S02 - Attachment 09 - 672-20-601 VHA THIRD PARTY ASBESTOS ABATEMENT INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS.pdf

THIRD PARTY ASBESTOS ABATEMENT INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION FOR PROJECT

Services Description:

The Contractor will employ an independent professional industrial hygienist (VPIH) consultant to perform various services during asbestos abatement projects on behalf of the VA. The VPIH will perform the necessary monitoring, inspection, testing and other support services to ensure that VA patients, employees, and visitors will not be adversely affected by the abatement work, and that the abatement work proceeds in accordance with asbestos abatement specifications.

VA Professional Industrial Hygienist (VPIH) and Industrial Hygiene Technician (IHT)

Requirements:

A. The VPIH must meet the definition requirements of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Professional IH and the definition requirements of OSHA as a “Competent

Person” under 29 CFR 1926.58(b); has completed two specialized EPA approved courses on management and supervision of asbestos abatement projects; has completed formal training in respiratory protection and waste disposal; has performed as IH in a minimum of four (4) asbestos abatement projects of which in at least three (3) has served as the supervisory IH; and has all required state and local licenses and permits.

B. The Industrial Hygiene Technician (IHT) shall be trained and have specialized field experience in air sampling and analysis. He/She must have completed a NIOSH 582 course or equivalent and show proof and must participate in the AIHA Asbestos Analysis Regis try for fiber counting quality control assurance. The IHT must also be an accredited EPA/State Supervisor and Building Inspector. He/She must have performed duties of principal assistant to a

Professional IH in at least five (5) asbestos abatement projects.

Abatement Inspection and Certification Services:

A. The VPIH will oversee the project to assure quality, resolve problems, prevent the spread of contamination beyond the regulated area and assure clearance at the end of the project.

He/She will perform the final inspection and testing to determine whether the regulated area or building has been adequately decontaminated. All air monitoring is to be done utilizing Phase Contrast Microscopy (PCM)/Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM).

B. The VPIH will perform the following tasks:

1. Establish background levels before abatement begins by collecting background samples. Samples must be retained for possible TEM analysis.

2. Inspect the regulated area prior to the commencement of abatement operations to ensure that abatement specifications requirements such as the following are met:

enclosure integrity, location of personnel and equipment decontamination facilities, location of negative pressure machine(s), HEPA filtration, continuous pressure differential of -0.02 in wg, etc.

3. Perform continuous air monitoring, inspection and testing outside the regulated area during actual abatement work to detect any faults in the regulated area isolation and any adverse impact of surroundings from regulated area activities. Air samples must be analyzed on-site and results must be provided to the VA Representative the same day or at the beginning of the next working day (if abatement is conducted after working hours).

4. Perform unannounced visits to spot check overall compliance of work with contract/specifications. These visits may include any inspection, monitoring and testing inside and outside the regulated area and all aspects of the operation except personnel monitoring.

5. Provide support to the VA Facility representative such as evaluation of submittals from the Contractor, resolution of conflicts, interpretation of data, etc.

6. Perform, in the presence of the VA Facility representative, final inspection and testing of the decontaminated regulated area at the conclusion of the abatement to certify compliance with all the regulations and VA requirements/specifications. Final clearance air samples will be collected and analyzed in accordance with procedures outlined by AHERA. If work is less than 260 linear feet (lf)/160 square feet (sf), five (5) PCM samples may be collected for clearance. If work is equal to or more than 260 lf/160 sf, TEM sampling shall be done for clearance.

7. Issue a certificate of decontamination for each regulated area.

C. The monitoring and inspection results of the VPIH will be used by VACHS to issue any stop removal orders to the Contractor during abatement work and to accept or reject a regulated area or building as decontaminated.

D. The VPIH will make available to VACHS IH and Project Manager the plan for samples collection and analysis for the continuous monitoring outside and inside the regulated area and the plan for the final inspection and testing for each space prior to executing each plan.

The plan will include location for samples, name and qualification of person taking samples, methodology of analysis, laboratory information and qualification of the on-site analyst.

Laboratory Services:

A. IHTs performing on-site analysis of PCM samples must be board approved AIHA Asbestos Analyst Registry (AAR) analysts and must belong to an ARR approved organization.

B. Samples analyzed by TEM shall be analyzed by an accredited laboratory.

C. Laboratory must be able to provide twenty-four-hour turn-a-round time for air and/or bulk sample results.