Nebraska Administrative Code
Topic - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SYSTEM
Title 178 - ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
Chapter 22 - ASBESTOS PROJECTS
Section 178-22-011 - WORK PRACTICES TO ESTABLISH AND MANAGE CONTAINMENT AREAS

Universal Citation: 178 NE Admin Rules and Regs ch 22 ยง 011

Current through March 20, 2024

The licensed or waivered business entity or licensed individual must construct and manage a containment area for asbestos projects as set out in this chapter.

011.01 WORK AREA REQUIREMENTS. Construct and prepare a work area as follows:

(A) Preclean all moveable furnishings, equipment, and fixtures in the work area with a high efficiency particulate air filter-equipped vacuuming device or by wet cleaning methods;
(i) After cleaning, remove these items from the work area and store in an area which is not subject to contamination with asbestos containing material until the conclusion of the project. If the storage area contains asbestos containing material, reclean items prior to returning items at the conclusion of the project;

(B) Isolate the work area as follows:
(i) Shut down and lock out heating and ventilation and electrical systems serving the work area. If these systems cannot be shut down, make special provisions to assure that:
(1) Airborne contamination from the work area cannot enter the ventilation system and be carried to other areas; and

(2) Measures to minimize electrical hazards, such as use of ground fault interrupters, are provided;

(ii) Install airtight temporary barriers to seal doorways, windows, ventilation system openings, and other openings in the work area. If plastic sheeting is not supported by the structure or structural items, such as walls or pipes, construct and install airtight temporary barriers around the work area, using plastic sheeting not less than 6 mil thick, face smooth surface of the barrier wall to the interior of the work area;

(iii) Install a control curtain in the doorway between the work area and the decontamination facility;

(C) Prepare the work area as follows:
(i) Preclean the surfaces of all structures, other than those from which asbestos containing material is to be removed or those which are to be encapsulated, and all nonmoveable furnishings, equipment and fixtures remaining in the work area with a high efficiency particulate air filter-equipped vacuuming device or by wet cleaning methods;

(ii) Cover and completely seal cleaned surface areas and nonmoveable items with one or more layers of plastic sheeting not less than 6 mil thick, then:
(1) Seal all plastic sheeting seams and all openings around structures, equipment and fixtures penetrating into the perimeter of the work area; and

(2) Use fire retardant sheeting if a fire hazard exists and in fire egress areas;

(iii) Cover floors with at least two layers of plastic sheeting not less than 6 mil thick such that both layers extend up the wall at least 12 inches;

(iv) Securely affix plastic sheeting not less than 6 mil thick on walls to ensure that it will remain in position throughout the length of the project as follows:
(1) Place wall sheeting to the interior of the work area (i.e., over both layers of floor sheeting), so that moisture is shed to the interior of the work area; and

(2) Ensure that wall sheeting overlaps the floor sheeting and seal wall sheeting to floor sheeting to provide a leak-proof barrierv;

(v) Walls or floors from which asbestos containing material is to be abated need not be covered with plastic sheeting as otherwise required; and

(vi) Repair any tears noted in the protective sheeting immediately; and

(D) Install high efficiency particulate air filter-equipped ventilation fans so that air will be continually removed from all locations within the work area to:
(i) Ensure that the fans have the capacity to replenish the entire volume of air contained in the work area every 15 minutes or less; and

(ii) Discharge the air to be removed from the work area through a duct penetrating the airtight barrier, as follows:
(1) Provide an airtight seal between the duct and the barrier; and

(2) Discharge the air to be removed from the work area outside of the building in an area remote from the air intake and not into an area of the building that is occupied by individuals other than those directly engaged in the project unless such a discharge is permitted specifically by waiver by the Department;

(iii) Operate the fans in a manner that will establish and maintain a flow of air into the work area from all adjacent areas by:
(1) Demonstrating proper air flow by use of smoke producing tubes, pressure differential readings or other appropriate means; and

(2) Make these determinations and record the results before starting an asbestos project and at the start of each day of operation; and

(iv) Operate the ventilation fans continually throughout the duration of the project until the procedures of 178 NAC 22-011.06 have been completed.

011.02 DECONTAMINATION FACILITY. Provide a decontamination facility as follows:

(A) Make all decontamination facility areas contiguous to each other and the work area unless connected to one another by enclosed passageways that are isolated effectively from areas intended to remain free from asbestos contamination;

(B) Seal decontamination facility areas completely to ensure that the sole source of airflow through these areas originates from uncontaminated areas outside the facility area;

(C) Install control curtains in all connecting doorways and at the entrance to the decontamination facility;

(D) Construct and operate an equipment room as follows:
(i) Locate the equipment room so that it must be traversed before the shower room can be entered from the work area;

(ii) Construct the equipment room using the same requirements as for the work area in 178 NAC 22-011.01(A) through 22-011.01(C);

(iii) Require all individuals, before leaving the work area to enter the equipment room, to remove or to clean all outer clothing with a high efficiency particulate air filter-equipped vacuuming device or by wet cleaning methods; and

