Asbestos Management Program

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Subject: Asbestos Management ProgramNumber: OHS 015
Issued By: Occupational Health and SafetyDate Issued: August 15, 2014
Supersedes: July 20, 2007Page: 1 of 9
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1. Purpose
  • 1.1 To prevent worker exposure to airborne asbestos.
  • 1.2 To identify the procedural controls, personal protective equipment requirements, specific work procedures and training requirements for College staff and contractors who work with or around asbestos containing materials (ACM).
  • 1.3 To outline the processes to assess and maintain ACM on an ongoing basis.
2. Scope
  • 2.1 This program applies to all owned and leased College facilities where asbestos containing materials may be present.
  • 2.2 College buildings constructed or renovated in the 1980’s or earlier may contain some form of asbestos-containing material, including:
    • Sprayed fireproofing on structural steelwork,
    • Acoustic or decorative finishes on ceilings,
    • Transite board in fume hoods or drainage pipes,
    • Pipe, boiler and other insulation applications,
    • Drywall joint compounds,
    • Asbestos composite floor tiles or rolled flooring,
    • Acoustic ceiling tiles.
3. Background Information
  • 3.1 Asbestos is a general term given to a group of naturally occurring mineral silicates that are made up of long thin fibers. These fibrous minerals were used in a wide range of products in construction and industry because of their heat and chemical resistance, strength and insulating ability.
  • 3.2 The mere presence of asbestos in a building does not constitute a hazard or unacceptable risk to health. Asbestos fibers are a concern when they become airborne as a result of uncontrolled disturbance or deterioration. ACM in good condition and undisturbed will not release asbestos fibers into the air.
  • 3.3 Asbestos–containing materials are categorized as friable or non-friable in order to show how easily they may release asbestos fibers when disturbed:
    • Friable: can be crumbled, pulverized or powdered by hand pressure. If damaged or disturbed, asbestos fibers are more easily released into the air to present an inhalation risk (e.g. sprayed fireproofing, pipe thermal insulation)
    • Non-friable: asbestos fibers are bound or locked into the product matrix and would only shed asbestos fibers if subject to significant abrasion through sanding or cutting with power tools (e.g. acoustic ceiling tiles,
      asbestos composite floor tiles or fume hood lining)
4. Responsibility
  • 4.1 Facilities Services Manager will:
    • Provide or arrange for asbestos awareness training for employees working with or near ACM.
    • Document the removal of asbestos on Form OHS-015(A) Asbestos Removal Tracking.
    • Notify the JHSC or Safety Representative and the Occupational Health & Safety Coordinator of asbestos sampling and applicable results and of any training activities.
    • Maintain the Asbestos Record, conduct the routine survey to inspect the condition of all identified ACM and maintain all ACM in good condition.
    • Advise the Occupational Health & safety Coordinator of any unexpected discoveries of ACM.
    • Arrange for the safe disposal of asbestos waste per EPA O. Reg. 347 – Section 17.
  • 4.2 The Occupational Health & Safety Coordinator will:
    • Review and update as necessary, the Asbestos Management program, in consultation with the JHSC, at least once every 3 years.
    • Manage the respirator program.
    • Provide liaison with and any required notifications to the Ministry of Labour.
  • 4.3 The Joint Health & Safety Committee and Safety Representatives will:
    • Participate in the review of the Asbestos Management Program.
    • Have the option to participate at the beginning of any related occupational hygiene testing.
    • Receive and review any incidents relating to asbestos.
    • Be consulted with respect to asbestos training requirements.
  • 4.4 Managers (of employees who perform asbestos work or who may be exposed to asbestos in the course of their duties) will:
    • Ensure employees follow the safe work procedures (see Appendices OHS-015(B) to (J)) when performing work on or near asbestos-containing material.
    • Ensure employees who may be exposed to asbestos in the course of their duties are aware of the presence of asbestos at the College and know how to find out the specific location, type and friability of the ACM.
    • Arrange for respirator fit testing for their employees (Refer to OHS-013 Respirator Program).
    • Provide PPE and other safety equipment required to work safely with ACM, train employees on proper use and ensure employees wear and maintain the equipment.
    • Maintain employee exposure records (see Form OHS-015(B)).
  • 4.5 Employees will:
    • When working with ACM, follow the applicable work procedures and wear and use the appropriate personal protective equipment and safety equipment.
    • Document the amount of time spent on any work where they are exposed to asbestos and the nature of work in which they were engaged. (See Form OHS-015(B) – Asbestos Work Log Sheet).
