CSST STUDY NOTES

Why was asbestos added to construction materials ?

It provided: insulation properties, strength and durability from weathering, made spray on products easier to apply, and does not conduct electricity.

What are the three types of asbestos and their associated species?

Chrysotile : Serpentine

Amosite and Crocidolites : amphiboles.

What is the predominant color and structure of Chrysotile asbestos ?

white , long , curly , hollow

What is the predominant color and structure of Amosite asbestos ?

brown / tan ; long and straight

What is the predominant color and structure of Crocidolite ?

blue ; long and straight

What is the definition of a Surfacing material ?

is a sprayed on troweled on or otherwise applied to structural surfaces EX: acoustic / decorative ceilings, fire proofing, textured paints and plasters.

what is the definition of Thermal Systems Insulation?

applied to pipes, fittings, tanks, other structural, components etc. , to prevent heat loss or gain. EX: pipe insulation, elbow mud, block insulation, air cell, asbestos paper wrap, preformed halves, magnesium silica, etc

what is the definition of Miscellaneous products:

material that is not TSI or surfacing but applied to structural components.

Define Friable vs non friable.

Friable asbestos will crumble , pulverize or otherwise release dust by applying hand pressure.

What agency does not use the term friable ? why?

OSHA - because tools that are used by workers can easily make non friable materials friable.

Primary type of asbestos used in the U.S ?

Chrysotile.

List three building materials / locations where ACM is likely to be found

fire doors, fume hoods, felt under roofs or siding, amosite sheeting, kiln bricks and cement, lab equipment, fire safety and equipment, auditorium curtains, gaskets, vibration joints, etc.

What are the 3 major illnesses related to asbestos exposures ?

Asbestosis, Lung Cancer, Mesothelioma.

What is a latency period ? What is the latency period for asbestos related illnesses ?

the time between exposure and symptoms / sign of illness. 10-40 years.

Why does cigarette smoking increase chances of getting an asbestos related illness ?

Paralyzes Cillia in lung.

What asbestos related disease normally appears only after long, large, occupational exposure to asbestos ?

Asbestosis

what asbestos related disease primarily affects those exposed to asbestos who smoke cigarettes?

lung cancer - increases chances over 50 times.

who must participate in a medical surveillance program

-Employees who conduct Class I, Class II, and Class III work for more than thirty days.
-Employees who are exposed over the PEL for thirty or more days in a year.

When are asbestos medical surveillance physical exams required ?

- Before doing the work (pre employment, pre placement)
- Annually
- Upon termination (Cal OSHA requirement)

What should be performed at an asbestos medical surveillance exam ?

Occupational History Exam, Chest X ray, Pulmonary Function Test, stool sample

Is there a safe level of asbestos exposure ?

no

What are the 7 major components of the AHERA law ? Whom do they apply ?

inspection and reinspection requirements, sampling and inspection procedures, lab approval process, accredited and non accredited training programs, clearance air testing, management plan requirements, notification requirements.

how many days is the required accredited training for a building inspector , management planner , project supervisor, abatement worker , project designer ?

Building Inspector: 3 days

Management Planner: 2 days

Project Supervisor: 5 days

Abatement: 4 days

Project Designer: 3 days

When is unaccredited in house training ok ?

Maintenance or custodial working in areas where friable ACM is present (2 hour awareness course) , Maintenance personnel disturbing small amounts of asbestos (2 hours awareness + 14 for sixteen hours operations and maintenance training).

What regulation and agency requires an asbestos inspection be done before, renovations or demolitions and requires removal of ACM prior to demolition ?

National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) , APCD

what are the 3 categories of materials that an inspector must look for when conduction a NESHAP building inspection ?

Friable Materials , Category 1 non friable, and Category 2 Non Friable

What is a Friable material via NESHAP?

>1% asbestos that can be crumbled into dust by hand pressure.

What is a Category 1 non friable, and Category 2 Non Friable Via NESHAP?

non friable materials including packing, gaskets, resilient floor covering, and asphalt roofing products, ACM products not in category 1 (usually cementitous products)

What is RACM?