(iv) Provide facilities in the equipment room for temporary storage of tools and equipment used in the work area;

(E) Construct and operate a shower room as follows:
(i) Locate the shower room so that it must be traversed before any individual can move into the clean room from the work area;

(ii) Construct the shower enclosures to be leak-proof and use easily washable or disposable units;

(iii) Provide the shower room with at least one showerhead that is supplied with hot and cold or warm water. Provide adequate quantities of soap, and towels to accommodate each individual who emerges from the work area;

(iv) Require all individuals to shower before entering the clean room;

(v) Drain, collect and filter shower water through a system with the capability to collect particles 5.0 microns in size, at a minimum, and discharge into a sanitary sewer or other State or federally approved waste disposal system. Assure that an air gap is present between the shower water discharge line and any sanitary sewer or approved disposal system; and

(vi) Remove filter cartridges from respirators before leaving the shower and dispose of in accordance with 178 NAC 22-020; and

(F) Construct and operate a clean room as follows:
(i) Locate the clean room so that it will be the last room traversed by any individual exiting the work area;

(ii) Provide facilities in the clean room for removing or donning street clothing, donning respirators, performing positive and negative pressure checks of respirator fit, and donning clean disposable protective clothing or other protective equipment required to be worn in the work area;

(iii) Provide facilities in the clean room if it will be used as a rest and eating area for employees after they have passed through the decontamination process; and

(iv) Do not permit smoking in this room.

011.03 FIRST CLEANING STEP. After asbestos containing material removal or encapsulation is complete, perform the first cleaning step as follows:

(A) Clean all plastic sheeting and surfaces in the work area and decontamination facility, and clean equipment used on the asbestos project free of all visible residue with a high efficiency particulate air filter-equipped vacuuming device or by wet cleaning methods;

(B) If more than one layer of plastic sheeting has been used on walls, this additional layer of sheeting and one layer of sheeting from the floors may be removed and disposed of instead of being cleaned;

(C) Remove any liquid or material that has leaked through these additional layers of sheeting with a high efficiency particulate air filter-equipped vacuuming device or by wet cleaning methods;

(D) Dispose of the removed plastic sheeting in accordance with 178 NAC 22-020;

(E) Examine the work area and check behind the airtight temporary barriers to determine whether asbestos containing material, dust or debris has been removed. If any asbestos containing material, dust or debris is found, the work area must be recleaned. If an airtight temporary barrier must be breached for cleaning or recleaning purposes, the area behind the breach must be cleaned and the barrier immediately repaired; and

(F) For asbestos removal projects, coat cleaned surfaces from which asbestos containing material has been removed with an effective color-tinted sealing material as follows:
(i) Before applying the sealing material, examine the cleaned surface from which asbestos containing material has been removed to ensure that removal has been complete. Reclean all surfaces where debris and residue are found and reexamine, and reclean if required;

(ii) After the color-tinted sealing material has been applied and dried on the cleaned surfaces from which asbestos containing material has been removed, visually examine the coated surfaces to ensure complete coverage and effective sealing;

(iii) Color-tinted sealing material must be applied in sufficient quantity to effectively prevent residual fibers from becoming airborne as a result of future maintenance, renovation, demolition or functional uses of the building, and so that the sealed surface can be detected readily by building occupants and by visual examination; and

(iv) After the sealant has dried completely, proceed to the second cleaning step.

011.04 SECOND CLEANING STEP. After the first cleaning step required by 178 NAC 22-011.03 is complete, perform the second cleaning step as follows:

(A) Remove plastic sheeting from everything except the control curtains, the airtight temporary barriers around the work area, and the airtight seals over doonways, windows, ventilation system openings and other openings; and

(B) Clean all previously covered surfaces free of all visible residue with a high efficiency particulate air filter-equipped vacuuming device or by wet cleaning methods.

011.05 FINAL CLEARANCE AIR SAMPLING. For projects which are equal to or greater than 260 linear feet or any combination which is equal to or greater than 160 square feet and linear feet, have a third party, in accord with this chapter, perform final clearance air sampling after the second cleaning step required by this chapter is complete and the work area is dry.

011.06 CLEARANCE LEVEL. Retain the airtight seals for the containment area in place and operate the associated high efficiency particulate air filter-equipped ventilation fans until the results of clearance air sampling under Phase Contrast Microscopy (PCM) show that the airborne contamination level within the work area is not greater than 0.01 fibers per cubic centimeter (0.01 f/cc) as determined by the NIOSH 7400 method or not greater than 70 structures per square millimeter (70 s/mm2) as determined by the EPA Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) method;

011.07 TEAR DOWN. When the actions required by 178 NAC 22-011.06 are complete, disassemble the remaining elements of the containment area and ensure that the surfaces of which existed prior to the start of the project; and,

011.08 WASTE TREATMENT. Treat all removed plastic sheeting, all filters, waste and debris as asbestos containing material and dispose of in accordance with this chapter.

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