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What Is Asbestos?

Where Is It Found?

When Is It Dangerous?

Recognizing ACBM

How to Avoid It

Laws Governing

Quiz

How to Avoid Asbestos Exposure

In order to avoid being exposed to asbestos, you must be aware of the locations it is likely to be found. If you do not know whether something is asbestos or not, assume that it is until it is verified otherwise. Remember that you cannot tell if floor or ceiling tiles contain asbestos just by looking at them.

If you have reason to suspect that something is asbestos, either because it is labeled as such, or because it is something that is likely to contain asbestos (9" floor tile, for example) DO NOT DISTURB IT.

Never:

any asbestos-containing materials or suspected materials.

The Olathe School District has surveyed all district buildings for the presence of asbestos. If you need to do work that might involve asbestos (lifting ceiling tiles, repairing insulated pipelines, etc.), check with Operations Service Center to find out what can be done safely.

For example, before moving any ceiling tiles to perform maintenance work, it will be necessary to ensure they do not contain asbestos. If they do contain asbestos, they will need to be removed by licensed asbestos abatement workers before the work may be performed.

Housekeeping

Stripping of Vinyl Asbestos Floor Coverings

Training

Custodial and maintenance personnel who are responsible for the care and maintenance of asbestos containing floor coverings should be thoroughly trained to safely and properly operate the machines, pads and floor care chemicals used at the facility.

Frequency of Stripping

Stripping of vinyl asbestos floor coverings should be done as infrequently as possible (e.g., once per year maximum and preferably when the building is unoccupied). Excessive stripping of floors using aggressive techniques will result in increased levels of asbestos fibers in the air.

Prior to Stripping

Prior to machine operation, apply an emulsion of chemical stripper in water to the floor. Use a mop to soften the wax or finish coat.

Stripping Operations

When stripping floors becomes necessary, the machine used for stripping the finish should be equipped with the least abrasive pad as possible (black pads are usually the most abrasive and the white pads the least abrasive). Consult with your floor tile and floor finish product manufacturer for recommendations on which pad to use on a particular floor covering. Incorporate the manufacturer's recommendations into your floor maintenance work procedures.

The machine used to remove the wax or finish coat should be run at a low rate of speed (i.e., ranging between 175-300 rpm) during the stripping operation. There is a direct correlation between machine speeds and the release of asbestos fibers from asbestos containing floor coverings. The higher the machine speed the greater the probability of asbestos fiber release.

Never perform dry stripping. Always strip floors while wet. Do not operate a floor machine with an abrasive pad on unwaxed or unfinished floor containing-asbestos materials.

Consult with floor tile and floor finish product manufacturers concerning specific or unique problem(s) on the maintenance of your floors.

After Stripping

After stripping and before application of a high solids floor finish, the floor should be thoroughly cleaned, while wet, preferably with a Wet-Vac HEPA filtration vacuum system.

Finishing of Vinyl Asbestos Floor Coverings

Use of Sealer and Solids Finish

Prior to applying a finish coat to a vinyl asbestos floor covering, apply 2 to 3 coats of sealer. Continue to finish the floor with a high percentage solids finish.

It is an industry recommendation to apply several thin coats of a high percentage solid finish to obtain a good sealing of the floor's surface, thereby minimizing the release of asbestos fibers during finishing work.

Spray-Buffing Floors

When spray-buffing floors, always operate the floor machine at the lowest rates of speed possible and equip the floor machine with the least abrasive pad as possible. A recent EPA study indicated that spray-buffing with high-speed floor machines resulted in significantly higher airborne asbestos fiber concentrations than spray-buffing with low speed machines.

Burnishing Floors

When dry-burnishing floors, always operate the floor machine at the lowest rate of speed possible to accomplish the task (i.e., 1200-1750 rpms), and equip the floor machine with the least abrasive pad as possible.

Cleaning After Stripping & Sealing Floors

After stripping a floor and applying a new coat of sealer and finish, use a wet mop for routine cleaning whenever possible. When dry mopping, a petroleum-based mop treatment is not recommended for use.

Maintenance During Winter

During the winter months when sanding and/or salting of icy parking lots becomes necessary, it is an industry recommendation that matting be used at the entrance way to the school building and inside the doorway where feasible. This would significantly eliminate the scuffing of floors by abrasive sanding materials brought into the building on the shoes of building occupants. More frequent wet mopping and dry mopping of floors should be performed during the winter months to minimize damage to the floors.

The same recommendations holds true of schools located on coastal areas where building occupants could track sand into the schools.

Additional Precautions

Conditions of Glides

Check to see if chair and desk glides are in good condition and replace where indicated. Worn glides can gouge the floor coverings and possibly cause asbestos fiber release.

