GEC has accredited AHERA (Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act) inspectors on staff. GEC’s ACM surveys are always performed in accordance with appropriate guidelines. Inspections, sampling, and reporting are designed to locate and identify suspect asbestos containing materials throughout a building.
GEC provides extensive ACM surveys with strict adherence to AHERA protocols for school inspections or re-inspections, or for other applications. Specialized ACM surveys can be designed to meet special client requirements. GEC also provides assistance with Asbestos Operations & Maintenance Programs or remediation plans and oversight.
Since the late 1800's, asbestos has been used as an insulating or protedant component in thermal insulation for boilers, pipes and other high temperature or high stress applications, flooring, and literally hundreds of other miscellaneous uses. Collectively, these are referred to as asbestos-containing materials (ACM) when they contain more than 1% asbestos.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identifies three categories of ACM used in buildings:
- Surfacing materials (sprayed or troweled on plasters & fireproofing insulations)
- Thermal system insulation (insulation around pipes, joints, boilers and tanks)
- Miscellaneous materials (floor tiles, ceiling tiles, roofing felt and fabrics)
In 1973, the EPA’s National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollution (NESHAP) prohibited sprayed and troweled-on application of friable material for fireproofing, insulating materials and acoustical materials in buildings. However, some asbestos is still being used today in certain roofing compounds and other materials.
If you need to deal with asbestos, call on GEC.
