Although the production of asbestos was mostly banned nationwide in the 1970s, this noxious substance persists particularly in older buildings to this day. It may surprise you to learn that asbestos has never had a full outright ban from use in the United States, so in many of these older buildings, asbestos-containing building materials are still prevalent; most often in the insulation, roofing, flooring, adhesives, fireproofing and other areas. Once an inspection and asbestos abatement is completed, the asbestos contractor must submit an abatement record by 30 days to the owner. These recordkeeping requirements are set by the United States Environmental Protect Agency (EPA) and state agencies.
Interested in asbestos removal or inspection throughout our service areas in New Hampshire, Maine, or Massachusetts? Contact RPF Environmental to learn more by reaching out online or calling 603-942-5432 today.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has further standards and recordkeeping requirements. The record submittal by the abatement contractor should also be provided to the owner’s industrial hygiene consultant for review. In addition, the industrial hygiene consultant will provide a report with their testing and inspection results, site observations, recommendations and other documentation depending on their scope of services.
Recordkeeping is important, as it indicates asbestos was removed or otherwise handled properly. Documentation that should be included:
- Site logs from the abatement contractor supervisor, with daily sign-in sheets
- Permits and notifications
- Copies of abatement contractor’s licenses, such as the entity license, workers’ licenses, and training records
- Copies of industrial hygiene consultant licenses and certifications
- A copy of the abatement work plan prepared by the accredited project designer
- Copies of OSHA exposure monitoring results and respirator program compliance
- Signed, completed copies of the asbestos waste shipment records within 30 days of the shipment off-site from the transporter and the permitted waste landfill
- A report from the industrial hygiene consultant’s oversight monitoring, testing, and inspections
- Documentation of asbestos that was left in place, if any
If any asbestos was left in place, it should have proper labeling or other demarcation and an accredited management planner should prepare an asbestos management plan, including an operations and maintenance program, to outline the procedures to be followed to safely occupy the building with asbestos present.
How Asbestos Abatement Protects the Environment
For the health of our environment, it’s critical to have meticulous attention to detail not only in asbestos abatement, but in completing asbestos records. RPF Environmental, has provided top-quality environmental consulting and testing services for hazardous materials, including asbestos, since 1991.
Interested in asbestos removal or inspection throughout our service areas in New Hampshire, Maine, or Massachusetts? Contact RPF Environmental to learn more by reaching out online or calling 603-942-5432 today.
