Flooring Operations | Asbestos

Q.	When must an employer presume that flooring material contains asbestos?
A.	A 1988 EPA survey reported that 42 percent of public and commercial buildings within the U.S. contain asbestos-containing flooring material. The standard requires that employers presume that floor tile and resilient flooring found in buildings constructed no later than 1980 contains asbestos and take the specific precautions required unless the employer demonstrates that the flooring materials do not contain asbestos, by using recognized analytical techniques.
Q.	What work practices are prohibited or restricted in floor maintenance?
A.	(1) Sanding of asbestos-containing flooring material is prohibited; (2) stripping of finishes must be conducted using low abrasion pads at speeds lower than 300 rpm and wet methods; and (3) burnishing or dry buffing may be performed only on asbestos-containing flooring which has sufficient finish so that the pad cannot contact the asbestos-containing material.
Q.	What work practices must be used when removing floor tile?
A.	The floor must first be HEPA-vacuumed. The floor tiles then must be carefully pried up individually after being wetted. Misting is sufficient if the tiles are removed intact. After removal, each tile must be placed in an impermeable trash bag or other impermeable waste container.

Q.	If the wetting agent contains a hazardous substance, what other precautions must the employer take?
A.	The employer may be responsible for compliance with other standards such as the Hazard Communication standard. The employer shall obtain a material safety data sheet for the substance and follow the recommendations for the use of personal protective equipment and provide training.
Q.	If floor tiles are broken during removal, are they no longer "intact?"
A.	Not necessarily. Some incidental breakage of floor tiles is to be expected. Under the standard, material is not intact only if it has crumbled, been pulverized, or has otherwise deteriorated so that the asbestos fibers are no longer likely to be bound with their matrix. Therefore, the incidental breakage of tiles does not by itself mean that the material is not intact.
Q.	How are tiles to be removed when they cannot be removed by careful prying?
A.	The tiles may be heated to soften the adhesive holding them to the substrate. When tiles are removed intact using heat, wetting may be omitted.
Q.	How are tiles to be removed when they cannot be removed by either careful prying or heating?
A.	Aggressive techniques such as mechanical chipping can be used if a competent person evaluates the worksite and determines that additional precautions required by the standard are properly installed and operated. This may include negative pressure enclosures.
Q.	How must residual adhesive be removed?
A.	The standard does not require removal of residual adhesive, but it is often necessary to remove or smooth residual adhesive to prepare the surface for installation of a new floor. Wet methods must be used when removing residual adhesive. The adhesive must either be wet-scraped manually or removed using a low speed floor machine and wetted sand or a removal solution. The adhesive residues must be placed in an impermeable trash bag or other impermeable container while still wet. Remaining water or dirt in the area must then be HEPA vacuumed.
Q.	What work practices must be used when removing resilient sheet flooring?
A.	The material must not be ripped up. The floor shall first be HEPA vacuumed. The sheet flooring shall then be removed in strips four to eight inches wide. As a strip is removed, the point of separation must be constantly misted to minimize fiber release. A strip must be rolled up as it is removed and the roll placed in an impermeable trash bag or other impermeable container. Residual felt and adhesive is then removed by wet scraping, and the floor is HEPA vacuumed.
Q.	When must flooring removal jobs be monitored for asbestos levels?
A.	Most jobs will not require monitoring. Monitoring is only required if compliant work practices are not followed, if the material is not removed intact, or if the employees are not properly trained in accordance with the standard.
Q.	What level of training is required for competent persons for flooring removal operations?
A.	When flooring removal jobs are conducted using compliant work practices and the material is removed intact, the competent person must have completed at least 12 hours of training. If the material is not removed intact, the competent person must have completed a training course that meets the requirement for a Class II competent person.
Q.	Must respirators be worn when floor tiles are removed using heat?
A.	The standard generally requires that respirators be worn when Class II work, including floor tile removal, is not performed using wet methods. However, the standard allows wetting to be omitted when floor tiles are removed intact using heat. Since the use of heat to remove floor tiles provides the same level of protection against fiber release as the use of wetting, the omission of wetting does not require respirators to be worn when heat is used and the tiles are removed intact. Respirators would only be needed if their use is required under another provision of the standard.