Managing Asbestos in Schools

Asbestos has been classified as a known human carcinogen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the United State Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.Many consumer products legally still have traces of asbestos and can be found near our environments. Last month, asbestos was found in the San Francisco State Science Building. Not only asbestos but mold and other harmful contaminants. A university in Canada, also had an asbestos problem and a mold problem.A professor at the university has not been in his office since last summer because mold spores were found in his office.

According to an article on this subject from the mesothelioma.com website, more than twenty thousand spores were recorded in his office. After the spores were recorded, asbestos was found. An emergency asbestos abatement was done when the asbestos was found. Although, we may think that asbestos can be found in homes, asbestos can be found in schools. The EPA has a list of regulations that public schools and non-profit schools should follow according to the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response (AHERA) and are listed below:

• Perform an original inspection to determine whether asbestos-containing materials are present and then re-inspect asbestos-containing material in each school every three years
• Develop, maintain, and update an asbestos management plan and keep a copy at the school
• Provide yearly notification to parent, teacher, and employee organizations on the availability of the school’s asbestos management plan and any asbestos-related actions taken or planned in the school
• Designate a contact person to ensure the responsibilities of the public school district or the non-profit school are properly implemented
• Perform periodic surveillance of known or suspected asbestos-containing building material
• Ensure that trained and licensed professionals perform inspections and take response actions
• Provide custodial staff with asbestos-awareness training

If you think your home or building contains asbestos, it is important to seek professional assistance. Alliance Environmental is a licensed asbestos removal company with extensive experience in properly containing the asbestos, complete decontamination of the site, and lawful disposal of the contaminated materials.