New Jersey Administrative Code
Title 5 - COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
Chapter 23 - UNIFORM CONSTRUCTION CODE
Subchapter 8 - ASBESTOS HAZARD ABATEMENT SUBCODE
Section 5:23-8.19 - Abatement in occupied buildings

Universal Citation: NJ Admin Code 5:23-8.19

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 24, December 18, 2024

(a) The requirements of this section are intended to prevent contamination and exposure of building occupants to asbestos fibers.

(b) The building owner shall notify building occupants in writing 20 business days prior to the commencement of an asbestos abatement project. The building owner shall outline in writing any procedures and/or precautions that are deemed necessary in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of the occupants. This notification shall include, but not be limited to: relocation plans, if any; entrances and exits that may temporarily be blocked and alternate routes to be used; the name and telephone number of the owner's representative for the occupant to call in case of an emergency or to answer any questions with regard to the project. This notification shall accompany the application for a construction permit for asbestos abatement and shall be filed with the enforcing agency.

1. This notification shall be posted seven days prior to the preparation of the work area, in visible locations, for the benefit of the affected occupants of the work place, and in areas immediately adjacent to the asbestos abatement project. It shall be the owner's responsibility to ensure that these postings are maintained throughout the project.

2. When circumstances require immediate removal of asbestos-containing material, notification shall be provided to the building occupants as soon as possible.

3. Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as prohibiting the building owner from providing additional notification.

4. The asbestos safety control monitor firm shall notify the Department in writing 10 days prior to the commencement of an abatement project in an occupied building.

(c) A building or structure or part thereof may be occupied during an asbestos abatement project when all of the following conditions are met:

1. Isolation conditions include a requirement that the work area be physically separated from occupied areas by separation barriers of rigid construction consisting of nominal two inch by four inch studs spaced 16 inches on center and covered with a minimum of one-half inch plywood or comparable metal framing and 1/2 inch gypsum board covering. All seams shall be caulked to render the barrier air tight before two layers of polyethylene sheeting are applied on both sides. The polyethylene sheeting shall overlap at the seams. All penetrations around conduits, pipes, ducts or other openings between the work area and adjacent spaces shall be sealed, using materials determined to be suitable in accordance with the applicable subcode. In buildings required by the Uniform Construction Code to be of noncombustible construction, all materials used to construct separation barriers shall meet the Uniform Construction Code, building subcode requirements for that building and all plastics used shall be flame resistant. A separate means of egress for abatement personnel, materials and equipment shall be maintained. Adequate fire evacuation routes shall exist for all building occupants at all times.
i. Whenever the building in which this work area is located exceeds four stories in height and when stair, elevator or similar shafts lie within or adjacent to the separation barriers or the work area, then special seals shall be installed. Such seals shall be constructed in the same manner as the separation barriers and shall create a space not less than three inches in depth in front of the entire access area which space is sealed on both sides and positively pressurized with HEPA filtered air so that the pressure in the sealed space is .05 inches w.c. greater than that in the work area or the shaft.

ii. All HVAC systems located in the work area shall be shut down. If HVAC equipment is located in the work area and must be operated to service other areas of the building, then the HVAC equipment shall be isolated from the remainder of the work area by an enclosure constructed in a manner similar to the separation barriers and the space between the equipment and the seal shall be positively pressurized with HEPA filtered air to at least .05 inches w.c. greater than the work area.

iii. Where return air ductwork which must be kept operating is located within the work area, then it shall be isolated from the work area by an enclosure forming an annular space around the duct which is positively pressurized with HEPA filtered air to at least .02 inches w.c. greater than the work area. The enclosure shall be constructed in a manner similar to that required for separation barriers.

iv. All electrical systems in the work area shall be shut down. Their use may be approved by the asbestos safety control monitor if they are properly protected by ground fault circuit interruptors, they are cleanable, and provided that such other precautions as may be necessary are taken to ensure the safety of all who are in the work area.

2. Engineering controls shall be implemented as follows:
i. The asbestos safety technician shall verify exhaust capacity through appropriate field measurement and record these results in writing. The verification of exhaust flow rate via use of devices for monitoring pressure drop across filters on air filtration devices shall not be a substitute for appropriate field measurement. All exhaust from the work area shall be directed to the exterior of the building. If exhaust to the exterior of the building is not feasible, exhaust from the work area shall be directed into a second set of in-line air filtration devices, which, then, shall be permitted to be discharged into designated spaces approved by the asbestos safety control monitor.

ii. The contractor shall install a sufficient number of HEPA filter equipped air filtration units to cause a complete air change or total air filtration within the work area at least once every 15 minutes. (Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to limit the maximum exhaust capacity from the work area or to prohibit additional air changes per hour.) The exhaust capacity from the work area shall be sufficient to establish a pressure differential between the work area and all adjacent spaces greater than or equal to 0.05 inches w.c. (Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to limit the maximum pressure differential established between the work area and occupied spaces.)
(1) Make up air shall not be drawn through openings in the separation barriers in buildings greater than four stories in height, unless those openings are equipped with systems or devices which will not permit air flow except toward the work area and the air filtration and exhaust units located in the work area.

