Asbestos Sampling and Analysis

Requests for Asbestos Sampling by AHERA-Accredited WSU Staff

All requests for asbestos inspections or sampling are to be forwarded to the Operations Center, Maintenance Services Division. Upon receipt of a request for survey, the Operations Center Supervisor or another trained person directly supervised by the Operations Center Supervisor will match the survey or sampling request with a person qualified to perform the survey/sampling. Once the sampling is completed, the sample(s) are processed as indicated below.

Surveys Performed by Consultants under Contract with WSU

Consultants performing good faith inspections for asbestos as a part of a major or minor capital project shall meet the accreditation requirements of the Federal Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 206(a)(1) and (3), 15 U.S.C. 2646(a)(1) and (3). Good faith inspections shall produce information for a specified project which will result in WSU's compliance to WAC 296-62-07721(2).

Bulk Asbestos Sampling and Analysis

Bulk Asbestos Samples:

Sampling of asbestos-containing materials or presumed asbestos-containing materials in WSU buildings shall be performed only by persons who are accredited by the EPA as asbestos building inspectors. A list of accredited asbestos building inspectors approved for work in WSU buildings is included in Appendix 5

Sampling by Accredited Employees

All samples of materials to be analyzed for asbestos content, along with the associated "Asbestos Bulk Sample Form(s) (Appendix 1)," shall be taken to the Fac Ops Maintenance Division. The Program Coordinator, Maintenance Services Division, or a staff worker directly supervised by the Program Coordinator Supervisor, Maintenance Services Division, will be given the sample and will assign a unique identification number to it. The sample taker or the Maintenance office worker will then add the unique sample number to both the sample container and the "Asbestos Bulk Sample Form"(s) associated with the sample(s). Then a chain of custody form will be filled out for the sample(s), again identifying sample(s) with the same unique number(s). After the forms have been completed, they are copied, and copies are provided to the sample taker and to EH&S. The original forms, along with the sample(s), are FedEx-ed to an EH&S-approved laboratory for analysis.

All samples of bulk asbestos should be brought into Maintenance Services Division in double containers (double-bagged) to prevent office employee exposure.

As soon as the laboratory has analyzed the sample and performed quality assurance required, the sample result will be faxed or emailed to Environmental Health and Safety. As soon as Environmental Health and Safety receives the faxed/emailed sample result, it will be immediately re-faxed/emailed as follows:

For Housing Projects, re-fax the sample result to: 335-3562 or email to Lee Hatley hatleyle@ wsu.edu
For Asbestos Crew Projects, re-fax the sample to: 335-9007 or email to Jodie Magers, magers@wsu.edu
For Maintenance Services projects, re-fax the sample result to: 335-9007 or email to Jodie Magers, magers@wsu.edu

NOTE: if arrangements are made for the laboratory to simultaneously email results both the EH&S and to the appropriate project coordinator, re-emailing is not required.

After reporting the analytical result by fax, a written result, along with an invoice for analysis, will be sent to EH&S. EH&S will confirm results have been received and will send the original invoice to the Operations Center Supervisor, Maintenance Division for payment. The Operations Center Supervisor, Maintenance Division will process the invoice for payment, as appropriate. The analytical result received will be placed on the WSU Asbestos Database.

Asbestos Air Monitoring:

Clearance and area air monitoring is performed by a third party overseer approved by the EH&S department. Personal sampling, performed by an absestos abatement contractor, follows the protocol established in WAC 296-62-07735.

Area Sampling/Clearance Sampling:

Set the air flow volume on a charged pump using the Gilian or DryCal flow meter. The pump should be set to operate at approximately 10.0 liters per minute (lpm). The pump should be operated for a minimum of 40 minutes to a maximum of 4 hours, depending on the expected dust concentration and the level of quantification desired.

Air monitoring shall be conducted prior to (pre-abatement) and after (clearance) each asbestos abatement project involving Class I or Class II materials. (Note that personal monitoring must also be performed each day during asbestos abatement projects, unless excepted by WAC 296-62-07709(2)(c)). In addition, for regulated areas in which containment is used, alternate day samples shall be taken at the entrance to the containment area and at the exhaust of the negative air machine.

To the pump is attached a 6 millimeter (mm) bore flexible plastic tubing approximately 7 feet long. To this tubing is attached a 25-mm diameter 3-piece cassette having a 50-mm long electrically conductive extension cowl with a 25-mm cellulose backup pad and a 25-mm plain, white, 0.8-1.2-micrometer (um) pore size. Luer connectors are not permitted.

The pump is calibrated prior to sampling. The pump and stand are set up pump so the cassette is open-faced, facing downward at sitting to standing breathing zone height, whichever is appropriate. The start time and the air flow volume data are written on the Asbestos Air Sampling Data Sheet (Appendix 1). The kind of sample being taken is also indicated. Finally, the sampling protocol used marked on the form (i.e., ID-160 for asbestos fibers in air by PCM; NIOSH 7400 for asbestos fibers in air by PCM; NIOSH 7402 for asbestos fibers in air by TEM; or specify other).

