Glossary of Terms

Adequately Wet

The condition of being sufficiently mixed or penetrated with amended water to prevent the release of particulates or visible emissions. The process by which an adequately wet condition is achieved is by using a dispenser or water hose with a nozzle that permits the use of a fine, low-pressure spray or mist.

Aggressive-Method

The means of removal or disturbance of building material by sanding, abrading, grinding or other method that breaks, crumbles, or disintegrates intact ACM.

Amended Water

The water to which surfactant (wetting agent) has been added to increase the ability of the liquid to penetrate ACM.

Asbestos

A mineral fiber found in certain types of rocks as Chrysotile, Amosite and Crocidolite. Used as a strengthener, insulator and binding agent. Long known as a carcinogen when ingested though it is unknown if there are any safe levels of asbestos in a material.

Asbestos Abatement

Procedures to remove or make safe the asbestos materials.

Asbestos-Containing Material (ACM)

Both friable asbestos containing material or Class I nonfriable asbestos-containing material. ASBESTOS-CONTAINING WASTE MATERIAL (ACWM) is any waste that contains commercial asbestos and that is generated by a source subject to the provisions of this rule. ACWM includes, but is not limited to, ACM which is friable, has become friable, or has a high probability of becoming friable, or has been subjected to sanding, grinding, cutting, or abrading, and the waste generated from its disturbance, such as asbestos waste from control devices, particulate asbestos material, asbestos slurries, bags or containers that previously contained asbestos, used asbestos contaminated plastic sheeting and clothing, and clean-up equipment waste, such as cloth rags or mop heads.

Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA)

The act which legislates asbestos-related requirements for schools (40 CFR 763, Subpart E).

Authorized Person

Any person authorized by the employer and required by work duties to be present in regulated areas.

Building/Facility Owner

The legal entity, including a lessee, which exercises control over management and record keeping functions relating to a building and/or facility in which activities covered by this standard take place.

Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH)

One certified in the practice of industrial hygiene by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene.

Class I Nonfriable Asbestos-Containing Material

The material containing more than one percent (1%) asbestos as determined by paragraph (h)(2), and that, when dry, can be broken, crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder in the course of demolition or renovation activities. Actions which may cause material to be broken, crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder include physical wear and disturbance by mechanical force, such as, but not limited to, sanding, sandblasting, cutting or abrading, improper handling or removal or leaching of matrix binders. Class I nonfriable asbestos-containing material includes, but is not limited to, fractured or crushed asbestos cement products, transite materials, mastic, roofing felts, roofing tiles, cement water pipes and resilient floor covering.

Class II Nonfriable Asbestos-Containing Material

All other material containing more than one percent (1%) asbestos as determined by paragraph (h)(2), that is neither friable nor Class I nonfriable.

Clean Room

An uncontaminated room having facilities for the storage of employees' street clothing and uncontaminated materials and equipment.

Closely Resemble

Meaning that the major workplace conditions which have contributed to the levels of historic asbestos exposure, are no more protective than conditions of the current workplace.

Competent Person

In addition to one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them, one who is capable of identifying existing asbestos hazards in the workplace and selecting the appropriate control strategy for asbestos exposure, who has the authority to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them: in addition, for Class I and Class II work who is specially trained in a training course which meets the criteria of EPA's Model Accreditation Plan (40 CFR part 763) for supervisor, or its equivalent and, for Class III and Class IV work, who is trained in a manner consistent with EPA requirements for training of local education agency maintenance and custodial staff as set forth at 40 CFR 763.92 (a)(2). Note: For operations involving more than 100 square feet of asbestos containing construction material as defined in subsection (r) of this section the competent person may fulfill the requirement contained in Section 341.9 to specify a certified supervisor for asbestos related work.

Critical Barrier

One or more layers of plastic sealed over all openings into a work area or any other similarly placed physical barrier sufficient to prevent airborne asbestos in a work area from migrating to an adjacent area.

Containment

The work area, usually a "dirty" sealed off from other "clean" areas.

Decontamination chambers

The entrance /exit booth set up, including clean room, shower, dirty room. To prevent egress of airflow from a work area.

Demolition

The wrecking or taking out of any load-supporting structural member of a facility and related handling operations or the intentional burning of any facility.

Disturbance

Activities that disrupt the matrix of ACM or PACM, crumble or pulverize ACM or PACM, or generate visible debris from ACM or PACM. Disturbance includes cutting away small amounts of ACM and PACM, no greater than the amount which can be contained in one standard sized glove bag or waste bag in order to access a building component. In no event shall the amount of ACM or PACM so disturbed exceed that which can be contained in one glove bag or waste bag which shall not exceed 60 inches in length and width.