3. Work area protection shall be assured as follows:
i. Floors shall be covered with two layers of polyethylene sheeting which shall overlap at the seams and which shall be applied to the floor, individually sealed. The first layer shall extend up the wall at least 12 inches. The second floor layer shall be installed and extend up sidewalls at least 24 inches.

ii. Walls shall be covered with one layer of polyethylene sheeting individually sealed to the wall. The layer shall hang straight down overlapping the second layer of floor sheeting on the wall by at least 18 inches.

iii. Sheeting shall be sized to minimize the number of seams. No seams shall be located at the joints between walls and floors. As a minimum, no seam shall stop within 12 inches of a corner and sheeting shall overlap at least 12 inches between seams of adjacent layers.

iv. When a strippable coating is used in place of polyethylene sheeting, it shall be used in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:23-8.15(f)7 and the product shall be applied during periods of minimal occupancy as determined by the owner and included in the approved plan.

4. Monitoring shall be conducted as follows:
i. Air sampling shall be done as follows:
(1) At a minimum, one sample at the beginning of each work shift, one every four hours thereafter, and one at the end of the contractor's work day for every 10,000 square feet of occupied space adjacent to the work area shall be collected and analyzed. Air samples shall be taken in areas where the greatest potential for fiber migration exists. In addition to the requirements noted above, air samples shall be taken at the entrance(s) to the work area and any other interior spaces from which make-up air is drawn. Additional samples shall be taken for all areas such as stairwells, communicating shafts, elevators, plenums, ducts which pass through the work area and which are in service, and unusual room and building configurations. If air levels exceed the permitted fiber count, the applicable requirements of the contingency plan in (c)5 below shall be followed.
(A) At least one air sample shall be collected and analyzed during the work shift inside the work area. The results of this test will not, however, trigger the requirements of the contingency plan.

(2) A secure chain of custody for air samples shall be established in writing as part of the approved plan by the asbestos safety control monitor firm. The final disposition of samples (whether they should be retained or disposed of after analysis and if retained, who keeps them) shall be determined prior to the commencement of asbestos abatement.

(3) The services of a testing laboratory, as delineated in N.J.A.C. 5:23-8.21(a)1 and 2, shall include a microscope and laboratory technician at the project site or the capacity to obtain results within four hours from start of sample. The laboratory technician shall be listed in the Asbestos Analyst Registry of the American Industrial Hygiene Association for PCM analysis or qualified by other programs recognized by the Department as equivalent. If the laboratory technician is on site, the owner shall provide a safe and clean space for the analysis of samples separate and distinct from the work area. Air samples are to be analyzed via NIOSH 7400 and verbal results made available for a determination regarding continued occupancy. A written record of test results shall be kept at the job site and included in the final report.

(4) Ten percent of all abatement samples shall be re-analyzed within 24 hours at a laboratory for quality control purposes.

(5) Daily occupancy shall be allowed when the results of all the air samples are less than or equal to 0.010 fibers/cc by Phase Contrast Microscopy. If air levels exceed 0.010 fibers/cc, the contingency plan during abatement in (c)5 below shall be followed.

(6) In the case of reoccupancy and final clearance, all air samples used to determine reentry shall be analyzed by an accredited laboratory.

ii. Pressure monitoring shall be carried out as follows:
(1) Pressure differential shall be monitored by digital manometers with continuous printout or other approved low pressure monitoring devices. Sensor tubes used for monitoring shall be placed so that the air filtration devices shall not cause false readings. The asbestos safety technician shall zero and level the gauges each time a reading is taken.

(2) One or more separate pressure monitoring systems shall be installed by the asbestos safety control monitor firm near the entrance(s) to the work area and between the work area and any interior spaces from which make-up air is drawn.

(3) Written documentation of pressure differential shall be provided by the asbestos safety technician either by continuous printout devices. The asbestos safety technician and the contractor supervisor will ensure, prior to the completion of the work shift, the integrity of the containment site before workers depart.

(4) The pressure differential shall be greater than or equal to 0.05 inches w.c. at the pre-commencement inspection (at the time of approval immediately prior to the start of abatement work).
(A) In addition to providing a pressure differential greater than or equal to 0.05 inches w.c. for the pre-commencement inspection, a smoke test shall be conducted to demonstrate that the work area has been isolated properly and that the pressure differentials have been established to prevent fiber migration from the work area.

(5) Daily Occupancy shall be allowed when the pressure differential is equal to or exceeds 0.05 inches w.c. If the air pressure differential drops below 0.05 inches w.c., the contingency plan during abatement in (c)5 below shall be followed.

5. Contingency plan during abatement shall be implemented as described below. These are the minimum requirements which shall be enforced by asbestos safety control monitors. These requirements shall not limit the asbestos safety control monitors from instituting additional requirements, if necessary, for the protection of the building occupants.
i. If the pressure differential drops below 0.05 inches w.c., the following procedures shall be implemented:
(1) The asbestos safety technician and the contractor supervisor shall investigate and evaluate the engineering controls to determine the source of the pressure loss.

