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Frequently Asked Questions About Asbestos in Schools
- What is asbestos?
- What are the health effects of asbestos exposure?
- Is there asbestos in my child’s school?
- Is it dangerous to have asbestos containing material in my school?
- I thought asbestos was banned and then removed from schools years ago?
- If my children have been in a building with asbestos, do they need to see a physician or If I taught in a building with asbestos, do I need to see a physician?
- Is the school district required to do anything about asbestos-in-schools?
- What is an asbestos management plan?
- Do I have the right as a teacher or employee to access my school’s management plan?
- Does this management plan have to be updated periodically?
- Does my school district have to inform me of asbestos that is in my school building?
- Was my school required to be inspected for asbestos?
- Does my school district/local education agency know where the asbestos in its schools is located?
- Who is responsible for overseeing the management of asbestos in a school building?
- How can we have the air tested in my school?
- I have seen the janitor machine-cleaning the floor tile in our school. Should I be worried that these machines will degrade the tiles and create a hazard?
- Who is responsible for enforcing the asbestos-in-schools regulations?
- Who can I call to report a suspected asbestos violation?
- What is EPA doing now about asbestos-in-schools?
- Where can
I obtain more information about the asbestos-in-schools regulations?
Asbestos is the name given to a number of naturally occurring fibrous minerals that are mined for their useful properties such as thermal insulation, chemical and thermal stability, and high tensile strength.
2. What are the health effects of asbestos exposure?
Asbestos exposure can lead to diseases such as lung cancer, asbestosis
(lung scarring), and mesothelioma (cancer of the lung cavity lining).
There is a long latency period for these diseases. It could be 30 years
after exposure before symptoms of disease begin.
3. Is there asbestos in my child’s school?
It is very possible that there is asbestos in you child’s school.
Asbestos can be found in various places within schools. Friable asbestos,
or asbestos that can be broken by hand pressure, is of greatest concern
because these fibers can most easily be released into the air and inhaled
into the lungs. Examples of potentially hazardous materials include: friable
asbestos-containing boiler wrap, pipe wrap insulation, ceiling tiles,
and wallboard.
4. Is it dangerous to have asbestos containing material
in my school?
Not necessarily. Undamaged asbestos that is properly managed in place
poses little health risk to students or teachers. However, it is important
that the proper school designated authorities regularly inspect asbestos
containing materials to ensure they remain intact. Asbestos can pose a
hazard to students, teachers, and school employees when it is disturbed
and becomes airborne and therefore breathable. It has been EPA’s
long-standing policy that undamaged non-friable asbestos is best left
undisturbed and managed in place. Removing asbestos often has the potential
to create a greater health risk than leaving it undisturbed.
5. I thought asbestos was banned and then removed from
schools years ago?
Asbestos products, with few exceptions, are not currently banned in the
United States and are still “managed-in-place” in thousands
of schools nationwide under requirements set forth by the Asbestos Hazard
Emergency Response Act (AHERA). It is possible that asbestos containing
materials were completely removed from your school. It is, however, more
likely that asbestos is currently managed in place within your school.
6. If my children have been in a building with asbestos,
do they need to see a physician?
or If I taught in a building with asbestos, do I need to see a physician?
Not necessarily. Asbestos does not pose a health risk if it is managed
properly. However, if you feel you may have been exposed to asbestos fibers
in the air, you should consult with a physician that specializes in lung
disorders or occupational exposures.
7. Is the school district required to do anything about
asbestos-in-schools?
Yes. AHERA, or the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, was passed
by Congress in 1986. AHERA requires public school districts and nonprofit
private schools to inspect their schools for asbestos containing building
material and prepare management plans which recommend the best way to
reduce the hazard from any asbestos that may be present. Options include
repairing damaged asbestos containing material, spraying it with sealants,
enclosing it, removing it, or keeping it in good condition so that it
does not release fibers. The plans must be developed by accredited management
planners and approved by the State. The school authority must notify parent,
teacher and employer organizations of the plans, and then the plans must
be implemented. The school district must also perform periodic surveillance
of asbestos containing material every 6 months in its schools. AHERA also
requires accreditation of abatement designers, contractor supervisors
and workers, building inspectors, and school management plan writers.
