A Holistic Approach to Managing Asbestos Hazards and Facts and Myths about Asbestos Cement Andrew F. Oberta, MPH, CIH The Environmental Consultancy Austin, Texas, USA www.asbestosguru-oberta.com Presented at the Asian Asbestos Conference Hong Kong – April 26, 2009 © 2009 The Environmental Consultancy. All rights reserved.

Copyright Notices This Powerpoint presentation is intended for use by individuals, government agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations. Commercial use without the express written permission of the copyright holder is prohibited. Whereas the copyright holder has no control over the use of the presentation by any individual or organization, and does not endorse or necessarily agree with any statements or representations made by them in the course of using the presentation, the copyright holder does not offer any warranty regarding the information contained in the presentation, including its agreement or compliance with any law, statute or regulation. The user assumes all responsibility for reviewing the materials and satisfying himself as to their acceptability regarding technical aspects and otherwise. The copyright holder does not indemnify any individual or organization, or any third party, for any alleged or proven damages arising out of the use of the presentation, nor does he agree to defend the user or any third party against any such claims in a court of law or otherwise. Whereas the presentation is based in part upon Standards copyrighted by ASTM International, the user acknowledges that reference to these Standards does not convey or imply permission to reproduce them, in whole or in part, without express permission from ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428. Copyright 2009, The Environmental Consultancy, 107 Route 620 South, Suite 102, M/S 35E, Austin, Texas 78734. (512) 266-1368.

Disclaimer Some of the photographs in this course show work practices that may not reflect the use of proper health and safety precautions. The use of these photographs does not endorse such work practices. The photographs have been selected either to convey other important information or to call attention to the improper work practices for instructional purposes.

Managing asbestos hazards Government regulations Contracts and tenders for work Health and safety policies Voluntary consensus standards Developed by affected parties Accepted through a rigorous balloting process Standards, regulations and guidance documents are listed in an appendix to this paper in the published conference proceedings

ASTM International ASTM International is the world’s largest producer of voluntary consensus standards ASTM is not a government agency – it is a non-profit organization Voting in ASTM is by individual members, not by governments

ASTM standards discussed ASTM E2356 Comprehensive Building Asbestos Surveys -- Baseline Surveys, Sampling, Exposure Assessments, Project Design Surveys ASTM E1368 Visual Inspection – removal project management ASTM E2394 Asbestos Cement – work practices for installed materials ASTM Manual on Asbestos Control: Surveys, Removal and Management – Second Edition www.astm.org

Installed asbestos products This presentation neither endorses nor encourages the installation of new or re-used asbestos products

Using the ASTM Standards

Baseline Survey -- ASTM E2356 Provide a general sense of the location, type, quantity and condition of asbestos-containing materials (ACM) in the building or facility Provide information for long-term management Collect and analyze bulk samples of materials Quantify and assess asbestos-containing materials

Inspection and sampling All accessible locations are inspected unless excluded for specified reasons All suspect materials are sampled for analysis to determine the type and percent of asbestos they contain

Analysis Polarized Light Microscopy Chrysotile fibers

Assessment of ACM Assessment data are used to assist in making decisions about removing ACMs or managing them in place Current Condition: Status of the ACM today based on damage and debris Potential for Disturbance: What could happen to the ACM tomorrow considering physical and environmental factors

Prioritizing removal of ACM

Operations and Maintenance Cleaning up debris

Operations and Maintenance Repairing valve insulation Making holes in floor tile

Project Design Survey Provides information for plans and specifications to remove the ACM in an abatement project Design issues including Estimation of ACM quantities Utilities for contractor Emergency exits Inaccessible ACM Hazardous locations Maintaining essential services

Concealed spaces

Asbestos removal ASTM E1368 Visual Inspection of Asbestos Abatement Projects Work done to contract requirements Surveillance by owner’s representative Thorough inspections during project Completeness of removal and clean-up Air sampling for final clearance

Asbestos removal Friable asbestos Non-friable asbestos

Final clearance Visual inspections Clearance air sampling Removal and cleanup Clearance air sampling

Consumption of asbestos fiber in 11 countries (metric tons) Asbestos fiber use Consumption of asbestos fiber in 11 countries (metric tons) 2000 2004 2006 954,340 1,516,870 1,339,975 Total world consumption 2,043,517 Source: United States Geological Survey “Chrysotile cement represents between 85% and 90% of the market for chrysotile asbestos...,” “Saving lives with chrysotile asbestos!” The Chrysotile Institute, Montreal, Quebec

Asbestos Cement ASTM E2394 Maintenance, Renovation and Repair of Installed Asbestos Cement Products Small-scale work Hand tools Wet methods Training and supervision Procedures in appendices

Typical operations Drilling Cutting Breaking Sanding Grinding Filing Dismantling Surface cleaning Scraping

Dust, debris and fiber control Wet methods Water (with surfactant) Thickened substances Liquid adhesives Wet wiping Tools and equipment Hand tools Low-speed power tools

Prohibited operations Cutting with high-speed power saws Burnishing with high-speed wire brushes Cleaning with compressed air High pressure water blasting Re-use and re-cycling

Dismantle before demolition Source: U S Environmental Protection Agency

Infrastructure

Facts and Myths about Asbestos-Cement

Myth: Fibers are firmly locked in a cement matrix Fact: Fibers are readily released from deteriorated or weathered surfaces

Myth: Asbestos-cement cannot be crumbled to powder by hand pressure Fact: Products such as this piece of corrugated siding become friable from damage

Myth: Asbestos-cement products present no exposure hazard to building occupants Fact: Asbestos roofing and siding can release fibers inside as well as outside the building

Myth: Asbestos-cement pipes presents no health or environmental hazard Fact: Fibers are released when pipes are dug up and broken and crushed. Pressure pipe for water distribution was made with crocidolite and amosite as well as chrysotile.

Myth: Paint and encapsulants offer permanent protection against asbestos fiber release Fact: Paint and encapsulants deteriorate and take asbestos fibers with them when they peel off Optical microscope Scanning electron microscope

Conclusions Consensus standards provide a framework for managing asbestos materials To use this holistic approach an infrastructure involving the public and private sectors is needed Asbestos cement is not the innocuous material that its purveyors portray it to be

Andrew F. Oberta, MPH, CIH Andy Oberta holds the unique combination of Aeronautical Engineering and Master of Public Health degrees and is Certified in Comprehensive Practice by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene. He is an internationally-recognized expert on asbestos control, a field in which he has specialized since 1980, having consulted and lectured in several countries. He holds US Environmental Protection Agency accreditations and is licensed as an asbestos consultant in Texas. Mr. Oberta provides a wide range of consulting and training services for problems related to asbestos-containing materials and also produces and distributes training and information technology products for asbestos control. As Chairman of the ASTM Task Group on Asbestos Management, Mr. Oberta is responsible for three standards on asbestos control. He is the author of the ASTM Manual on Asbestos Control: Surveys, Removal and Management, which describes the use of these standards, and is the instructor for the ASTM Standards for Asbestos Control courses. Mr. Oberta has served as President of the Environmental Information Association , a multi-disciplinary organization dedicated to the control of asbestos hazards.