Regulated asbestos containing material.

When is a NESHAP notification required?

Required for all demolition even if no ACM.

When is a FED EPA notification required ?

whenever more than 160 square feet, 250 linear feet, or one cubic meter will be disturbed as part of a renovation

What is the federal OSHA regulation that regulates asbestos exposure for construction?

29 CFR 1926.1101

what types of work are included in OSHA's 29 CFR 1926.1101

demolition, salvage, removal, encapsulation of ACM, construction, alteration of ACM or construction, alteration, repair, maintenance, renovation, or clean up of debris.

What is the PEL for ACM ? What is the Excursion limit ?

0.1 f/cc 8 hr / TWA , 1.0 f/cc over 30 minutes at peak exposure time.

what materials are PACM ?

TSI, surfacing material, vinyl, asphalt, in pre 1981 buildings also any other materials that the building owner knows or should know contain ACM.

What are the four classes of work defined by Cal OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1101

Class 1 , Class 2 , Class 3, and Class 4

Define Class 1 via 29 CFR 1926.1101

SIZE: that cannot fit into 1 glove bag or in standard 60 - in width glove bag (Large Job).

Define Class 2 via 29 CFR 1926.1101

a large job where the removal of ACM that is non friable and is not TSI or surfacing material. no size limit. Determined by TYPE of material.

Define Class 3 via 29 CFR 1926.1101

Designed to regulate work involving small amounts of asbestos (TSI, surfacing, PACM, or ACM) that is disturbed (will fit into one glove bag or standard waste container). Determined by SIZE of job.

Define Class 4 via 29 CFR 1926.1101

Designed to regulate custodial work around nonfriable materials. thus its designed for workers who contact but do not disturb asbestos!

When can a contractor cease air monitoring ?

a negative exposure assessment can be achieved via air sampling to document no exposure via PEL and Exursions for class 3 and 4 work.

Can a contractor cease personal air sampling for class 1 and 2 work ?

no

what is the cal osha asbestos standard

CFR 1529

What are the major differences between CFR 1529 and 29 CFR 1926.1101

1529 requires written report of use, registration for over 100 sq. feet, notification for temporary worke sites, consultant / technician licensing and Carcinogen report of use requirements found in 8 CCR 5203.

Describe the implications of simply following regulations versus maintaining state of the art practices

liability may be based on state of the art practices.

identify the most likely parties to a legal action against a contractor

building owners, building occupants, other 3rd parties

Claims madre insurance vs occurance insurance ?

Claims made = claims made during policy period, Occurence = insures occurence taking place during the policy period regardless of when the claim is made.

what are the three common insurance exclusions

pollution, water damage, employees of others, disposal.

what are the types of insurance a building owner would want an asbestos contractor to possess before being allowed to work in the building ?

workers compensation, general liability, and asbestos liability insurance.

Why is systems approach to building inspection favorable over a component system?

knowing the types of systems in a building will allow you to anticipate where components are located even when they are hidden. a component approach is limited to counting what you seen in an individual space.

Why is a fire rating of a building important to an inspector ?

fire rating may indicate the use of suspect ACM.

Can altering fire proofing in buildings affect insurance and fire proofing of buildings ?

YES, adding encapsulant or removing fire proofing can greatly reduce the flame retardant nature of fire proofing.

What is an Architectural drawing ?

show finished surfaces and materials of a building.

What is an structural drawing ?

Foundation, floor, framing, rood framing etc

Mechanical drawing ?

HVAC systems

Plumbing Drawing ?

Plumbing systems

Electrical Drawing ?

floor plan based power and lighting plans

What is a Underwriters (UL) rating indicate

provides rating of fire resistance in hours for a particular building assembly.

what would 1 pipe coming from a piece of building equipment be ?

an expansion tank

what would 2 pipes coming from a piece of building equipment be ?

storage tank

what would 3 pipes coming from a piece of building equipment be ?

boiler heater

what would 4 pipes coming from a piece of building equipment be ?

heat exchanger

what would 4 pipes and 2 tanks coming from a piece of building equipment be ?

chiller

what would 2 or 4 pipes or 2 or more ducts coming from a piece of building equipment be ?

air handling unit

where in a building would asbestos fire proofing most likely be ?

on exposed steel beams and decking most often found in multistory buildings.

