TDSHS Asbestos Inspector Exam practice questions and answers 2023/2024

TDSHS Asbestos Inspector Exam practice questions and answers 2023/2024 Per AHERA, management plan includes: complete record of inspection, including construction plans, exact locales of ACBM, assessment of physical condition of ACBM moderate disturbance classification of disturbance factors ACBM which shows any one of the following characteristics: accessible, subject to vibration, or subject to air erosion; ACBM on corridor walls, a ceiling underneath a gym, or in an elevator shaft elements of asbestos hazard conditions of asbestos; potential for disturbance (occupant activity, air movement); number of people exposed; duration of exposure PCM is for air phase contrast microscopy 3 types of building materials defined by the USEPA under AHERA 1. Surfacing Materials - material in a school bldg that is sprayed-on, troweled-on, or otherwise applied to materials 2. Thermal System Insulation - material in a school bldg, applied to pipes, fittings, boilers, breeching, tanks, ducts, etc... 3. Miscellaneous ACM - interior bldg material on structural components, structural members/fixtures, such as floor & ceiling tiles, & does not include surfacing material or thermal insulation advantages & disadvantages of enclosure Adv: reduces exposure in the area outside the enclosure, initial costs may be lower than removal, material replacement not necessary Disadv: Asbestos source remains, fiber release continues behind enclosure, access to enclosure must be controlled, periodic re-inspection required, maintenance of enclosure necessary, long-term costs could be higher than removal Physical properties of asbestos chemical resistance (particularly to acids); bacterial resistance; in-combustibility; thermal insulating ability; electrical insulating ability; mechanical strength; flexibility; good friction & wear characteristics definition of a hazard assessment application of systematic method to rank hazards & determine appropriate corrective actions, as judged by mgmt planner characteristics of homogeneous sampling area friable material, apparently identical, applied/installed at same time elements of sample area diagram of a bldg ID#; description of sample area; dimensions & drawing scale; name & address of bldg; inspectors name; date of inspection; preparers name, date of drawings, purpose of sample quality assurance; standardizes collection & handling method; specifies analytical instrumentation define inspector an EPA accredited person with training as per AHERA (40 CFR 763) & appropriate experience define competent person OSHA - a person who is capable of identifying existing asbestos hazards in the workplace & who has the authority to take corrective action define PEL OSHA - permissible exposure limit; means a level of airborne asbestos above which no employee shall be exposed. the PEL is 0.1 f/cc of air as an 8 hr TWA Inspector faces 3 areas of potential liability contractual (insufficient # of samples specified); tort (legal wrong); governmental (non-compliance w/federal or state regulations) Subpart E Inspection intended to satisfy requirements of Part III of 40 CFR Part 763 subpart E: ACM in schools minimum # of samples surfacing materials (K-12 schools) 1000 sq ft - 3; 1000 but 5000 sq ft - 5; 5000 sq ft - 7 in a commercial bldg, you do NOT Have to be licensed to collect material samples, per State of Texas TDSHS - license requirements commercial bldgs; EPA/OSHA - worker protection; AHERA - school requirements Define serpentine types of asbestos Chrysotile define amphibole types of asbestos amosite, crocidolite, anthophyllite, tremolite, actinolite describe hazard assessment involves analysis of the factors contributing to the actual or potential exposure of building occupants to a hazardous substance. describe prioritization refers to the ordering or ranking of items in a list, in this case, determining appropriate response actions based on the results of the hazard assessment All ACM must be disposed of at an approved landfill in accordance with the following provisions: no visible emissions can be discharged to the outside air during collection, packaging, transportation, or deposition of ACM ACM must be wet or mixed with water & sealed in a leak tight container while wet containers must be labeled per OSHA-specified labels 4 areas of federal regulations designed to control asbestos in bldgs AHERA (Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act); NESHAPS (National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants); OSHA Asbestos Standard; EPA Worker Protection Rule 3 ways to inform building occupants of ACM distributing notices, posting signs, holding awareness/info sessions purpose of a written plan owners intent to control ACM while in remains