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Asbestos Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring minerals that are mined from the earth and have been widely used in the building construction industry. Asbestos has numerous desirable physical properties including chemical resistance, incombustibility, thermal insulating ability, electrical insulating ability, mechanical strength, and good friction and wear characteristics. Asbestos has been widely used in over 3,600 products since the Industrial Revolution in the 1800’s. Exposure to airborne asbestos fibers has been demonstrated to have unique health effects on people and, as a result, asbestos containing materials are regulated by the Texas Department of State Health Services in the Texas Asbestos Health Protection Rules. The State Regulations apply to the interior space of a commercial building used or to be used for purposes that provide for public access. Interior space includes exterior hallways connecting buildings, porticos, and mechanical systems used to condition interior space. Commercial public buildings include schools, retail stores, office buildings, hospitals and medical offices, and apartment buildings with more than four dwelling units. Single family residential structures are excluded from the State Regulations but may still contain asbestos materials in the building structure. State Regulations require all public building owners to complete a thorough survey of the building prior to disturbing any materials inside. Your local city code compliance and permitting offices are directly responsible for the enforcement of the Asbestos Regulations and will require a report for a property prior to issuing a demolition, renovation, or remodeling permit. During the survey, the inspector identifies interior building materials that may contain asbestos and collects bulk samples. The building material samples are then analyzed for asbestos content by a state-licensed asbestos laboratory using the appropriate U.S. Environmental Protection Agency methods. Once the laboratory analysis is complete, the inspector provides the property owner with a report of findings and recommendations for maintenance or corrective action. Asbestos analysis does not expire and once a survey has been completed it is good for the life of the property, provided that materials and/or their condition do not change. If a property owner either decides to or is required to remove asbestos containing building materials, a state licensed Asbestos Consultant must provide an Asbestos Abatement Design Protocol that specifically addresses the actions to be completed. Then a licensed Abatement Contractor is chosen to complete the activities. All asbestos abatement projects require the property owner to use a licensed Asbestos Project Manager and Air Monitoring Technician to supervise the Abatement Contractor at all times. Additionally, the property owner is responsible for payment of a notification fee to the DSHS. Finally, each asbestos abatement area is cleared by the Asbestos Consultant using air samples. A final report is provided to the property owner that documents the results of the clearance testing. If a property owner decides to leave asbestos containing building materials in place inside the property, a state licensed Asbestos Consultant or Management Planner must provide an Asbestos Operations & Management Plan. The plan provides the property owner with specific information about the locations and content of asbestos within the property and the requirements for maintaining those materials in place in such a way that they don’t present a hazard to the occupants. Argus Environmental is capable of providing the following services:
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