Managing Asbestos in Commercial Buildings
Unfortunately, asbestos is a common environmental hazard found in many structures around Chicago. Finding asbestos in commercial buildings is not uncommon, especially those built before 1980.
Once airborne, asbestos fibers become a serious health risk for building occupants, causing severe pulmonary illness if inhaled —such as the deadly cancer mesothelioma.
If you lease, maintain, or own a commercial building, it’s important to know if and where the asbestos in commercial buildings is present and how to prevent the asbestos from contaminating the environment.
Responsibilities and Regulations for Asbestos in Commercial Buildings
If you suspect asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in your building, it’s crucial to be familiar with the building regulations regarding their safe management and to understand exactly who is responsible for meeting those regulations.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lays out regulations in the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP), which are designed to protect the wider environment from asbestos contamination.
NESHAP sets the standards for safe asbestos removal and containment during building renovations and demolitions, as well as for communication guidelines — detailing how to notify state agencies whenever conducting such work.
The Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA) builds on NESHAP to protect workers and contractors from asbestos exposure. OSHA states that for buildings constructed in 1980 or earlier, asbestos is presumed to exist within certain common building materials unless proven otherwise through certified inspection.
This is important for maintaining a building, as even minor repairs could expose occupants to airborne asbestos if proper care isn’t taken.
It’s also important to know who is responsible for meeting NESHAP and OSHA standards. Property owners bear responsibility for the safety of their buildings’ occupants, and asbestos exposure must be high on their list of hazards to avoid. However, leases and maintenance contracts may reassign responsibility.
With how common it is to find asbestos in commercial buildings, building occupants need quick and reliable ways to detect and remove the toxic substance to ensure safety. Make sure you know who is responsible for keeping asbestos out of the work environment, to protect yourself and others.
How to Tell If Your Commercial Building Has Asbestos
Testing for asbestos in commercial buildings is a crucial step in ensuring the safety of occupants and complying with regulations. Various options for asbestos testing are available for your commercial property.
Asbestos DIY Test Kits
For those considering a do-it-yourself approach, mail-in asbestos test kits offer convenience. These asbestos test kits typically include instructions for collecting samples safely and effectively. Once samples are collected, they can be mailed to a laboratory for analysis. While mail-in test kits provide a relatively affordable and accessible option, they may lack the precision and reliability of professional testing methods.
Professional Asbestos Testing by a Certified Professional
Professional asbestos testing, conducted by certified asbestos specialists, involves a thorough assessment of the building. Certified technicians collect samples using specialized equipment and techniques to ensure accuracy.
Professional testing offers more comprehensive results compared to mail-in test kits, providing building owners with confidence in the accuracy of the findings.
Asbestos Inspections for Commercial Buildings
If you are not sure what you need to test, or where asbestos might be lurking in your building, consider an asbestos inspection.
Professional asbestos inspection services offer another option for building owners seeking comprehensive assessments. These inspections are conducted by qualified professionals who thoroughly examine the building for asbestos-containing materials.
Asbestos inspectors identify potential risks and provide recommendations for safe management or removal. Their expertise ensures that all asbestos-related concerns are addressed effectively, minimizing risks to occupants and ensuring regulatory compliance.
Whether opting for a do-it-yourself mail-in asbestos test kit, professional testing by certified specialists, or a comprehensive asbestos inspection, building owners have various options to ensure the safety of their commercial properties.
Each approach offers distinct advantages, enabling informed decision-making and effective management of asbestos-related risks.
Asbestos in Commercial Buildings Removal and Containment
While you never want asbestos in commercial buildings that you own or manage, the good news is that not all asbestos materials pose an immediate threat to a building’s occupants. Certain items like floor tiles keep their asbestos fully enclosed in a binder and unable to enter the environment so long as the tiles are undamaged and in good condition.
The danger comes when the asbestos fibers are friable, or easily disturbed and made airborne. When otherwise harmless asbestos containing materials like tiles are worn or damaged, the asbestos fibers become exposed and are easily brushed against and freed.
Even worse, some products— like spray insulation or acoustic ceiling finishes — never fully contain their asbestos content and are so friable that they contaminate the air simply by deteriorating with age.
When found in a building, friable asbestos must be managed either by capturing the dangerous materials to prevent the asbestos from spreading or by removing the hazard altogether.
In either case, under NESHAP guidelines, this work must be done by certified asbestos abatement professionals in order to meet specific building requirements for environmental safety.
The EPA also publishes resources on developing an operations and maintenance program for controlling asbestos exposure in your building.
Common Places to Find Asbestos in Commercial Buildings
Asbestos in commercial buildings can be found in almost all parts. Common locations for asbestos in commercial buildings include:
- Boilers: Asbestos is often an integral material in boilers, used in gaskets, sealants, and especially block insulation around the boiler and pipes. As these materials are repeatedly exposed to high heat, the binder materials containing the asbestos gradually deteriorate, creating an extreme exposure hazard.
- Insulation: Particularly dangerous is loose-fill insulation, sprayed into walls or above ceilings. Most insulation used to contain asbestos, including pipe wrap and acoustic tile ceilings.
- Fireproofing: Spray-on fireproofing, firebricks, and ceramics that contain asbestos are very common.
- Flooring adhesives and tiles: Asbestos was frequently added to ceramic and vinyl flooring, as well as flooring adhesives.
- Drywall and paint: The strength and fire resistance of asbestos made it a popular material for walls — added to sheetrock, joint compound, plasters, and paints.
- Electrical wiring and utility boxes: Asbestos ribbon was commonly used to wrap electrical cabling. Asbestos paper is also very common around old breakers and fuse boxes.
- Pipes and plumbing: Ceramic pipes containing asbestos are common for building water mains as well as drainpipes.
- Roofing and siding: Asbestos was even used on building exteriors — incorporated into cement sidings and roof tiles.
Steps for Controlling Asbestos in Commercial Buildings
If you discover asbestos in commercial buildings that you manage, take the proper steps to minimize risks, communicate information, and keep everything properly contained.
- Begin by determining who is responsible for asbestos management for the building.
- Hire a certified asbestos abatement service to inspect your property and investigate where all of the asbestos is located.
- Ensure that all ACMs are either safely contained or removed.
- Inform the building occupants of the presence of asbestos and any risks of exposure.
- Keep the ACMs maintained in good condition, have them encapsulated, or have them removed by a certified abatement service.
Asbestos is a dangerous health risk, especially in older commercial buildings. Asbestos Project Management is an asbestos removal company for residential and commercial properties that have helped keep people safe since 1984.
If you suspect there is asbestos in commercial buildings that your own or manage, or are unsure of action plans and responsibilities, contact us today. Keep the people inside your buildings safe, and the asbestos under control.
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