Parking Lot/Walkway Maintenance

During the winter months, have parking lots and walkways swept to avoid tracking salt and ice-melting compounds into the school by students. These materials can cause severe scuffing of floor coverings and lead to the release of asbestos fibers into the school building(s).

Use of Mats

Where feasible, use mats at entrance ways to cafeterias, gymnasiums, libraries, etc., to protect against possible scuffing of floor covering(s), etc. from salt and ice-melting compounds and from ocean sand.

Broken and fallen ceiling tiles should be left in place until identified. Only after they have been identified as safe may they be removed. Asbestos tiles will be removed by asbestos abatement workers.

Broken and damaged asbestos floor tiles must also be removed by asbestos abatement workers.

Spills

It is important to report any damaged asbestos-containing materials to Operations Service Center at 780-7011 immediately. If, for example, you discover some sprayed-on asbestos insulation has been knocked off a ceiling or wall, this would be considered a "spill." As such it would need to be cleaned up immediately by asbestos abatement workers. Do not attempt to clean up spills yourself! Disturb the material as little as possible. Also report any damaged pipe insulation, ceiling tile, 9" floor tile, fallen clumps of sprayed-on insulation, etc. Take measures to prevent others from disturbing the spill until the Asbestos Abatement crew arrives.

By knowing where asbestos is likely to be located and then taking measures not to disturb it, you will protect yourself and others from exposure to this hazardous substance.

A GUIDE FOR REDUCING ASBESTOS EXPOSURE By the EPA

Your Building contains materials which contain asbestos and may release fibers into the air. Breathing asbestos fibers is dangerous. This fact sheet tells how to reduce exposure to asbestos fibers. Please read it carefully.

PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM ASBESTOS

Some of the friable building materials in your school contain asbestos. Friable asbestos-containing materials crumble easily and release fibers into the air. Breathing these fibers may cause cancer and other diseases. The more asbestos you breath the greater your chances are of getting disease. You can take precautions that will reduce or eliminate the risk of being exposed to asbestos.

Find out from your supervisor where these friable asbestos containing materials are in your building. Do not touch or disturb them unless you have to. If you must handle an asbestos-containing material, first lightly spray it with water. (EPA recommends using water which contains wetting agents, if they are available.) Wet asbestos-containing material will not release as many fibers.

Even if friable asbestos-containing materials are not disturbed, they may release asbestos fibers, which will fall slowly to the floor. If you are cleaning in areas which contain these materials, do not use a broom: it will stir fibers into the air.

Do not use a vacuum cleaner unless it is equipped with a High Efficiency Particulate Absolute (HEPA) filter.The fibers are so small they can pass through an ordinary vacuum cleaner and out into the room.

When cleaning in areas which contain friable asbestos-containing material, use dampened mops and dustcloths. Dampened mops and dustcloths will hold the fibers much better than dry mops and dustcloths, and will reduce the number of fibers put back into the air. It is best to use mops with disposable heads and to throw away the mop head after use. Otherwise fibers will be released as the mop dries. Use either lightly dampened mops or cloths or a vacuum with a High Efficiency Particulate Absolute filter to clean areas where wet mopping cannot be used (such as carpeting or hardwood floors).

Clean tables and chairs in the area with damp cloths. Do not dust them with brushes or with dry cloths, and do not vacuum them.

After you use the mop heads and cloths, put them in a plastic bag while they are still wet. Dislodged materials should also be placed in plastic bags for disposal.

A LIST OF IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER

1. Do not handle or disturb friable asbestos-containing materials unless necessary.

2. If you must handle asbestos-containing materials, wet them first.

3. If you must disturb asbestos (for example, to repair a light), see your supervisor before starting work. Then:

A. Place a plastic dropcloth below the work area.

B. Spray asbestos-containing material with water before you disturb it.

C. Make sure that only those persons who are necessary for the job are in the area.

D. Put all the asbestos you remove into a heavy plastic bag. Seal the bag and discard it.

E. After the job, clean all the ladders and tools you used with a wet cloth.

F. Roll up the drop cloth carefully and put it in a plastic bag. Discard the bag.

G. Clean the floor below the work area with a wet mop.

H. Put the mop head and the cloth used to clean the ladders in a plastic bag while they are still wet, seal the bag, and discard it.

If you must disturb or remove large sections of asbestos-containing material, see your supervisor before you begin. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommends that a respirator approved for toxic dusts be worn during such work.

You should make arrangements to turn off the school’s ventilation system if you are disturbing or removing large sections of asbestos-containing material. The ventilation system should remain off until the work is completed and the area has been cleaned.
EPA Form 7730-2 (6-82)  AHERA 19

Custodians with the two hour training are not qualified to work on or cleanup asbestos.

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