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The following procedures shall be followed during the conduct of abatement activities on asbestos projects. The procedures set forth in this subdivision shall be performed in the order set forth below:
(a) The building owner or designated representative must provide notification to all occupants of the work place and immediate adjacent areas of the asbestos project. Information provided in the notification must include contractor, project location and size, amount and type of ACM, abatement procedure, dates of expected occurrence and the Call Center "311" for government information and services. Postings of this notification must be in English and Spanish, at eye level, in a conspicuous, well-lit place, at the entrances to the work place and immediate adjacent areas. The notice must have the following heading: NOTICE OF ASBESTOS ABATEMENT, in a minimum of one inch sans serif, gothic or block style lettering, with the balance of the lettering of the notice to be of the same type lettering in a minimum of one quarter inch size. The notices must be posted 7 calendar days prior to the start of the project and must remain posted until clearance air monitoring is satisfactorily concluded. A lessee initiating an asbestos project must give 10 calendar days notice to the owner of the subject building.
(b) A floor plan showing the areas of the building under abatement and the location of all fire exits in said areas shall be prominently posted in the building lobby or comparable location, along with a notice stating the location within the building of the negative air cutoff switch required under 15 RCNY § 1-91(f), if applicable.
(c) The work place shall be vacated by the occupants prior to work place preparation and until successful clearance air monitoring.
(d) Electric power to all work areas shall be shut down and locked out except for electrical equipment that must remain in service. Safe temporary power and lighting shall be provided in accordance with all applicable codes. Existing light sources (e.g. house lights) shall not be utilized. All power to work areas shall be brought in from outside the area through ground-fault circuit interrupter at the source.
(1) If electrical circuits, machinery, and other electrical systems in or passing though the work area must stay in operation due to health and safety requirements, the following precautions must be taken:
(i) All unprotected cables, except low-voltage (less than 24 volts) communication and control system cables, panel boxes of cables and joints in live conduit that run through the work area shall be covered with three (3) independent layers of six (6) mil fire retardant polyethylene. Each layer shall be individually duct taped and sealed. All three (3) layers of polyethylene sheeting shall be left in place until satisfactory clearance air sampling results have been obtained.
(ii) Any energized circuits remaining in the work area shall be posted with a minimum two (2) inch high lettering warning sign which reads: DANGER LIVE ELECTRICAL – KEEP CLEAR. A sign shall be placed on all live covered barriers at a maximum of ten (10) foot intervals. These signs shall be posted in sufficient numbers to warn all persons authorized to enter the work area of the existence of the energized circuits.
(e) The worker decontamination enclosure system shall be installed or constructed prior to plasticizing the work area or before disturbing ACM.
(f) (1) Prior to erection of partitions, ACM that may be disturbed during this activity must be removed using a tent procedure (including engineering controls) using wet methods.
(2) Removal by the above procedures shall be limited to a maximum of a one foot wide strip running the length and/or height of the partition and is allowed only to facilitate erection of the partitions.
(g) All boilers and other equipment within the work area shall be shut down, locked out, and tagged out and the burner/boiler/equipment accesses and openings shall be sealed in accordance with 15 RCNY § 1-81(n) until abatement activities are complete. If the boiler or other exhausted equipment will be subject to abatement, all breeching, stacks, columns, flues, shafts, and double-walled enclosures serving as exhausts or vents shall be segregated from the affected boiler or equipment and sealed airtight to eliminate potential chimney effects within the work area. Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) System Isolation methods are listed below in order of preference; the more complex and potentially problematic methods maybe used when the more preferred procedures are impractical.
(1) shut down and lock out HVAC systems and install isolation barriers (see 15 RCNY § 1-81(n)) to prevent contamination and fiber dispersal to other areas of the structure, or
(2) isolate locally and provide temporary HVAC, or
(3) positive pressurization of the HVAC system. This procedure shall be applied only under the direction and control of a professional engineer, or other knowledgeable licensed professional.
(h) Abatement shall not commence until work place preparation has been completed.