Emergency Demolition

The demolition ordered by a governmental agency for the purpose of eliminating peril to the safety of persons, property or the environment resulting from hazards such as collapse, fire, crime, disease, or toxic contamination or other hazard as determined by the Executive Officer.

Emergency Renovation

Any renovation that was not planned and results from a sudden unexpected event that results in unsafe conditions. Such events include, but are not limited to, renovations necessitated by non-routine failures of equipment, earthquake or fire damage. An economic burden alone, without a sudden, unexpected event, does not give rise to conditions that meet this definition.

Employee Exposure

The exposure to airborne asbestos that would occur if the employee were not using respiratory protective equipment.

Encapsulation

The process to bind or seal asbestos or lead, and prevents it’s airborne release.

Enclosure

Encasing a materials with a permanent hard sealant as drywall or paneling.

Equipment Room (Change Room)

A contaminated room located within the decontamination area that is supplied with impermeable bags or containers for the disposal of contaminated protective clothing and equipment.

Fiber

A particulate form of asbestos, 5 micrometers or longer, with a length-to-diameter ratio of at least 3 to 1.

Friable

The ability to pulverize a material under hand pressure.

Glovebag

An impervious plastic bag-like enclosure affixed around not more than a 60 x 60 inch asbestos-containing material, with glove-like appendages through which material and tools may be handled.

HEPA filter

High Efficiency Particulate Air filter, which filters out 99.97% of contaminants such as asbestos, lead or mold spores.

Homogeneous Area

An area of surfacing material or thermal system insulation that is uniform in color and texture.

Industrial Hygienist

A professional qualified by education, training, and experience to anticipate, recognize, evaluate and develop controls for occupational health hazards.

Intact

The ACM has not crumbled, been pulverized, or otherwise deteriorated so that the asbestos is no longer likely to be bound with its matrix.

Isolated Work Area

The immediate enclosed containment area in which the asbestos abatement activity takes place.

Leak-Tight

The condition whereby any contained solids or liquids are prevented from escaping or spilling out.

Non-Friable

The in-ability to pulverize a material under hand pressure

Nonscheduled Renovation Operation

The renovation operation necessitated by the routine failure of equipment, which is expected to occur within a given calendar year based on past operating experience, but for which an exact date cannot be predicted.

Outside Air

The air outside of the facility or outside of the isolated work area.

Owner Or Operator Of A Demolition Or Renovation Activity

Any person who owns, leases, operates, controls or supervises activities at the facility being demolished or renovated; the demolition or renovation operation; or both.

PACM

"Presumed Asbestos Containing Material" means thermal system insulation and surfacing material found in buildings constructed no later than 1980. The designation of a material as "PACM" may be rebutted pursuant to subsection (k)(5) of this section.

Planned Renovation

The renovation operation, or a number of such operations, in which the amount of ACM that will be removed or stripped within a given period of time can be predicted. Individual nonscheduled renovation operations are included if a number of such operations can be predicted to occur during a given period of time based on operating experience.

Regulatory Agencies

EPA, Air Quality Management departments, State license boards, OSHA, City building departments.

Removal

The taking out of ACM or facility components that contain or are covered with ACM from any facility.

Renovation

The altering of a facility or the removing or stripping of one or more facility components in any way, including, but not limited to, the stripping or removal of ACM from facility components, retrofitting for fire protection, and the installation or removal of heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Activity involving the wrecking or taking out of load-supporting structural members are demolitions.

Residential Single Unit Dwelling

A structure that contains only one residential unit. Apartment buildings, townhouses, and condominiums are not residential single unit dwellings.

Resilient Floor Covering

Asbestos-containing floor tile, including asphalt and vinyl floor tile, and sheet vinyl floor covering containing more than one percent (1%) asbestos.

Sick building syndrome

The condition where spores and molds infiltrate an air flow system and potentially cause sickness to tenants of the areas.

Stachybotrys

Many molds are naturally occurring following a water damage, and most are relatively harmless though the Stachybotrys mold can be deadly when disturbed or improperly cleaned.

Stripping

The taking off of ACM from any part of a facility or facility component.

Structural Member

Any load-supporting member of a facility, such as beams and load-supporting walls; or any nonload-supporting member, such as ceilings and nonload-supporting walls.

Surfacing materials

A material either sprayed or spread onto a substrate.

Surfacing ACM

A surfacing material which contains more than 1% asbestos.

Thermal system insulation (TSI)

"Thermal system insulation ACM" is thermal system insulation which contains more than 1% asbestos. When ACM is applied to pipes, fittings, boilers, breeching, tanks, ducts or other structural components to prevent heat loss or gain.

Title X

The residential lead based paint hazard reduction act of 1992. The EPA act regarding the safe inspection, removal and disposal of lead from the housing market. For more info go to EPA.gov.

California Contractors License #922790, DTSC #5886, Cal OSHA #966