    • Notify their supervisor if they discover material that may be asbestos- containing and immediately prevent unauthorized or public access to the affected area. See Appendix OHS-015(J) Unexpected Discovery of Asbestos Containing Materials.
  • 4.6 Procurement will:
    • When coordinating the procurement processes (RFX and/or Standing Orders), ensure that Contractors are notified of the presence of ACM in the area they will be working. Appendix OHS-015(L) outlines the information to be provided to the Contractor.
    • Receive acknowledgement from Tenants that they are aware of the presence of ACM for tracking and record keeping.
5. Procedure
  • 5.1 Location of Asbestos Containing Materials:
    • A complete, up-to-date ACM Record of all known asbestos containing materials in the buildings owned by Loyalist College is available:
      • In a binder in the Facilities Services office (Room 2L5) and
      • On the shared drive P:\Facilities Services\AMP.yyyy\Loyalist ACM Database… (where yyyy is the current year).
    • The ACM Record must contain:
      • Location of all ACM
      • Condition of the materials
      • Whether the material is friable or not
      • In the case of friable sprayed-on insulation, the type of asbestos.
    • The Asbestos Record must be updated at least annually and whenever abatement or repair operations have taken place.
  • 5.2 Classification of Asbestos Work:
    • Note: All Type 3 Operations, Type 2 Glove-Bag Operations, and other Type 2 Operations whenever feasible, will be contracted out to qualified external abatement contractors.
    • Asbestos work is categorized into three types of work operations according to the asbestos hazard presented by the work and risk of exposure to those doing the work and others outside the work area.
      • Type 1 (Low Risk) Operations:
        • Installing or removing ceiling tiles that are asbestos-containing material, if the tiles cover an area less than 7.5 square metres and are installed or removed without being broken, cut, drilled, abraded, ground, sanded or vibrated.
        • Installing or removing non-friable asbestos-containing material, other than ceiling tiles, if the material is installed or removed without being broken, cut, drilled, abraded, ground, sanded or vibrated.
        • Breaking, cutting, drilling, abrading, grinding, sanding or vibrating non- friable asbestos-containing material if, the material is wetted to control the spread of dust or fibres, and the work is done only by means of non- powered hand-held tools.
        • Removing less than one square metre of drywall in which joint-filling compounds that are asbestos-containing material have been used.
      • Type 2 (Medium Risk) Operations:
        • Removing all or part of a false ceiling to obtain access to a work area, if asbestos-containing material is likely to be lying on the surface of the false ceiling.
        • The removal or disturbance of one square metre or less of friable asbestos-containing material during the repair, alteration, maintenance or demolition of all or part of machinery or equipment or a building, aircraft, locomotive, railway car, vehicle or ship.
        • Enclosing friable asbestos-containing material.
        • Applying tape or a sealant or other covering to pipe or boiler insulation that is asbestos-containing material.
        • Installing or removing ceiling tiles that are asbestos-containing material, if the tiles cover an area of 7.5 square metres or more and are installed or removed without being broken, cut, drilled, abraded, ground, sanded or vibrated.
        • Breaking, cutting, drilling, abrading, grinding, sanding or vibrating non- friable asbestos-containing material if, the material is not wetted to control the spread of dust or fibres, and the work is done only by means of non-powered hand-held tools.
        • Removing one square metre or more of drywall in which joint filling compounds that are asbestos-containing material have been used.
        • Breaking, cutting, drilling, abrading, grinding, sanding or vibrating non- friable asbestos-containing material if the work is done by means of power tools that are attached to dust-collecting devices equipped with HEPA filters.
        • Removing insulation that is asbestos-containing material from a pipe, duct or similar structure using a glove bag.
        • Cleaning or removing filters used in air handling equipment in a building that has sprayed fireproofing that is asbestos-containing material.
        • Work that may expose a worker to asbestos, and is not classified as a Type 1 or Type 3 operation.
      • Type 3 (High Risk) Operations:
        • All Type 3 Operations will be contracted out to a qualified asbestos abatement contractor
        • The removal or disturbance of more than one square metre of friable asbestos-containing material during the repair, alteration, maintenance or demolition of all or part of a building, vehicle or any machinery or equipment.
        • The spray application of a sealant to friable asbestos-containing material.
        • Cleaning or removing air handling equipment, including rigid ducting but not including filters, in a building that has sprayed fireproofing that is asbestos-containing material,
        • Repairing, altering or demolishing all or part of a kiln, metallurgical furnace or similar structure that is made in part of refractory materials that are asbestos-containing materials.
        • Breaking, cutting, drilling, abrading, grinding, sanding or vibrating non- friable asbestos-containing material, if the work is done by means of power tools that are not attached to dust-collecting devices equipped with HEPA filters.