(i) Movable objects within the proposed work areas shall be pre-cleaned (i.e., prior to commencing general abatement) using HEPA filtered vacuum equipment and/or wet cleaning methods and such objects shall be removed from the work area. If carpeting is left in place, it shall be covered with fire retardant 6-mil plastic sheeting, and then 3/8 in. rigid flooring prior to normal plasticizing.
(j) All flammable materials shall be removed from the work area and all sources of ignition (including but not limited to pilot lights) shall be extinguished.
(k) Fixed objects which will remain within the proposed work areas must be pre-cleaned using HEPA filtered vacuum equipment and/or wet cleaning methods as appropriate, and enclosed with two layers of fire retardant 6-mil plastic sheeting sealed to protect from re-contamination. Sprinklers, standpipes, and other fire protection systems must remain in service and must not be plasticized.
(l) Any source of emergency lighting which is temporarily blocked as a result of work place preparation shall be replaced for the duration of the project by battery operated or temporary exit signs, exit lights, or exit path markings.
(m) Prior to plasticizing, the proposed work areas shall be pre-cleaned using HEPA filtered vacuum equipment and/or wet cleaning methods. Methods that raise dust, such as sweeping or vacuuming with equipment not equipped with HEPA filters, are prohibited.
(n) The isolation barriers (i.e., sealing off of all openings, including but not limited to windows, corridors, doorways, barriers, skylights, ducts, grills, diffusers, and any other penetrations of the work place) shall be installed with two layers of fire retardant 6-mil plastic sheeting sealed with tape. All seams of HVAC or other system components that pass through the work place shall also be sealed.
(o) The work area shall be segregated from the remainder of the work site by construction of temporary structural partitions as follows:
(1) Partitions shall be constructed of conventional 2 x 3 (minimum) wood or metal stud framing, 16"CC maximum, to support barriers in all openings larger than 32 ft
2
, except where any one dimension is 1 foot or less, or where openings are exits covered in subdivision (p) below.
(2) A solid construction material (e.g. fire rated plywood) of at least 3/8" thickness shall be applied to the work side of the framing. In secure interior areas where partitions are not subject to access from the public, an additional layer of fire retardant 6-mil plastic sheeting may be substituted for the solid construction material.
(3) The partitions shall be caulked/sealed at the floor, ceiling, walls, joints and fixtures to form an airtight seal.
(4) Where the opening is an exit covered in subdivision (s) below, or where the partition would block egress, the partition shall consist of two sheets of fire-retardant 6-mil plastic, prominently marked as an exit with signage so as to be visible both in normal light and in the event of a power failure. Cutting tools (e.g., knife, razor) shall be attached to the work area side of the sheeting for use in the event that the barrier must be cut open to allow egress.
(5) Means of egress shall not be obstructed by hardwall barriers.
(p) In addition to the isolation barriers, floor and wall surfaces shall be sealed with a minimum of two layers of fire retardant 6-mil plastic sheeting, except where the only ACM being abated in the project is vinyl asbestos floor tile or other flooring material, in which case the floor need not be sealed; or the only material being abated in the project is wall plaster or other wall material, in which case the walls need not be sealed. The plastic layers on the floor shall extend 6 inches up the walls. Walls shall be covered with plastic sheeting down to the floor level, thus overlapping the floor material by a minimum of 6 inches. There shall be a distance of at least 6 inches between seams of adjacent layers.
(q) After isolation barriers are in place, ceiling-mounted objects not previously sealed that will interfere with ACM abatement shall be removed and cleaned. Amended water spraying or HEPA filtered vacuum equipment shall be used during fixture removal to reduce fiber dispersal.
(r) Suspended ceiling tiles and T-grid components, contaminated by ACM, shall remain in place until the work area has been fully prepared as outlined in this section and electrical and HVAC systems have been shutdown. Suspended ceiling components shall be removed and disposed of as asbestos-containing waste or, if non-porous, retained for reuse after wet cleaning / HEPA vacuuming. Isolation barriers shall be installed in all openings above the ceiling before disturbance of ACM commences.
(s) Entrances to the work place that will not be used for worker entry or emergency exits shall be locked to prevent unauthorized entry.