Name at least 3 types of asbestos surveys

AHERA school, renovation activities, purchase / sale of property, regulatory compliance, prior to demolition, destructive vs non destructive.

Do you need to resample materials that were already sampled before by a non accredited individual ?

Not if an accredited inspector signs and dates a statement that declares the previous samples were sampled within compliance of AHERA

What are the things a AHERA accredited inspector must do in an AHERA inspection ?

visually inspect every area , touch all suspect acm materials to determine friability, identify type of product (TSI , surfacing, misc), sample each suspect material or assume its ACM , document, determine condition.

what is the difference between an inspection and an assessment

inspection involves touching materials, identifying suspected materials, and taking samples assessment involves assessing the damange (if any) of the material and placing it in a specific category

what is Adhesion

means adhered to the substrate or insulated component

what is Cohesion

means material with structural integrity

Define extent

means whether the damage is localized or distributed over a broad area. Damage is extensive if localized damage amounts to more than 25% of the material or damage is distributed over 10% of the material.

Define Severity

means whether the damage is superficial or deep. Superficial might include water stains, flaking, blistering, abrasions or scratches. Deep might include major separation of layers gouges, water damage, punctures, tears, etc.

what is the difference between periodic and episodic damage ?

Periodic damage is recurring or continuous. For example, periodic damage results from the abrasion of TSI when a worker steps on it daily to read a gauge. Or, it might result from a continual (though sporadic) water leak onto or from TSI covered pipe. Episodic damage is a one-time occurrence, a freak event unlikely to recur. For example, episodic damage results from a pipe or valve bursting, or a plumber disregarding safe work practices, etc.

What is a damaged material by AHERA ?

Loss of cohesion or adhesion properties

What is a significantly damaged material by AHERA ?

Damaged ACBM where the damage is extensive AND severe.

What is potential damage by AHERA ?

Friable ACBM in an area regularly used by building occupants, including maintenance personnel in the course of their normal activities; there are indications that the material will become damaged, delaminated or deteriorated.

What is potential significant damage by AHERA ?

Damaged friable ACBM in an area regularly used by building occupants, including maintenance personnel in the course of their normal activities; there are indications that the material will become significantly damaged, delaminated or deteriorated, AND the material is subject to continuing major disturbance.

What is Accessible by AHERA ?

Material is subject to disturbance by building occupants or custodial or maintenance personnel in the course of their normal activities.

What is Exposed by AHERA ?

Material that is not concealed from view by any kind of barrier, such as a drop ceiling, a radiator housing, or a metal jacket

What is Functional Space by AHERA ?

Distinct units within a building that serve similar purposes, have similar occupants, etc.

How do you decide whether damaged material should be assessed as "damaged" or "significantly damaged?"

How extensive is it? (Is it over 10% distributed or 25% localized?) How severe is the damage? (Is it superficial, deep, major?) Is the damage extensive and severe? Is this the worst damage in the building? Do you want to insure management planner grasps severity? Are other factors involved such as heavy occupant use, etc?

How do you decide whether a material is assessed as potential damage or potential significant damage?

Is the material already damaged? (In general, potential significant damage is used for materials that are already damaged). Is the expected damage going to be significant or minor? Is there a change in building use that will create a potential for damage? Is there continuing major disturbance?

