Asbestos Policy

Lewis & Clark College
Facilities Services
Policy and Procedure

Subject: Asbestos
Policy #:
Division: Business and Finance
Department: Facilities Services
Date: May 2012

Purpose:

To prevent accidental exposure of Facilities Services personnel to airborne asbestos fibers.

Policy Statement:

Facilities Services personnel will not work in the vicinity of friable asbestos bearing materials without first having been notified of the hazard and appropriate control measures to prevent creating airborne dusts containing asbestos fibers above the action level of 0.1 fiber per cubic centimeter of air.

Procedures:

Supervisors responsible for assigning work involving the cutting, sawing, abrading, chipping, or machining of suspect asbestos containing materials shall:

1. Make every effort to determine in a definitive way whether or not the material contains asbestos.
2. Notify personnel assigned to work in the area that these materials either contain or are suspected of containing asbestos.
3. Notify personnel of actions to avoid so as to prevent free airborne fibers of asbestos.
4. Assign such work as is liable to either release asbestos fibers into the air or convert nonfriable asbestos to a friable form to certified asbestos workers.

The Risk Management Coordinator shall acquaint all Facilities Services personnel whose job duties place them at risk of contact with friable asbestos with the known medical hazards associated with asbestos exposure as well as protective measures to prevent said exposure. This is to include:

1. Chronic and acute health effects.
2. Appropriate engineering controls, isolation and encapsulation techniques, and personnel protective equipment.
3. The difference between friable and non-friable asbestos applications and materials.
4. Conduct testing of suspect materials to confirm or deny the presence of asbestos
5. The results of the above referenced testing.

The Electrical/Mechanical Supervisor is responsible for repair, maintenance, and removal actions necessary to ensure that potentially friable asbestos fibers are enclosed, encapsulated, or removed by an Oregon licensed abatement contractor so as to eliminate personnel exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. The Electrical/Mechanical Supervisor shall ensure that those sources which are encapsulated are inspected and maintained so that the encapsulating material remains airtight around the source.

The individual employee shall be responsible for notifying the supervisor with cognizance of the job in hand if:

1. Known and labeled asbestos bearing materials have been disturbed and made friable.
2. A material which is not labeled as asbestos bearing, but which might contain asbestos is disturbed and made friable.