(t) Exits from the work area shall be maintained, or alternative exits shall be established, in accordance with section 1027 of the New York City Fire Code. Exits shall be checked at the beginning and end of each work shift against blockage or impediments to exiting.
(u) Signs clearly indicating the direction of exits shall be maintained and prominently displayed within the work area. The signs shall bear a horizontal arrow or arrows indicating the direction to the exit, above which the word "EXIT" shall be printed in minimum 5" letter size.
(v) No smoking signs shall be maintained and prominently displayed within the work place. The signs shall be a minimum of 10 by 14 inches and shall bear the International "No Smoking" symbol, under which the words "NO SMOKING" shall be printed in minimum 2" letter size.
(w) Floor drains shall be sealed individually with two layers of fire retardant 6-mil plastic sheeting and tape, and then covered as all other floor surfaces. Pits, sumps, etc., shall be covered with adequate fire rated plywood sheeting and secured to floor slabs in a manner which prevents a tripping hazard, prior to required plasticizing.
(x) Elevators running through the work area must conform to the following:
(1) The elevator door in the work area must be enclosed with conventional 2 x 4 stud framing, covered with 3/8" fire rated plywood sheeting and sealed at all edges and seams. The barrier must be covered and lapped for 8 inches with two layers of fire retardant 6-mil plastic sheeting adhered individually with edges taped for air tightness. There shall be no more than a six inch clearance between the elevator door and hard wall barrier.
(2) Elevators not remaining in service shall have the fuses removed and the power switch locked in the open position.
(3) Elevators that remain in operation shall conform to the following additional procedures to minimize the piston effect that results:
(i) Elevator control shall be modified to bypass the work area.
(ii) A final larger layer of fire retardant 6-mil plastic sheeting is to be taped airtight but with slack forming a larger perimeter diaphragm. Air leakage across the barrier shall be corrected upon discovery, and the elevator shaft shall be checked for airborne asbestos contamination.
(iii) This system shall be smoke tested daily.
(4) Elevator shafts shall not be used as waste chutes or to convey any ACM.
(5) Signage must be posted in the main lobby stating the specific floors where the elevators are out of service due to abatement.
(y) Adequate toilet facilities must be provided in the vicinity of the clean room external to the work place. Where such facilities do not exist, portable service must be provided.
(z) At least one functional fire extinguisher with a minimum rating 2-A:10-B:C shall be required for each work place. In the case of large asbestos projects, at least two such fire extinguishers shall be required.
(Amended City Record 12/7/2018, eff. 1/6/2019; amended City Record 8/21/2019, eff. 9/20/2019; amended City Record 1/15/2025, eff. 2/14/2025)
The following procedures shall be followed during the conduct of abatement activities on asbestos projects:
(a) Worker decontamination enclosure systems must be located outside the work area and attached to all locations where workers will enter or exit the work area. One system at a single location for each contained work area is required. These systems may consist of existing rooms outside of the work area, that offer direct access to the work area and general egress from the work place. When this situation does not exist, enclosure systems may be constructed or may consist of prefabricated or trailer units. Adequate heat and light shall be safely provided.
(b) The worker decontamination enclosure system shall consist of a clean room, a shower room, and an equipment room, in series, separated from each other by airlocks and from the work area and non-work place by curtained doors (see Illustration I).
(c) Worker decontamination enclosure systems shall be fully lined utilizing two layers of fire retardant 6-mil opaque plastic sheeting at a minimum, or the equivalent.
(d) When the decontamination enclosure is constructed outdoors or in areas with public access it shall be fully framed and fire retardant plywood sheathed or equivalent to prevent unauthorized entry. When located outdoors, it shall be waterproof and windproof.
(e) Prefabricated or trailer decontamination units:
(1) shall at a minimum, have functionality and security equivalent to constructed decontamination enclosure facilities, and
(2) shall be completely decontaminated prior to removal from the work site.
(f) The clean room:
(1) shall contain secure crew lockers or shelves, and clean sealable plastic bags for storage of street clothes, and
(2) shall contain shelves or appropriate facilities for storage of respirators, and
(3) shall contain clean disposable clothing, replacement filters for respirators, towels and other necessary personal protective equipment, and
(4) shall not be used for storage of tools, equipment or materials, other than personal protective equipment, nor used as office space, and
(5) shall be equipped with a lockable door to secure the work place during off-shift hours.
