Source: https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=T&app=9&p_dir=N&p_rloc=27133&p_tloc=&p_ploc=1&pg=2&p_tac=&ti=25&pt=1&ch=295&rl=57
Timestamp: 2020-08-10 06:18:31
Document Index: 385839996

Matched Legal Cases: ['§295', '§295', '§1910', '§1910', '§763', '§295', 'art 61', '§295']

RULE §295.58 Operations: General Requirements for Public Buildings
(a) Responsibility. It is the responsibility of owners of public buildings or their designated agents to engage persons licensed under the provisions of these sections to perform any asbestos-related activity.
(b) Supervision.
(1) Every asbestos abatement project undertaken by a licensed contractor in a public building shall be supervised by at least one licensed asbestos abatement supervisor.
(2) Abatement supervisors shall remain on the job site and in immediate contact with those under their supervision during all periods of asbestos abatement activity.
(3) During every day of the asbestos abatement activity, from the start date and through the completion date of the project, an abatement supervisor shall be stationed within the containment area at least 25% of the time for the purpose of supervising the abatement work.
(4) Every small-scale, short-duration maintenance or repair activity that involves asbestos-containing material (ACM) in a public building shall be supervised by at least one restricted-license operations and maintenance (O&M) supervisor. Restricted-activity supervisors shall be at the job site during all periods of asbestos disturbance activity.
(5) Abatement contractors or building management licensees may also employ licensed abatement supervisors to supervise small-scale, short-duration operations and maintenance activities.
(6) Supervisors with either restricted or unrestricted licenses may be employed as asbestos abatement workers.
(7) All licensed supervisors are responsible for respirator fit testing, personal protection of the workers, security, and control of access at the job site.
(8) Supervisors licensed under these sections shall require that operations at the asbestos job site cease whenever hazardous or unlawful situations are detected, so as to effect a remedy.
(c) Employees. Each employee or agent of any licensee who must intentionally disturb, handle, or otherwise work with asbestos-containing building material (ACBM), or who shall engage in an asbestos abatement project, asbestos O&M activities or other asbestos-related activity shall have an annual physical examination, respirator fit-test, be properly equipped and trained, and be licensed or registered in accordance with these sections.
(d) Records. Each licensee shall keep a complete record of each asbestos related activity or operation in public buildings to the extent of his or her participation. Such records shall be kept for 30 years. Each licensee shall also keep a copy of all violations issued against him by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the United States Department of Labor (OSHA), or a state agency. All required records shall be made available, upon request, for inspection and review by the department. See §295.62 of this title (relating to Operations: Recordkeeping) for specific requirements.
(e) Compliance inspections. Each licensee shall assist and cooperate with all properly identified representatives of the department in the conduct of asbestos inspections or investigations at all reasonable or necessary times, with or without prior notice. Such inspections may be made at proposed, actual, or former sites of asbestos-related activities, or of the premises, records, equipment and personnel of licensees or applicants, or of those who have held active licenses previously. It is a violation to interfere with or delay an inspection or investigation conducted by a department representative. A licensee may not deny entry to a properly identified representative of the department.
(f) Respiratory protection program. Each employer licensee shall be responsible for establishing and maintaining a written respiratory protection program, as required by OSHA regulations in 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §1910.134, as amended. Each employer shall maintain a current copy of the respiratory protection program at all project locations. A copy of 29 CFR §1910.134 is not acceptable as a written respiratory protection program. Respirators shall be properly worn at all times in containment during asbestos abatement activity.
(g) Individual respirator fit. The licensee must maintain in safe working condition a sufficient number of respirators of the types and styles approved by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to meet all anticipated requirements of his/her employees; and any employee whose facial characteristics, hair, mustache, or beard preclude a tight fit of a negative-pressure respirator shall not be allowed to enter the containment of an asbestos operation using this type of respirator.
(h) Sampling for asbestos. Building materials that have not been surveyed in accordance with this subsection and are suspect asbestos-containing material shall be treated as asbestos-containing material. At a minimum, three samples from each homogeneous area must be analyzed to rebut the presence of ACBM for abatement or operations and maintenance (O&M) activities, regardless of the protocol used. A survey performed by a licensed asbestos inspector must use accepted standards such as the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) protocol specified in 40 CFR §§763.85-763.88. Only laboratories licensed by the State of Texas may be used to evaluate samples taken from within public buildings in Texas. Building materials that have not been surveyed in accordance with this subsection and are suspect asbestos-containing material shall be treated as containing asbestos.
(1) Composite sample analysis in a public building is not allowed.
(2) Results obtained by counting of asbestos samples supersede and replace the initial PLM analysis results. Results of TEM/gravimetric analysis of asbestos samples supersede and replace PLM and point counting.
(3) Each sample analyzed by visual PLM as greater than one percent asbestos is regarded as ACBM, unless that sample result is rebutted through additional analysis (i.e., point counting).