After sampling is completed, the stop time is entered on the form. After sampling is completed, a flow check is performed on the pump with a primary (electronic) standard and the data is written on the form. The stop time is entered and the flow rate calculated; the average flow is entered on the Asbestos Air Sampling Data Sheet. (Determine the flow rate by adding the before and after flow rates and dividing by 2). .

Pertinent information must be written on the sample cassette to ensure that it can be easily identified.

If performing employee exposure monitoring, fill out part 1 of the "Employee Exposure Monitoring Form" (see Appendix 1) as soon as pump calibration data has been obtained. Take the sample to the FO Maintenance office. The sampler will obtain a unique identification number for each sample from Operations Center Supervisor, Maintenance Services Division, or a staff worker directly supervised by the Operations Center Supervisor. The sample taker or the Maintenance Division worker will then add the unique sample number to the "Asbestos Air Sampling Data Sheet"(s) associated with the sample(s). Then a chain of custody form will be filled out for the sample(s), again identifying sample(s) with the same unique number(s).

After the forms have been completed, they are copied, and copies are provided to the sample taker and to EH&S. The original forms, along with the sample(s), are FedEx-ed to an EH&S-approved laboratory for analysis. NOTE: Do not send bulk asbestos samples and air asbestos samples in the same shipment.

As soon as the laboratory has analyzed the sample and performed QA required, the sample result will be faxed to Environmental Health and Safety. As soon as Environmental Health and Safety receives the faxed sample result, it will be immediately re-faxed as indicated above in the bulk sampling procedure.

Personal Monitoring:

The air flow volume is set on a charged pump using the Gilian or DryCal flow meter. The pump should be set to operate at approximately 2.5 liters per minute (lpm). Two different types of personal samples are required, a 30-minute excursion limit sample and an 8-hour time-weighted average sample. Obviously, the pump is operated for 30 minutes for the excursion limit sample. The pump should be operated for a minimum of 6 hours 40 minutes to a maximum of 16 hours for the TWA sample, depending on the expected dust concentration and the level of detection desired. (NOTE: If the total duration of the job is less than 6 hours, 40 minutes, sample for the total duration of the job).

Personal air monitoring shall be conducted during asbestos abatement projects, except those exempted by rule because of the use of supplied air.

To the pump is attached a 6 millimeter (mm) bore flexible plastic tubing long enough to reach over the back of the monitoring subject and be attached to the lapel or other clothing in the subject's breathing zone. To this tubing is attached a 25-mm diameter 3-piece cassette having a 50-mm long electrically conductive extension cowl with a 25-mm cellulose backup pad and a 25-mm plain, white, 0.8-1.2-micrometer (um) pore size. Luer connectors are not used.

The pump must be calibrated prior to sampling. The cassette is oriented so it is open-faced, facing downward. After writing down the start time and the air flow volume on the Asbestos Air Sampling Data Sheet (Appendix 1), the kind of sample being taken is indicated on the form. Also, the sampling protocol used is identified on the form (i.e., ID-160 for asbestos fibers in air by PCM; NIOSH 7400 for asbestos fibers in air by PCM; NIOSH 7402 for asbestos fibers in air by TEM; or specify other).

Pertinent information must be written on the sample cassette to ensure that it can be easily identified.

When performing employee exposure monitoring, fill out part 1 of the "Employee Exposure Monitoring Form" (see Appendix 1) as soon as pump calibration data has been obtained. Make sure you have written on the sample cassette pertinent information, so it can be easily identified.

Take the sample to the FO Maintenance Division. The sampler will obtain a unique identification number for each sample from Operations Center Supervisor, Maintenance Services Division, or a staff worker directly supervised by the Operations Center Supervisor. The sample taker or the Maintenance office worker will then add the unique sample number to the "Asbestos Air Sampling Data Sheet " associated with the sample(s). Then a chain of custody form will be filled out for the sample(s), again identifying sample(s) with the same unique number(s).

After the forms have been completed, they are copied, and copies are provided to the sample taker and EH&S. The original forms, along with the sample, are FedEx-ed to an EH&S approved laboratory. NOTE: Do not send bulk asbestos samples and air asbestos samples in the same shipment.

As soon as analytical data is received for a sample involving employee exposure monitoring, part 2 of the "Employee Exposure Monitoring Form" is filled out. After the form after it is complete, a copy is made, and the original is sent to Environmental Health and Safety. The sample taker should go over the monitoring results with the employee. A copy of the monitoring results is kept at the worksite until the project is completed, then it may be given to the employee or kept with the abatement records. If the employee requests a copy, one must be provided to him/her. After reporting the analytical result by fax, a written result, along with an invoice for analysis, is sent to EH&S. EH&S will confirm results have been received and will send the original invoice to the Operations Center Supervisor, Maintenance Division for payment. The Operations Center Supervisor, Maintenance Division will process the invoice for payment, as appropriate.

Asbestos Sample Analysis:

Asbestos samples will be analyzed using NIOSH-approved methods, by laboratories accredited through AIHA and successfully passing the latest round of PAT testing. Analytical procedures as indicated in WAC 296-62-07735 will be used.

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