBS differs from Building Related Illness (BRI) because in BRI, the symptoms of diagnosable illness can be attributed to exposure to indoor air contaminants.  SBS refers to nonspecific symptom complaints such as irritation of the throat, eyes, nose, and skin, headaches, and fatigue.  These symptoms are felt by individuals while in their work space.  The symptoms may worsen throughout the work day and disappear when they leave the work building. [Read more…]