New York Codes, Rules and Regulations
Title 12 - DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Chapter I - Industrial Board Of Appeals
Subchapter A - The Industrial Code
Part 56 - Asbestos
Subpart 56-7 - Phase Ii A: Work Area Preparation
Section 56-7.8 - Engineering controls
Universal Citation: 12 NY Comp Codes Rules and Regs ยง 56-7.8
Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 12, March 20, 2024
(a) Negative air pressure equipment. All OSHA Class I, Class III, and interior Class II asbestos abatement projects shall employ negative air pressure equipment ventilation.
(1) Operation. The
negative air pressure equipment shall operate continuously, 24 hours a day,
from startup of negative air pressure equipment, through the cleanup operations
and satisfactory clearance air sampling results being obtained, or the asbestos
project is complete.
(2) Timing of
installation. The negative air ventilation units shall be installed and made
operational after the critical barriers and isolation barriers are
installed.
(3) Negative air
pressure. A negative air pressure, relative to areas outside of the enclosure,
shall be maintained at all times in the regulated abatement work area during
the asbestos abatement project to ensure that contaminated air in the regulated
abatement work area does not escape back to an uncontaminated area.
(4) Manometer. A manometer shall be used to
document the pressure differential for all OSHA Class I large and small size
asbestos project regulated abatement work areas. A minimum of -0.02 column inch
of water pressure differential, relative to pressure outside the regulated
abatement work area, shall be maintained within the regulated abatement work
area, as evidenced by manometric measurements. Once installed, on a daily basis
at least twice per workshift, the asbestos abatement contractor's supervisor
shall document the manometer reading within the daily project log. The
manometer shall be installed and made operational once the negative air has
been established in the regulated abatement work area. Magnahelic manometers
shall be at a minimum calibrated semi-annually, and a copy of the current
calibration certification shall be posted at the work site during Phase II
operations.
(5) Ventilation units.
If more than one primary HEPA-filtered ventilation unit is installed, the units
shall be turned on one at a time and the integrity of temporary hardwall
isolation barriers checked for secure attachment or the need for additional
reinforcement shall be checked. A minimum of one additional unit having a
capacity of at least equal to that of the primary unit shall be installed, as a
backup unit to be used upon primary unit failure, or if necessary during
primary unit filter changes. Ventilation unit exhaust ducting shall not exceed
25 feet in length, due to reduction in volumetric flow rates caused by
friction.
(6) Power supply. A GFCI
protected temporary power supply shall be available to satisfy the requirements
of the total of all ventilation units.
(7) Power failure. In the event of electric
power supply failure, abatement shall stop immediately and shall not resume
until power is restored and exhaust units are operating fully. In the event of
extended power failure (longer than one hour), after evacuation of all persons
from the regulated abatement work area, the decontamination system enclosure
facilities shall be sealed airtight.
(8) Air changes. Negative air pressure
ventilation equipment shall be installed and operated continuously to provide
at least four air changes in the regulated abatement work area every hour
including during clearance air sampling.
(9) Openings in enclosure. Openings made in
the enclosure system to accommodate these units shall be made airtight with
duct tape or caulking or both. Where possible, the intake side of the negative
air ventilation unit shall remain within the regulated abatement work area to
permit filter changing, while minimizing equipment contamination and the
likelihood of contamination of non-work areas.
(10) Installation and care. Proper
installation procedures, including use of appropriate filters and
manufacturer's recommended operating procedures shall be followed.
(i) Each HEPA filter should be individually
tested and certified by the manufacturer to have an efficiency of not less than
99.97 percent when challenged with 0.3 micron particles. Testing shall be in
accordance with accepted methodologies, and each filter should bear an
appropriate UL label to indicate ability to perform under specified
conditions.
(ii) Negative pressure
HEPA-filtered ventilation units shall be exhausted to the outside of the
building or structure and away from public access and to a controllable
area.
(iii) Air sampling at exhaust
duct termination locations and daily inspections shall be conducted to insure
that procedures are followed to maintain the negative pressure air ventilation
filtration systems.
(iv)
Pre-filters, secondary filters and HEPA-filters shall be replaced when
dirty.
(v) Ducts of at least
equivalent shape and dimension as those of the negative pressure ventilation
exhaust shall be used to exhaust to the outside of the building or
structure.
(vi) All fans, ducts and
joints shall be sealed, braced and supported to maintain an airtight
system.
(vii) Once installed and
operational, daily inspections shall be conducted to insure the airtight
integrity of the system, and the findings shall be documented by the asbestos
abatement contractor's supervisor in the daily project log. Inspection,
necessary repairs and documenting is required daily, including days when no
Phase II B or 11 C work or support activities are scheduled.
(viii) A four-foot high construction fence
with appropriate signage in compliance with section
56-7.4(c)
of this Subpart shall be constructed at a minimum of 10 feet from the end of
the exhaust duct tube, or bank of duct tubes, to surround and control this area
from public access. For ground level exhaust duct terminations at the immediate
exterior of the building/structure, the fence shall be installed at the tube
discharge location.
(11)
Exhaust location. The exhaust shall be vented to the outside of the building or
structure, to a controllable area away from public access. Each negative
pressure ventilation unit exhaust duct shall not terminate less than 15 feet
from a receptor or adversely affect the air intake of any building or
structure. If the exhaust duct termination location for this section cannot be
met due to allowable space restrictions or the regulated abatement work area
being located above the ground floor, the exhaust shall terminate at the
exterior of the building or structure, and all receptors less then 15 feet from
the exterior exhaust duct termination location shall be plasticized with two
layers of at least six mil polyethylene. Exhaust tubes may be grouped together
in banks of no more than five tubes, with each tube exhausting separately and
the bank of tubes terminating together at the same controlled area.
(i) Exception. HEPA-filtered vacuums used to
exhaust minor size tent enclosure regulated abatement work areas, do not
require exhausting to the exterior of the building/structure.
(b) Exemption from ventilation and use of negative pressure equipment.
(1) The use of negative pressure air
equipment is not required for the following:
(i) OSHA class II non-friable ACM exterior
projects;
(ii) asbestos projects
where enclosures (i.e., hard walls, tents, etc.) are not required by this
Part;
(iii) controlled demolition
asbestos abatement projects. (See section
56-11.5
of this Part.)
(2) This
exemption does not relieve the asbestos abatement contractor from the negative
pressure equipment requirements on other portions of the same project that
require the use of negative pressure equipment.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. New York 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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