Don't forget the basicsHarry Dietz
The beginning of the end of asbestos-containing roofing material
(ACRM) installation on buildings in the U.S. started about 30 years
ago, and the manufacture of most ACRM phased out around the same
time. Accordingly, the inventory of buildings currently protected
by roof systems or materials that contain asbestos fibers is
diminishing. For many roofing contractors, bidding on and
undertaking an ACRM removal project has become a rare
occurrence.
Regardless of the frequency of the occurrence, Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) regulations related to removing or
disturbing ACRM still demand roofing contractor compliance, and a
number of state and local asbestos regulatory actions pose further
compliance challenges to those performing ACRM removal.
Background
Asbestos is a term given to a group of fibrous minerals that
were used widely in a number of products, including roofing
materials, because of their strength, durability and heat
resistance. Before the late 1970s and early 1980s, asbestos
commonly was used in roofing felts, bituminous flashings, roof
coatings, mastics and cements, asbestos-cement shingles, transite
panels, and, more rarely, asphalt shingles and ...
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