Asbestos Management In Buildings

Abstract

Since the late 1970s, asbestos, perhaps more so than any other environmental or occupational health issue, has had a profound impact on our society. The management of asbestos in buildings has been the subject of considerable litigation, legislation and regulation not only in the United States, but worldwide. In a broader sense, asbestos has provided a focal point for the national and international debate on how best to evaluate and respond to environmental health risks. It is likely that this debate will continue for many years to come and it is not the intent of this chapter to provide further input to this debate, but rather to deal with the issue on a more practical basis. For the owner or manager of a building containing asbestos, the issue is not one of intellectual or philosophical curiosity or of regulatory agendas. For the building owner or manager, asbestos is an issue which must be dealt with on a day‐to‐day basis. The building owner or manager is faced not only with the realities of effectively managing a known human carcinogen, but also in dealing with a public perception (or misperception) which has been heavily influenced by two decades of media attention and complying with a myriad of federal, state and local regulations. Management of asbestos in buildings requires the input of professionals in many disciplines, including industrial hygiene, toxicology, medicine, law, risk management, engineering, architecture, construction, and administration. The professional industrial hygienist, as a key member of this team, is uniquely qualified to coalesce all input into meaningful informed decisions. In asbestos management, the industrial hygienist plays multiple roles: As a health professional, the industrial hygienist understands the health risks of asbestos and can relate that risk to human exposure. As an air monitoring specialist, the industrial hygienist has a firm grasp of the sampling and analytical techniques to ensure a clear and meaningful interpretation of sampling results. As an engineer, the industrial hygienist has an understanding of the practical issues involved in contamination control, work area isolation, work practices, and the use of personal protective equipment. As a teacher, the industrial hygienist is routinely called upon to communicate technical and health risk information to laypersons and to instruct workers in safe work practices. As a project manager, the industrial hygienist has experience in working with a team to achieve specific goals.