Asbestos Inspection

An Asbestos Inspection Report is very informative and gives you the information you need to know regarding any Asbestos Containing Materials that were found during the inspection and how those materials should safely be removed. Below is a sample of an Executive Asbestos Summary, a list of terms you will find throughout an asbestos report, and some sample pictures.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This report presents the findings of a limited asbestos inspection conducted on January 1, 2020 for the Commons Building located at 123 Avenue. Mill Creek Environmental, LLC (MCE) conducted this inspection at the request of Mr. John Doe. The objective of this inspection was to identify the location and extent of asbestos-containing materials (ACM) within the interior of the building prior to a planned renovation of the building.

A total of 152 bulk asbestos samples were collected. MCE conducted this asbestos inspection in accordance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) regulations governing demolition, renovation and waste disposal activities.

The inspection confirmed that Chrysotile, a common form of asbestos, was found in the following building materials:
⦁ Duct Tape (White);
⦁ Black Mastic;
⦁ 9-inch Floor Tile (Red with Black Mastic);
⦁ 9-inch Floor Tile (Black with Black Mastic);
⦁ 9-inch by 24-inch Floor Tile (Black with Black Mastic);
⦁ 9-inch Floor Tile (Light Gray with Black Mastic);
⦁ 9-inch Floor Tile (Green with Black Mastic);
⦁ Sink Undercoats (Off-White);
⦁ Sheet Vinyl Floor (Cream Colored Brick Pattern);
⦁ Sheet Vinyl Floor (Faux Wood with Black Mastic);
⦁ Sheet Vinyl Floor (Tan with Brown Squares with Black Floor Tile);
⦁ Pipe Insulation (Brown with Black Felt Backing);
⦁ Rolled Pipe Insulation (White);
⦁ Sponge-Applied Textured Ceiling (White); and
⦁ Trowel-Applied Plaster Wall & Ceiling (Light Gray).

The duct tape, brown pipe insulation, sponge-applied textured ceiling, trowel-applied plaster walls and ceiling, and rolled pipe insulation are considered friable materials and must be removed prior to any demolition activities. Removal of these materials must be performed as Class I asbestos work and the waste must be disposed of as regulated asbestos-containing material (RACM).
The black mastic and floor tiles are considered non-friable and must be removed prior to any renovation or demolition activities that may render them as friable. Removal of this material must be performed as Class II asbestos work and the waste must be disposed of as Category I RACM.

The sink undercoats and sheet vinyl floors are considered non-friable ACM and must be removed prior to any renovation or demolition activities that may render the material friable. Removal of these materials must be performed as Class II asbestos work and the waste must be disposed of as Category II RACM.

GLOSSARY

ASBESTOS ‒ A generic name given to a number of naturally occurring silicates that have a unique crystalline structure. They are incombustible in air and separable into fibers. Asbestos includes the asbestiform varieties of Chrysotile, Crocidolite, Amosite, Anthophyllite, Actinolite, and Tremolite.

ACBM ‒ Asbestos Containing Building Material. A term that encompasses surfacing, thermal system, and miscellaneous asbestos-containing material in or on interior/exterior parts of a building. This definition also includes exterior hallways connecting buildings, porticos, and mechanical system insulation.

ACM ‒ Asbestos-Containing Material. Any material with more than one percent (1%) asbestos content.

BULK SAMPLE ‒ A piece of suspected asbestos-containing building material.

FIBER RELEASE ‒ The process by which dust is given off from asbestos materials and becomes airborne.

FRIABLE ‒ A material that can be crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder when dry, by moderate hand pressure.

FUNCTIONAL AREA ‒ Especially distinct units within a building such as a room, a group of rooms, or a homogeneous area―this includes crawl spaces and areas above a drop ceiling.

HVAC ‒ Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning Systems. The system of pipes, ducts, and equipment (air conditioners, chillers, heaters, boilers, pumps, and fans) used to heat, cool, move, and filter air in a building.

HOMOGENEOUS AREA ‒ An area that appears similar throughout in terms of color, texture, and date of material application.

INACCESSIBLE AREA ‒ Inaccessible areas are those areas that cannot be inspected due to physical barriers. Buildings may contain areas that are intrinsically inaccessible. These include gaps and spaces in walls, areas above fixed ceilings and below floors, and enclosed boiler breechings and ducts. Some buildings contain other inaccessible areas, such as very small pipe tunnels, sealed crawl spaces, unsafe attics, encased boilers, etc.

NON-FRIABLE ‒ A material that cannot be crumbled or pulverized by hand pressure.

PACBM ‒ Presumed Asbestos-Containing Building Material.

PIPE JOINT ‒ The elbow, valve, connector, reduction or pipe hanger.

PLENUM ‒ A space designed to transport air in a building. They are commonly found below ground level and in the space between a dropped ceiling and the floor above it.

PLM ‒ Polarized Light Microscopy. An accepted method for analyzing bulk ACBM samples.

RACM ‒ Regulated Asbestos-Containing Material.

USEPA (EPA) ‒ United States Environmental Protection Agency. The federal agency that governs environmental problems. In the case of ACBM in buildings, the USEPA deals with regulations and their guidelines for application, renovation, removal, and disposal of ACBM in building structures.

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