(g) The shower room:
(1) shall contain a minimum of one (1) shower per 6 workers calculated on the basis of the largest shift, and
(2) shall have shower heads supplied with hot and cold water adjustable at the shower, and
(3) shall be constructed to ensure against water leakage, and shall contain a rigid catch basin at least six (6) inches deep, and
(4) shall contain liquid bath soap, shampoo, and clean dry towels in sufficient quantity for each worker for each showering.
(h) Shower water shall be continuously drained, collected and filtered through a system with a least 5.0 micron particle size collection capability. A system containing a series of several filters with progressively smaller pore sizes shall be used to avoid rapid clogging of the filtration system by large particles. Pumps shall be installed, maintained and utilized in accordance with manufacturer's recommendations.
(1) Filtered wastewater shall be discharged either to a sewer or drummed and then properly disposed.
(2) Used filters shall be disposed of as asbestos-containing waste material.
(i) The equipment room:
(1) shall be used for storage of equipment and tools used on the job that have been cleaned previously in the work area, and
(2) may contain a limited supply of replacement filters (in sealed containers until used) for HEPA vacuums and pressure ventilation equipment, extra tools, containers of surfactant and other materials and equipment that may be required during the abatement activity, and
(3) shall contain labeled 6-mil plastic bags for collection of disposable clothing, and
(4) shall be used to store contaminated footwear (e.g. rubber boots and other reusable footwear) and contaminated clothing for reuse for the duration of the abatement activity or until disposed.
(Amended City Record 1/15/2025, eff. 2/14/2025)
The following procedures shall be followed for removal of asbestos-containing waste material and equipment during the conduct of abatement activities on asbestos projects: (a) The waste decontamination enclosure system shall be located outside the work area and attached to all locations through which ACM waste will be removed from the work area. A waste decontamination enclosure system shall consist of two totally enclosed chambers and shall also comply with the following requirements:
(1) the washroom shall be constructed with a curtained doorway to the work area and an airlock doorway to the holding area (see Illustration II); and be equipped with a catch basin and a drain installed to collect and deliver wastewater to either the shower drain or to a separate holding vessel where it is filtered;
(2) the holding area shall be constructed with a curtained doorway to the washroom and a lockable door to the outside (see Illustration II); if remote from the washroom, it shall comply with all applicable NYC Department of Sanitation regulations pursuant to Local Laws 70 of 1985 and 21 of 1987.
(b) Where there is only one means of egress from the work area:
(1) the holding area of the waste decontamination enclosure system may branch off from the equipment/decontamination room (see Illustration III). Thus constructed, the equipment room alternates as a waste washroom. In this case the waste washroom shall be equipped with a catch basin and a drain, installed to collect and deliver waste water to either the shower drain or a separate holding vessel from where it is filtered, or
(2) where total asbestos-containing material disturbed in the asbestos project is less than 1,000 linear feet or 1,000 square feet, the shower room may be used as a waste washroom and shall be equipped as set forth in 15 RCNY § 1-83(b)(1), and
(i) the clean room, in the configuration shown in Illustration I, may not be used for waste storage but may be used for waste transfer to carts, which are stored outside the clean room in a designated holding area.
(c) The waste decontamination enclosure system shall be constructed to meet the requirements of 15 RCNY §§ 1-82(a), (c), (d), (e), (g)(3) and (h).
(a) The worker decontamination enclosure system shall consist of, as a minimum, an equipment room, a shower room, and a clean room separated from each other and from the work area by curtained doorways. Equipment storage, personal gross decontamination and removal of disposable clothing shall occur in the equipment room prior to entering the shower. All other requirements set forth in 15 RCNY § 1-82 and 15 RCNY § 1-92 shall apply.
Part3: Work Place Procedures
The following procedures shall be followed during the conduct of abatement activities on asbestos projects:
(a) All asbestos projects shall utilize negative pressure ventilation equipment.
