Acknowledging that the repeal of General Assembly Resolution # 435, Asbestos Consumption, Disposal And Worker Protection has created a void in asbestos related safety regulations; and
Concerned about the varied health hazards caused from asbestos fibers including, but not limited to, mesothelioma, asbestosis, and various cancers of the lungs, larynx, and ovaries,
1. For the purpose of this regulation, the terms are hereby defined:
a. Asbestos - fibrous crystalline mineral primarily composed of silicate which includes the following known variants: Actinolite, Gruenerite (amosite form), Anthophyllite, Chrysotile, Crocidolite, Tremolite, or additional minerals native to individual Member States as defined by local law incorporated herein by reference.
b. Asbestos-Containing Material - Material or waste which contains greater than 0.1% asbestos by mass. Hereafter, this shall be referred to as ACM.
c. Abate/Abatement - A set of procedures designed to control the release of asbestos fibers from ACM.
d. Inspector - An individual licensed by the individual Member State to inspect and sample for ACM.
e. Friable - A material that is easily crumbled, usually by touch.
f. Non-Friable - A material that is not easily crumbled.
g. Public Buildings - Buildings or structures, owned by a government entity and/or normally accessible to the public. This includes both public and privately owned schools.
2. Within six-months following the enactment of this resolution, individual Member States shall establish:
a. A detailed program for abatement,
b. A licensing program for asbestos inspectors and a detailed program for the inspection of buildings for ACM,
c. A detailed program for the licensing of ACM disposal facilities,
d. A ban on the sale, production, mining, and marketing of ACM.
e. A ban for all future construction or manufacture of construction components on the inclusion of ACM.
3. In order to ensure safety of workers during abatement activities, individual Member States shall develop safety programs to minimize exposure which shall include, at a minimum:
a. A limit to the amount of time workers may be present in work zones containing ACM,
b. Requirements that indoor work zones are firmly sealed and segregated from other connected indoor areas which do not contain friable ACM,
c. Requiring the use of processes that will minimize the release of asbestos fibers during abatement,
d. Requiring the use of air monitoring equipment to ensure that no person is exposed to airborne asbestos in excess of 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter taken over an eight-hour time-weighted average without wearing respiratory equipment.
e. Requiring the personal protective equipment to minimize physical exposure to ACM and/or asbestos fibers,
f. Requiring that ACM removed from a work zone is fully sealed in a well labeled container and disposed at a licensed facility,
4. Within six-months following the development of the inspection program outlined in Section 2.b, inspections by licensed inspectors must be completed in Public Buildings.
5. If friable ACM is identified in a building by a licensed inspector, said material must be abated per the abatement program established by Section 2.a.
6. If non-friable ACM is identified in a building by licensed inspector, it may remain in place; however, the non-friable ACM must be re-inspected by a licensed inspector on an annual basis to ensure it remains non-friable. If the material is noted as friable during a future inspection, it must be abated per the abatement program established by Section 2.a.
7. Disposal facilities shall be permitted by individual Member States per Section 2.d and must provide in the permit clear limits on the total quantity of ACM allowed for disposal.