8. What is an asbestos management plan?
An asbestos management plan is required to provide documentation of the
recommended asbestos response actions, the location of asbestos within
the school, and any action taken to repair or remove the material. The
school authority must maintain records to be included in the Asbestos
Management Plan. These records include among other things:
- List of the name and address of each school building and whether
the building has asbestos containing building material, and what type
of asbestos-containing material.
- Date of the original school inspection.
- The plan for re-inspections.
- A blueprint that clearly identifies the location of asbestos-containing
building material that remains in the school.
- A description of any response action or preventive measures taken
to reduce asbestos exposure.
- A copy of the analysis of any building material, and the name and
address of any laboratory that sampled the material.
- The name, address, and telephone number of the “designated person”
to ensure the duties of the local education agency (LEA) are carried
out.
- A description of steps taken to inform workers, teachers, and students or their legal guardians about inspections, re-inspections, response actions, and periodic surveillance.
9. Do I have the right as a teacher or employee to
access my school’s management plan?
Yes. Parents, teachers, and school employees, or their representatives,
have the right to inspect the school’s asbestos management plan.
The school must make the plan available within a reasonable amount of
time.
10. Does this management plan have to be updated periodically?
Yes. The asbestos management plan must be updated with information collected
during periodic surveillance every 6 months, re-inspections every 3 years,
and every time a response action is taken within the school. Also, records
of annual notifications to parents, teachers, and staff concerning the
availability of the school’s asbestos management plan must be included
within the asbestos management plan files.
11. Does my school district have to inform me of asbestos
that is in my school building?
Yes. Schools are required to notify parent-teacher organizations once
a year about the availability of the school’s asbestos management
plan and of any asbestos abatement activity taking place within the school.
12. Was my school required to be inspected for asbestos?
Yes, unless the building architect certified in writing that no asbestos
materials were used in the building’s manufacture. The results of
the inspections and all re-inspections, required every three years, are
contained within the schools asbestos management plan. A copy of the asbestos
management plan is required to be housed in the school’s administrative
office.
13. Does my school district/local education agency
know where the asbestos in its schools is located?
They are required to know and to describe where the material is located
on a blueprint diagram of the school building(s).
14. Who is responsible for overseeing the management
of asbestos in a school building?
The school district/ local education agency must nominate a “designated
person” to perform and delegate, if necessary, the management of
asbestos in a school building.
15. How can we have the air tested in my school?
AHERA only requires testing following an asbestos repair or removal activity
to determine whether the activity has been properly completed. This is
done by measuring the amount of asbestos in the air where the repair or
removal activity has taken place. However, the educational authority,
e.g., the school district, may hire a qualified consultant to test its
air at any time.
16. I have seen the janitor machine-cleaning the floor
tile in our school. Should I be worried that these machines will degrade
the tiles and create a hazard?
Machine-cleaning of floor tile can be part of a good maintenance program
for asbestos-containing floor tiles, as long as the machine is operated
properly and the tiles are not in poor condition. EPA has issued special
guidance on the proper maintenance of asbestos-containing floor tiles,
the guidance is available from the TSCA Hotline at (202) 554-1404. Undamaged,
well maintained floor tiles present little risk to students, teachers,
and school staff.
17. Who is responsible for enforcing the asbestos-in-schools
regulations?
EPA is the primary governmental agency responsible for enforcing the regulations
promulgated under AHERA. However, if your State has been issued a wavier,
the State agency is responsible for enforcing the requirements. These
states are: Connecticut, Colorado, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Oklahoma,
Rhode Island, Texas, and Utah.
18. Who can I call to report a suspected asbestos
You can report violations by contacting your EPA regional asbestos coordinator
listed at http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/regioncontact.html, or
by calling the Asbestos Ombudsman at: 1-800-368-5888.
19. What is EPA doing now about asbestos-in-schools?
EPA will provide local education agencies and parents and teachers with
information about the AHERA asbestos-in-schools requirements. A new website
has been launched, documents have been updated, and a partnership developed
with the National Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), the National Education
Association (NEA), and the Department of Education.
20. Where can I obtain more information about the
asbestos-in-schools regulations?
You can visit our website at http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/asbestos_in_schools.html or call the TSCA Hotline at: 202-554-1404.