(i) Project monitoring. The asbestos consultant shall specify the protocol for monitoring the project. This will include the duties and responsibilities of the project manager and the air monitoring requirements. Only one cassette may be placed on a pump at a time.
(A) The asbestos consultant shall insure that baseline samples are collected. This requirement shall be made a part of the specifications for an asbestos project. Air samples for analysis by Phase-contrast Microscopy will be collected under normal building conditions for any abatement activity prior to the disturbances of asbestos-containing building material (ACBM) as a part of the activity. A minimum of three samples shall be collected on 0.8 micron mixed cellulose ester (MCE) filters loaded in conducting cassettes with extension cowls. Sampling and analysis will be in accordance with the latest edition of NIOSH 7400 protocol, counting rules A. The minimum sample volume will be 1,250 liters.
(B) These samples may be analyzed or archived at the consultant's discretion. The samples shall be preserved for no less than 60 days following achieving clearance.
(2) Ambient.
(A) Ambient samples will be collected every day of the asbestos abatement activity, from the start date and through the completion date of the project and analyzed in accordance with the latest edition of NIOSH 7400 protocol, counting rules A.
(B) Ambient samples will be collected: inside containment; outside containment but inside the building (if applicable); the negative air unit discharge; immediately outside the entrance to the decontamination facility (representative of the air being drawn into the facility); outside the bag out facility; and any other locations required by the specifications.
(3) Clearance.
(A) All project activities, except O&M, shall be cleared by using aggressive air sampling. Aggressive air sampling is the use of an air blower, such as a leaf blower with the force of air unaltered and operating as it comes from the factory, directed at all surfaces in order to cause loose asbestos fibers to become airborne. The maximum levels of residual fibers shall be as cited in subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.
(B) A visual inspection of the abatement area shall be made upon completion of ACBM removal but before the containment is removed to determine if the project has been properly conducted in accordance with the specifications and with applicable state and federal regulations and confirm that all ACBM has been properly removed, encapsulated, or maintained. A final visual will be performed by the asbestos consultant, or project manager delegated by the asbestos consultant, once the abatement contractor has removed all containment and other materials from the project site.
(C) For all projects, samples may be collected and analyzed by NIOSH 7400 protocol, counting rules A, Phase-contrast Microscopy (PCM) as amended. Clearance samples shall be collected at a rate of at least 0.5 less than 16 liters per minute on 0.8 micron MCE filters in conducting cassettes with extension cowls. Minimum sample volume will be 1,250 liters. Clearance will be achieved if no sample is reported greater than 0.01 f/cc by the analysis report from the licensed laboratory. Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) protocol will be used in schools. A licensed asbestos consultant shall design the air monitoring scheme and may deviate from this subsection only if public health is maintained in accordance with all regulations. The asbestos consultant shall, upon request by the department, provide documentation and justification to support deviations and must be able to demonstrate that the design meets the requirements and intent of the applicable regulations.
(D) The visual inspection must be conducted by a properly licensed asbestos consultant. The asbestos consultant may delegate the visual inspection responsibility in writing to a licensed asbestos project manager considered experienced enough to properly perform this duty.
(E) All samples, including clearance samples, may be collected by licensed air monitoring technicians or a licensed consultant. The sample pumps will be monitored during the sampling period by the person collecting the samples, or some other means of control will be established to ensure the integrity of the samples and prevent tampering.
(j) Posting of documents. The following documents are required to be posted conspicuously by licensees involved in the project to be visible at the entrance to the regulated area and must not be covered by any other documents:
(1) the asbestos information poster issued by the department; and
(2) copies of any violations issued as evidenced by an order from the federal or state asbestos-regulating authorities within the preceding 12 months from any asbestos project.
(k) Documents required to be on-site are as follows:
(1) all current licenses and registrations, and copies of accreditation certificates, current "Physician's Written Statements", and current respirator fit-test records. The department licensed company is responsible for its employees' documents to be on-site;
(2) EPA "Green Book" for O&M work;
(3) appropriate publications as listed in §295.33 of this title (relating to Adoption by Reference of Federal Standards) for the asbestos activity which is being performed;
(4) a copy of the "Recommended Work Practices for the Removal of Resilient Floor Coverings," published by the Resilient Floor Covering Institute, if removing floor coverings using this method.
(l) Prohibitions.
(1) Solvents with a flash point of 140 degrees Fahrenheit or below shall not be used.
(2) Disposal of improperly labeled or classified asbestos-containing waste material as defined in 40 CFR Part 61, Subpart M is prohibited.
Source Note: The provisions of this §295.58 adopted to be effective October 20, 1992, 17 TexReg 6901; amended to be effective September 22, 1994, 19 TexReg 7098; amended to be effective December 13, 1998, 23 TexReg 12353; amended to be effective March 27, 2003, 28 TexReg 2549