(2) The contractor shall institute corrective action such as: additional sealing, critical barrier maintenance and construction, changing of exhaust unit filters, adjustment of make-up air, operation of additional exhaust units or other necessary measures to reestablish an acceptable pressure differential.

ii. If the pressure differential drops below 0.01 inches w.c., the following procedures shall be implemented:
(1) The contractor shall cease abatement activity in the work area.

(2) The asbestos safety control monitor shall notify the building owner to evacuate the pressurized space(s). The pressurized space(s) shall include all space outside the work area which is pressurized to maintain the required pressure differential relative to the work area and is isolated from the rest of the building in terms of air flow. The pressurized space may include the entire building exclusive of the work area or any part of the building that is pressurized to isolate it from the work area.

(3) The asbestos safety technician and the contractor supervisor shall investigate and evaluate the engineering controls and determine the source of the pressure loss.

(4) The contractor shall institute corrective action such as: additional sealing, critical barrier maintenance and construction, changing of exhaust unit filters, adjustment of make-up air, operation of additional exhaust units or other necessary measures to reestablish an acceptable pressure differential.

(5) Reoccupancy shall not be permitted in any area unless a pressure differential of 0.05 inches w.c. or greater is reestablished.

(6) If a pressure differential of 0.05 inches w.c. or greater is not reestablished within 24 hours of the first reading below 0.01 inches w.c., then the building shall be evacuated.

iii. If air levels exceed 0.010 f/cc, the following procedures shall be implemented:
(1) The asbestos safety technician and the contractor supervisor shall investigate and evaluate the engineering controls to determine the source of the high air level.

(2) An additional/second PCM air sample shall be taken at each place at which a high air level was obtained. The additional/second PCM sample may be split, and if the result of the air sample is less than or equal to 0.010 f/cc the contingency plan is terminated. If the result of the air sample exceeds 0.010 f/cc, the contractor, in consultation with the asbestos safety control monitor, shall choose the option of cleaning and retesting by PCM analysis or analyzing the split sample by TEM analysis. If the result of the TEM analysis exceeds 0.010 f/cc, then cleaning shall be undertaken.

(3) The decision as to the timing of the cleaning activity shall be made by the asbestos safety control monitor firm in consultation with the building owner and the contractor.

(4) Cleaning shall include, but not be limited to, wet wiping and misting the air. Cleaning the affected area shall be continued outside of containment and PCM sampling shall also be continued until the result in the area is equal to or less than 0.010 f/cc by either PCM or TEM analysis.

(5) If laboratory analysis of air samples does not yield a reading less than or equal to 0.010 f/cc within 24 hours of receipt of the first test result above 0.010 f/cc, then the building shall be evacuated.

(6) Reoccupancy shall not be permitted in any area where PCM analysis reveals results greater than 0.010 f/cc, unless TEM results indicate asbestos fibers are equal to or less than 0.010 f/cc. In the case of reoccupancy, all air samples used to make the determination to allow reentry shall be analyzed by an accredited laboratory.

iv. If a power outage occurs during active abatement work, the building occupants shall be evacuated until the air samples determine that the occupied spaces are safe, and power has been restored. If a power outage occurs when the building is unoccupied, occupancy will not be permitted until air samples determine that the spaces to be occupied are safe and power has been restored.

6. Security shall be required as follows:
i. In high risk areas, the owner shall provide a 24 hour security guard to ensure protection against damage or vandalism to separation barriers, engineering systems, monitoring devices, or other equipment.

ii. The owner shall provide continuous unlimited access for the asbestos safety technician in all occupied spaces for installation, maintenance, and data collection from monitoring systems.

iii. The asbestos safety control monitor firm shall include provisions in the plan and the asbestos safety technician shall ensure that filters are changed as necessary and that pressure differential is maintained around the clock until the project is completed.

7. Waste removal shall be accomplished as follows:
i. The waste removal route of travel is to be designated on the abatement plans and shall be separate and distinct from the normal route of travel used by building occupants. Waste removal shall occur during the time of least amount of building occupancy. If the route of travel is to be used the following day by building occupants, air monitoring must be performed, and if the results of air levels exceed 0.010 f/cc, then the waste removal route is to be wet wiped using amended water, HEPA vacuumed and retested until an acceptable air level is achieved prior to allowing occupancy of the area.

ii. The waste removal process shall be closely monitored visually and through air sampling by the asbestos safety technician.

iii. No dumpster shall remain on the premises overnight unless the dumpster is locked and labeled to indicate that it contains asbestos-contaminated waste.

8. A written statement shall be signed by the asbestos safety control monitor denoting that an asbestos abatement will occur during building occupancy and verifying that the above requirements will be maintained. This written statement shall accompany the application for a construction permit for asbestos abatement and shall be filed with the enforcing agency. This statement shall include the areas to be occupied during the abatement and the number of occupants.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. New Jersey may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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