in the bldg describe hazard assessment factors review & evaluate the surviving conditions of the bldg: physical state of ACBM; potential for disturbance; presence of an air flow TDSHS requires a minimum of ___ samples regardless 3 (public bldgs) permissible exposure as of 1996, 0.1 fiber/cc of air 8 hr TWA Class IV Classification of Asbestos Work custodial & housekeeping operations where minimal contact w/ACM or PACM may occur. includes dusting surfaces, vacuuming floors, mopping floors, cleaning up ACM/PACM materials from the thermal system, system insulation or surfacing ACM/PACM commercial bldgs manufacturing, industrial, federal government owned; NONE of these are public bldgs these categories of ACBM can be left in the bldg for demo: CAT I non-friable includes asphalt, roofing, gaskets, pipe packing (plumbers), RFC CAT II non-friable materials anything that is not listed above - cement asbestos, board/pipe, mastics, joint compound define serpentine one of two major classifications of asbestos mineral, distinguished by tubular structure & chemical composition describe repair returning damaged ACBM to an undamaged condition or intact state to contain fiber release physical damage to ACBM/ACM accidental/deliberate contact that results in damage. finder marks, graffiti, dislodged or missing pieces, scrape marks, ripped jackets or protective coverings list 3 disturbance factors as it relates to ACM potential for ACBM to be disturbed by evaluating 3 factors: accessibility, vibration, air erosion define Amphibole one of two major classifications of asbestos mineral, distinguished by chain like crystal structure & chemical composition disturbance factor - vibration higher levels of activity ie running & other athletic activities (accelerates fiber release process); vibration from mechanical equipment, road vehicles, airplanes or from sound waves (bandhall) define APF allowable protection factor Advantages & Disadvantages of Operations & Maintenance program (O&M) Adv: lower initial cost DisAdv: asbestos source remains, special ops program required to prevent damage to ACM during maintenance/reno, 6 mo re-inspection required to assess ACM condition & location factors Define Encapsulation the treatment of ACBM w/a material that surrounds or embeds the asbestos fibers in an adhesive mix to prevent the release of fibers define enclosure construction of an air tight, impermeable, permanent barrier, around ACBM to control the release of asbestos fibers into the air define deterioration ACBM may deteriorate with age as a result of either poor quality of installation or environmental factors/influences (ie heat, humidity, other atmospheric contaminants) define friability materials which are more likely to release fibers, if disturbed functions of the management plan inspection, establishing of priorities, scheduling of abatement activities, documentation of decision-making & operational activities, coordination of personnel, & evaluation of results (also reporting documents to the State) accessibility to the ACBM any material that can be reached by bldg occupants/custodian/maintenance, either directly or with equipment or other objects; close to heating, ventilation, lighting, plumbing systems requiring periodic repair/maintenance operations & maintenance (O&M) program a program of training, work practices, & periodic surveillance to maintain friable ACBM in good condition, insure clean-up of asbestos fibers previously released, and prevent further release by minimizing & controlling friable ACBM disturbance or damage define HEPA high efficiency particulate air describe respiratory protection primary means by which the inspector can defend himself against the hazards of asbestos (99.97% effective) class III classification of asbestos work repair & maintenance operations which may involve intentional disturbance of ACM/PACM is limited to incidental cutting away of small amounts (less than 1 waste bag) of ACM/PACM 5 alternatives of control responses 1. immediate isolation of the area & removal of the ACM ASAP 2. continue operation & maintenance of the area (do not isolate the area) but remove the ACM ASAP 3. Repair the thermal insulation or remove surfacing material when practical 4. Reduce disturbance potential by enclosure or encapsulation of ACM 5. continue O&M until reno/demo of the bldg homogeneous sampling area an area of surfacing material, thermal insulation material or miscellaneous material that is uniform in texture or color per AHERA, 4 general classes of assessment models to consider during rule making period decision trees; tables, USEPA 'purple book'; ranking methods or algorithms; matrix stratification id rules for collected samples (EPA) unique id#, nonsequential id#, sampling log of id#s by site ACM identification categories