(1) On all asbestos projects, a manometer shall be used to document the pressure differential. The manometer shall be installed and made operational once the negative pressure has been established in the work area. Magnahelic manometers shall be calibrated at least every six months, and a copy of the current calibration certification shall be available at the work site.
(b) The negative pressure ventilation equipment shall operate continuously, 24 hours a day, from the establishment of isolation barriers through successful clearance air monitoring. If such equipment shuts off, adjacent areas shall be monitored for asbestos fibers.
(c) A static negative air pressure of 0.02 inches (minimum) water column shall be maintained at all times in the work place during abatement to ensure that contaminated air in the work area does not filter back to uncontaminated areas.
(d) If more than one ventilation unit is installed, units shall be turned on one at a time while checking the integrity of all barriers for secure attachment and the need for additional reinforcement.
(e) A dedicated power supply for the negative pressure ventilating units shall be utilized. The negative air equipment shall be on a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protected circuit separate from the remainder of the work area temporary power circuits.
(f) If the containment area of an asbestos project covers the entire floor of the affected building, or an area greater than 15,000 square feet on any given floor, the installation of a negative air cut off switch or switches shall be required at a single location outside the work place, such as inside a stairwell one floor below the lowest floor containing a work place, or at a secured location in the ground floor lobby when conditions warrant (such as when the work place is in a basement or below). The required switch or switches must be installed by a licensed electrician, pursuant to a permit issued by the Department of Buildings. If negative pressure ventilation equipment is used on multiple floors the cut off switch must be able to turn off the equipment on all floors.
(g) On loss of negative pressure or electric power to the negative pressure ventilating units, abatement shall stop immediately and shall not resume until power is restored and negative pressure ventilation equipment is operating again. When power failure or loss of negative pressure equipment lasts or is expected to last longer than one-half hour:
(1) the make-up air inlets shall be sealed airtight, and
(2) the decontamination systems shall be sealed airtight after the evacuation of workers and/or authorized visitors from the work area, and
(3) all adjacent areas shall be monitored for asbestos fiber concentration upon discovery of, and subsequently throughout, the power failure.
(h) Negative pressure ventilation equipment shall be installed and operated to provide at least one air change in the work area every 15 minutes. Where there are no floor or wall barriers because floor or wall material is being abated, there shall be at least one air change in the work area every ten minutes.
(i) Openings made in the isolation barrier to accommodate these units shall be made airtight. The units shall remain within the work area unless located securely outside the building.
(j) Negative air pressure equipment shall be in compliance with ANSI Z9.2 (2012), Local Exhaust Ventilation.
(k) Negative air pressure systems shall be operated in accordance with "Specifications and Operating Procedures for the Use of Negative Pressure Systems for Asbestos Abatement, Guidance for Controlling Asbestos-Containing Materials in Buildings", EPA Report Number 560/5-85-024 (1985).
(l) Negative pressure ventilation equipment shall be exhausted to the outside of the building away from occupied areas.
(1) All openings (including but not limited to operable windows, doors, vents, air intakes or exhausts of any mechanical devices) less than 15 feet from the exterior exhaust duct termination location shall be plasticized or made airtight, or a second negative pressure ventilation unit with the primary unit's capacity shall be connected in series prior to exhausting to the outside.
(2) Negative pressure ventilation equipment shall exhaust away from areas accessible to the public.
(3) All ducting must be sealed and braced or supported to maintain airtight joints. Ducts must be reinforced and must be installed so as to prevent breakage. Damage to ducts must be repaired immediately and air monitoring must be conducted in the affected space.
(m) Where ducting to the outside is not possible, a second negative pressure ventilation unit compatible with the primary unit's capacity shall be connected in series. The area receiving the exhaust shall have sufficient, non-recycling exhaust capacity to the outside of the structure, and must be a normally non-occupied area.
(n) Careful installation shall be done to ensure that the ducting does not release fibers into uncontaminated building areas.
(o) Routine smoke testing and daily inspection must be performed by the Asbestos Handler Supervisor to ensure that the ducting does not release fibers into uncontaminated building areas.
(Amended City Record 12/7/2018, eff. 1/6/2019; amended City Record 1/15/2025, eff. 2/14/2025)
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