Incidental Asbestos Disturbance (SP 002)

Asbestos Incidental Disturbance and Emergency Response

1.0 Purpose and Requirements

To ensure proper response to the disturbance of Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) or Presumed Asbestos Containing Material (PACM).

2.0 Scope

This procedure applies to the Ithaca Campus and remote facilities.

3.0 Responsibilities

• Environment, Health and Safety

  • Establish and maintain the asbestos incidental disturbance Standard Operating Procedure

  • Respond to employee and student asbestos concerns

  • Establish secure area by installing barrier tape, signage to close area/space from being accessible.

  • Contact EMCS for status of damaged material.

  • Conduct investigation of incidental disturbance to identify cause and actions to prevent future occurrence.

  • Log incidental disturbances including root cause and corrective actions

•  Zone/Facility Manager/Coordinator

  • Understand how to access on-line asbestos inventory information for their building

  • Contact the asbestos coordinator when informed of ACM or PACM disturbance

  • Ensuring ACM or PACM disturbances are properly secured to prevent further disturbance of ACM/PACM and further contamination.

•  Energy Management and Control System (EMCS)

  • Responsible for contacting on-shift mechanic and relaying known asbestos information during emergency situations such as water pipe failure

  • Responsible for contacting on-call Asbestos Coordinator when directed during emergency situations

•  Asbestos Coordinator

  • Maintain up-to-date records of material testing and provide additional asbestos inventory information when possible incidental disturbance has occurred

  • Responsible for contacting and scheduling the Asbestos contractor to abate incidental disturbance

  • Ensuring notification to NY State Department of Labor of incidental disturbance as required by Code Rule 56.

•  Employee

  • Do not attempt to clean up the ACM or PACM

  • Immediately vacate the room and restrict access to the room using signage and barrier/caution tape

  • Report the incidental asbestos disturbance to Customer Service, supervisor, and/or facility coordinator during normal working hours

  • Outside normal working hours contact EMCS @ 607-255-5322 and state that you have an asbestos incidental disturbance

 4.0 Definitions

• Incidental disturbance - the unintentional disturbance of asbestos containing material (ACM) or presumed asbestos containing material (PACM).

• Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) – Any material containing greater than one percent (1%) of asbestos.

• Presumed Asbestos Containing Material (PACM) – All thermal system insulations and surfacing material found in buildings constructed no later than 1980. PACM is considered to be ACM unless proven otherwise by appropriate bulk sampling and laboratory analyses.

 5.0 Emergency Disturbance (Normal Working Hours)

• Utility failure (such as pipe leak or break)

• The Zone and facility coordinator are contacted

• The Zone coordinator contacts mechanic

• The Zone Manager reviews on-line asbestos information

• Determination from data review if disturbed material contains asbestos

  • No – mechanic mitigates emergency and initiate repair and cleanup process

  • Yes or Unknown – mechanic mitigates emergency without disturbing material

• Zone Manager contacts Asbestos Coordinator

• Does data exist for material

  • No – Asbestos Coordinator Schedules Abatement contractor to abate disturbed material

  • Yes – then question does it contain asbestos

    • Yes - asbestos coordinator schedules abatement contractor to abate disturbed material

    • No - mechanic initiates repair and cleanup process

6.0 Emergency Disturbance (Off Hours)

• Utility failure (such as pipe leak or break)

• EMCS is contacted

• EMCS contacts on-shift mechanic notifying them of the emergency and provides ceiling material status

• Then the question is does the disturbed material contain asbestos

  • No – on-shift mitigates emergency and initiates repair an cleanup process

  • Yes or unknown

    • On-shift mechanic mitigates emergency without disturbing material

    • EMCS contacts on-call asbestos coordinator

    • Does any data exist on the material

      • No – Asbestos Coordinator schedules abatement contractor to abate disturbed material

      • Yes – then question is does it contain asbestos

        • No – on-shift mechanic initiates repair and cleanup process

        • Yes – Asbestos coordinator schedules abatement contractor to abate disturbed material  

7.0 Incidental Disturbance EHS/FM-Administration Response

• Asbestos coordinator notified of incidental disturbance

  • Initiates third party asbestos abatement response
  • Notifies EHS
    • EHS conducts site review
      • Is a scope change required
        • If no – conduct root cause investigation
          • Log findings and corrective actions
          • Share results with FM Administration

• If yes – notify asbestos coordinator

  • Conduct root cause investigation, log findings and corrective actions, share results with FM Administration

  • FM asbestos coordinator revises abatement scope

    • Initiates third party asbestos abatement response

    • Notifies New York State Department of Labor per Code Rule 56

    • Maintain asbestos records associated with abatement