The fifth floor of an office building has 10 identical offices (5 on each side of a common hallway) used by clerical and administrative staff. There is a drop ceiling, and an open air-plenum with sprayed fireproofing over the entire floor. Near the end of the hall is an unlocked mechanical/electrical room. Next to it is a closet where custodial supplies are kept. Across the hall are men and women's restrooms. At each end of the hall are stairways with exposed fire proofing on the ceiling and insulated risers. If you were only inspecting this floor, what functional spaces would you divide it into and why?

inspection showed few significant differences). functional space - all 10 offices (similar occupants and functions) functional space - hallway (though could easily be grouped with offices) (similar occupants and function) functional space - mechanical room (limited function and limited occupant access) functional space - custodial closet (limited functions and occupant access) functional space - restrooms functional space - stairways functional space - entire air plenum

Name at least 5 items that an inspector should have on hand when planning to take samples.

Leakproof sampling containers, spray mister bottle with amended water, drop clothes, knife/cutter/borer/drill or other sampling tool, caulking, pen and labels, ladder, flashlight, tape, cloths for spill cleanup, HEPA vacuum, camera, respirator, protective clothing

Briefly define what is meant by a homogeneous sampling area.

It is an area of material that is uniform in color and texture and you believe is all the same. (Besides color and texture, most inspectors also add to the definition "and believed to be installed at the same time or during the same construction period.") It is easier to think in terms of a homogeneous sampling material (rather than area). This helps us identify which materials need to be sampled and how often. The same material may be found in many functional spaces. Sprayed acoustic ceiling material may be homogeneous throughout an entire building (or it may not be!)

Floor tile is used throughout a building. How do you determine the number of homogeneous sampling materials?

Is it all the same size, color, pattern? If not, how many different types are there? Have there been renovations that might include new flooring? (The color of floor tile indicates a separately manufactured material. Most inspectors use "color" as part of the homogenous material decision-making process only if the color is added during the manufacturing process, not simply painted on. For example, plaster with the same texture that was thought to have been applied during the same construction period would be homogenous regardless of the color of the paint applied to its surface.)

AHERA mandates the number of samples that must be taken randomly to prove a material is not ACM. How many samples must you take for: Surfacing Material

-Less than 1000 sq. ft. 3 Recommend 9. -Between 1000 and 5000 sq. ft. 5 Recommend 9 .
-Greater than 5000 sq. ft. 7 Recommend 9

AHERA mandates the number of samples that must be taken randomly to prove a material is not ACM. How many samples must you take for: Surfacing Material: TSI

-TSI in general 3.
-Less than 6 ft. of patched. 1
- Elbows, Cementitous material sufficient to determine

AHERA mandates the number of samples that must be taken randomly to prove a material is not ACM. How many samples must you take for: Surfacing Material: Misc materials

sufficient to determine

how many samples for 4- feet of patched TSI ?

1

how many samples for 1 pipe elbow ?

sufficient to determine

how many samples for 38 LF of TSI ?

3

how many samples for 4 LF TSI ?

3

how many samples of surfacing

3

how many samples of surfacing 3000 sq. ft. ?

5

how many samples of surfacing 6000 sq. ft.

7

how many samples 800 sq .ft . of Misc?

sufficient to determine

What type of microscope is used to analyze bulk asbestos samples? When might you use another method?

Bulk samples must be analyzed by Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM). However, the extremely narrow fibers found in nonfriable materials such as floor tile or plaster may be missed by PLM. You might want to use TEM as a double check on negative PLM results for products (such as nine-inch floor tiles) where the PLM result is negative. Do not use TEM alone for bulk samples. It should only be used in conjunction with TEM.

What is "point counting?"

Point counting is the name of a counting technique used to make PLM results more accurate. Simply put, during normal visual PLM analysis, the analyst estimates the percent of asbestos by area under the microscope. This is not a very accurate method at low concentrations of asbestos (say under 5%). With point counting, the analyst determines if asbestos fibers are touching one or more of 400 points marked on the microscope. If they are touching a point, they are counted. If they are not touching a point, they are noted but not counted. This method is thought to be more accurate than the normal visual estimation method at low concentrations. (This is why, for NESHAP analysis, a "trace" or "less than 1%) must be re-analyzed using the point-counting method if you wish to treat it as actually being below 1%. The point-counting technique might show that there actually is more than 1% when an initial "trace" result is point counted.)