        • Repairing, altering or demolishing all or part of any building in which asbestos is or was used in the manufacture of products, unless the asbestos was cleaned up and removed before March 16, 1986.
  • 5.3 Notification Requirements
    • Employees:
      • The respective manager will advise their employees of any asbestos containing material (including location, condition and friability) that is in any area that their employees may work, during the course of their duties.
      • The Facilities Services Manager will notify the respective area managers whenever there will be any remediation work involving ACM in their area. The area manager will, in turn, advise their employees that will be affected.
    • Contractors:
      • Procurement will, as part of the RFX or Standing Order process, advise the prospective contractors of the asbestos-containing materials that will be in the areas that the contracted work is being done, following the outline in Appendix L “Notice to Contractors”. Acknowledgement from the contractors will be returned to Procurement for tracking and record keeping.
    • Tenants:
      • The Director of Facilities Services will advise in writing, all tenants or others occupying space in a Loyalist College owned building, following the
        outline in Appendix M “Notice to Tenants”. Acknowledgement from the tenants will be returned to Procurement for tracking and record keeping.
  • 5.4 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
    • The PPE required when working with or around ACM varies depending on the classification of work being done (See Section 5.2). Refer to the relevant safe work procedures (SWP) found in the attached Appendices for the specific PPE required.
    • When additional PPE is not mandatory (in Type 1 Operations), if a worker requests protective clothing and/or respirator, the worker must wear the supplied PPE.
    • Respirators must be fitted to each employee, and managers must ensure their employees are trained in use and maintenance of their respirator. Refer to OHS 013 for details of the Respirator Program.
  • 5.5 Assignment of Work
    • Employees may only be assigned work handling ACM or working in areas where ACM could be disturbed, if they have been trained. See Section 5.7.
    • The Facilities Services Manager shall document all ACM remediation (removal) activities on Form A and subsequently update the “Asbestos Record”.
    • If, during the course of their work assignment, suspected unexpected ACM
      is discovered, the employee must stop work and, following the procedures on Appendix J take measures to protect themselves and others in the area. The employee must immediately advise their manager of the occurrence.
  • 5.6 Monitoring ACM Condition and Abatement
    • The ACM will be inspected on the frequency identified in the “Asbestos Risk Assessment for Determining Inspection Frequency (Appendix A).
    • When the condition of the ACM is found to be deteriorating, control options to prevent airborne fibres from being released include:
      • Seal
      • Enclose
      • Repair
      • Remove
    • Any fallen material that contains asbestos or is suspected of containing asbestos must be promptly cleaned up, following the “Unexpected Discovery of Asbestos-Containing Materials” safe work procedure in Appendix J.
  • 5.7 Instruction and Training
    • Employees who work with or in close proximity to ACM must receive training prior to working with or near ACM.
    • Facilities Services will coordinate appropriate training for employees and JHSC members will be invited to attend the training.
    • Training must address:
      • The hazards of asbestos exposure;
      • Use, care and disposal of personal protective clothing and equipment;
      • Personal hygiene;
      • Procedures on safe handling of ACM.
  • 5.8 Equipment and Signage
    • Warning Signs: (for Type 2 and 3 Operations) must be posted, warning of an asbestos dust hazard and must indicate that access to the area is restricted to persons wearing protective clothing and respirators (See Appendix OHS-015(N)).
    • Amended Water: water with a wetting agent (e.g. Penewet®)
    • HEPA Vacuum:
      • Only use the dedicated HEPA vacuum (Goodway® HEPA Vacuum, Model EV-30H), for asbestos clean-up. This vacuum must be labelled with asbestos caution labels. See Appendix OHS-015(N).
      • For maintenance and cleaning of the HEPA vacuum, refer to the safe work procedure outlined in Appendix OHS-015(K).
  • 5.9 Employee Records
    • Employees must record all asbestos-related work on Form B: Asbestos Work Log Sheet.
      • Type 2 & 3 Operations:
        • Using the Ministry of Labour Form 0079E – Asbestos Work Report, for each worker involved in Type 2 Operations, the
          respective supervisor must document the details of their hours of work and submit to the Ministry of Labour annually, provided worker consents to such examination. Provide a copy of the report to the employee and to the Occupational Health & Safety Coordinator.
  • 5.10 Policy Maintenance
    • At least every 3 years, the Occupational Health & Safety Coordinator will review, assess and update this program, as needed.
    • The Program and subsequent revisions will be reviewed by the JHSC and approved by the College Executive Team.
7. References