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Hazardous Building Materials
PCB Screening Surprises: Don’t Get Caught Unaware
Are you concerned about the new PCB screening requirement affecting building demolitions in the San Francisco Bay area? If you’re a commercial building owner or building construction contractor, you should be — even if you don’t operate in California.
In an effort to reduce the amount of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) pollutants entering San Francisco Bay, the Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies Association (BASMAA) studied the issue and developed runoff curtailment guidelines for their members.
Anyone wishing to demolish a building in much of the San Francisco Bay Area must now determine whether a structure covered under the new rule is…
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Mold & Moisture
Mold Control Added to Colorado Residential Rules
Colorado law now includes mold and dampness control as a warrant of habitability requirement. That change is part of the Colorado Residential Tenants Health and Safety Act (HB 19-170). The new rule also shortens the time landlords are given to respond to tenant complaints related to the livability of residential properties.
The move immediately drew two major concerns from property managers and owners:
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- How do the new warrant of habitability regulations affect the management of my Colorado residential rental properties?
- Do the new warrant of habitability regulations signal issues I should be concerned about for residential rental properties outside of
Construction/General Contractor, Hazardous Building Materials
California Lead in Construction Rules Are Changing Soon
These Changes Will Affect Every General Contractor, Trade Contractor, Maintenance Team, and Custodial Crew in California
Cal/OSHA has been working for over eight years to revise its Lead in Construction (8 CCR 1532.1) and Lead in General Industry standards (8 CCR 5198).
The current laws were essentially copied from federal regulations and have been in place since 1979. With the signing of California SB 83 and California AB 35 by Governor Newsome, significant new requirements for worker protection and training are set to be issued in September of 2020. If the changes to Cal/OSHA are adopted …
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Hazardous Building Materials
New EPA Lead Hazard Standards Will Soon Apply
Owners and managers of child-occupied buildings constructed prior to 1978 will soon face more stringent lead hazard reduction requirements from the EPA. The move is meant to help lower the risk of childhood lead exposure and curb the various physical disorders lead can cause.
In this article, we’ll provide an FAQ overview of the final rule and cover the steps FACS environmental scientists recommend facilities managers to take in preparation. The reduction of childhood lead exposure is an EPA priority. Managers of HUD facilities and other child-occupied structures should begin planning now to make sure they are in compliance with…
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Wildfire
California Protection from Wildfire Smoke: An Overview
Are you prepared for a wildfire smoke emergency?
If you’re a California employer, monitoring air quality and taking action to protect the health of your employees against high levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during wildfires is no longer an option. You’re now required by law to take certain actions, unless you qualify for an exemption (see below).
If you’re not a California employer, this information is still pertinent and valuable. The time invested in preparation now can save you huge headaches in the future.
Here’s the news:
The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board used an emergency action…
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Wildfire
Wildfire Planning for Business: Prepare, Respond, Recover
Despite regular tips and pleas from the United States Forest Service and other agencies, wildfires still happen and wildfire planning is still needed.
Whether ignited by a careless camper or a lightning storm, it’s 100 percent certain that forests are going to burn, highways are going to be closed, and people are going to suffer the effects of the smoke, heat, and flames wildfires produce.
It happens, without fail, every year.
It’s impossible to predict where the next wildfire will start or which cities will be affected. We don’t know how many acres will burn or how many homes and…
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Construction/General Contractor
The Hidden Factor That Can Sink a Construction Project
Put yourself in this situation:
Excavation is underway at the construction site when a recently-hired laborer complains of an “odd smell” in the air. Nobody else on the crew senses anything unusual, so work continues.
The next day, the employee calls in sick with a severe headache. He says he’s afraid it’s related to whatever he was breathing on the job site, and he’s going to see a doctor “to get it checked out.”
The following morning, safety inspectors from OSHA and the EPA show up to investigate. They want to see the Health and Safety Plan. They want to…
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Waterborne Pathogens
Legionella & Legionnaires’ Disease – Frequently Asked Questions
Legionella & Legionnaires’ Disease are environmental health issues that FACS experts often receive questions about. Given that Legionella was discovered less than 50 years ago and is a relatively “young” subject among environmental health issues, there are lots of questions to be asked.
On March 5th, 2019, FACS’ Legionella Expert Megan Canright, MPH, CIH, partnered with the TASA Group to host a webinar on the introduction to Legionella. While TASA’s audience is primarily attorneys, this webinar covered many of the basic principles around Legionella and provided information useful to many.
FACS received many questions about Legionella & Legionnaires’…
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Construction/General Contractor, Hazardous Building Materials
5 Essential Benefits of the Pre-Project Hazardous Materials Inspection and Survey
Here’s a scenario we see happen far too often:
A frantic client calls FACS. The work plan for a restoration project didn’t mention hazardous materials, but the crew found asbestos contamination.
Work cannot continue without clearance by a certified hazardous materials consultant, and for the client … each hour of delay means money lost.
Now what?
When hazards are unexpectedly found post-contract, the work schedule gets thrown off, expenses mount, and failure to properly address the danger may even result in legal action.
The party who wins most from the situation is the contractor, who can justifiably charge a premium…
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Construction/General Contractor, Hazardous Building Materials
PCB Assessments Required for Building Demolitions: Important Changes to Note
Beginning July 1, 2019, property owners, demolition contractors, real estate developers, and anyone planning to demolish a structure built or remodeled between January 1, 1950 and December 31, 1980 in the San Francisco Bay Area will face stringent new permit requirements aimed at reducing the amount of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) entering San Francisco Bay.
These new regulations affect demolition activities involving structures built during that period (excepting wood frame buildings and single-family residential homes) in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties, as well as the cities of Vallejo, Fairfield, and Suisun City.
In this article, we’ll describe…
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Construction/General Contractor, General Industrial Hygiene, Hazardous Building Materials, Healthcare, Hospitality, Property Management
When Is an Asbestos Survey Required?
You could save yourself hundreds of thousands of dollars by getting this right.
True or False:
The U.S. completely banned the use of asbestos in building materials in 1989. That means any commercial building constructed in 1990 or later poses no asbestos risk. Consequently, you don’t need to worry about getting an asbestos survey prior to renovation or restoration projects on buildings erected in the past 30 years – right? False.
The “asbestos is no longer used” myth potentially exposes commercial property owners to fines of $25,000 per day when they unwittingly disturb materials containing asbestos. Falling for the lie…
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The U.S. completely banned the use of asbestos in building materials in 1989. That means any commercial building constructed in 1990 or later poses no asbestos risk. Consequently, you don’t need to worry about getting an asbestos survey prior to renovation or restoration projects on buildings erected in the past 30 years – right? False.
The “asbestos is no longer used” myth potentially exposes commercial property owners to fines of $25,000 per day when they unwittingly disturb materials containing asbestos. Falling for the lie…
Environmental Health & Safety Management, Mold & Moisture, Property Management
7 Steps to a Mold and Moisture Plan for Property Management
Property managers are paid to keep occupants happy and facilities on track. Throw in a recurrent “black mold” problem, water damage from a leaking pipe, or a full-blown flood and mold growth emergency … and the property manager’s job can seem overwhelming.
That’s why strategic planning is crucial. With a properly thought-out plan in place, a mold and moisture crisis can become considerably less stressful. You’re prepared with a logical sequence of predetermined actions that help you deal with the situation calmly and effectively.
The simple seven-step plan outlined below can also minimize the loss of revenue from facilities downtime,…
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