Cleaning up campus

Remodeling will also remove asbestos from old buildings

By MICHAEL CULVER

Wall finishes, pipe insulation, floor tile and acoustical material used during the original construction of the Psychology/Human Services Building contain asbestos, a hazardous material banned in 1977, and cause special measures to be taken to ensure public safety.

Administrators, environmental specialists and construction specialists are working together to ensure the safety of students, faculty and workers at Fresno State as construction and remodeling projects move forward across campus.

A report issued by by environmental consulting firm Brooks and Associates Environmental said many products used during constructionin the 1950s, are now considered unsafe and dealing with these materials, in a safe way, requires additional safety measures be taken during remodeling.

For instance, High Efficiency Particulate Air Filters, (HEPA) filters, which are required and designed so asbestos fibers do not pass through, are used to provide ventilation for workers inside, while maintaining the integrity of the air being passed out of the building.

Additionally, the contractors, such as PARC Environmental, a certified hazardous material clean-up specialist, have to submit their plans to the facilities department,” said Lisa Kao, the university environmental quality manager.

They have to submit their injury and illness prevention plan, their hazard communication plan and a variety of other plans.

These plans are required by the California Occupational Health and Safety Administration, (OSHA) and indicate that the company is aware of the regulatory requirements that must be followed when doing any work on campus.

Kao said all applicable California and federal guidelines are being met.

PARC’s responsibility during the project is to do the “clean-up,” and provide the general contractor’s workers with a safe environment. Nelson Construction Company will perform the actual remodel of the building.

Kao said it is important to note that asbestos is only a danger to public health under certain conditions. The material must be disrupted, and asbestos fibers must be released into the air.

Work on the PHS project began Jan. 2, but before the actual remodeling began, samples of materials that would likely be disturbed during the remodel were taken to EMC Labs Inc, an independent analytical testing facility. EMC tested the materials, and found that many them to contain levels of asbestos in quantities that is potentially dangerous and requiring abatement.

Abatement is an industry term used to describe the process of cleaning-up or securing hazardous material.

“If the sampling contains asbestos, we don’t allow them [the workers] to go forward until a certified abatement company does the work,” said Kao. “They must do it in a manner that protects the building occupants.”

“The university hired Brooks & Associates as a consultant on the project to oversee the abatement.

“They shadow the activities of the project and work as the eyes and ears for the university,” Kao said.

Brooks & Associates Environmental Inc. is responsible for gathering the samples for testing, getting the samples to the testing lab and preparing a report explaining the nature of the findings from the lab.

A preliminary test is done to determine if abatement is necessary. If abatement is needed, PARC Environmental Inc. is then contracted to do the work.

Kao said air samples are then taken inside the building, and sent back to the lab. When these samples return at a level of .1 fiber or less, the CAL-OSHA standards of compliance are met and work on the building can proceed.

Final Clearance for stage one of the two stages of the project, was given on Jan. 11, when air samples ranged from .002 to .001, far below CAL-OSHA standards.

Kao said abatement on stage 2 was completed on Feb. 2. The air samples, collected by Brooks & Associates, were sent to the lab and final results are expected by Feb. 8.

“Although asbestos is a dangerous substance, perhaps,” Dan Ladd, a junior mechanical engineering major said, “I was born in an old hospital that probably had asbestos in it and probably still does. At least they’re doing something about it here.”

The remodeling is expected to be complete on May 31.