These work practices are to be followed whenever drilling or installing nails or screws or cutting through known or assumed asbestos containing joint compound where the wallboard system (wallboard, taping and mud together) contains less than 1% asbestos. This includes activities such as:

  • Hanging pictures
  • Installing coat hooks
  • Installing shelving track
  • Installing earthquake strapping
  • Removal of wall fixtures and furnishings
  • Attaching modular furniture to walls
  • Installing wiremold, switches or outlets
  • Patch/repair and painting

These procedures have been reviewed and approved by Environmental Health & Safety and the UW Facilities Asbestos Coordinator (competent person).

If other work tasks such as sanding and scraping walls, or specifically cutting along drywall seams, are necessary; they must be done by the asbestos term contractor or a certified asbestos contractor.

Contents

Requirements

For workers

  • 2-hour Awareness Training

  • 8-hour <1% Asbestos/Lead Safe Work Practices Training

  • 2-hour annual refresher

  • Respiratory Protection and Respirator Fit Test

  • Hands-on training for penetrating <1% asbestos joint compound

  • Know who the competent person is and how to contact them

More training information

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Work requirements

  • Survey or historical data

  • Approval of competent person

  • Wet, non-aggressive methods

  • Prompt clean-up of material and debris

  • Supervisor assures all workers have appropriate training

  • Supervisor verifies current NEA (negative exposure assessment) is on record

  • Supervisor provides contact number for competent person to workers

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Equipment

  • HEPA Vacuum (see HEPA Vacuum for <1% Asbestos Usage)

  • Spray bottle or garden sprayer (Hudson) of amended water

  • Sponge(s)

  • Plastic waste bag(s)

  • Plastic sheeting Paper towels/absorbent pads

  • Duct tape

  • Encapsulant

  • Paint or KillZ

  • Taping Compound

  • Tyvek suit

  • Gloves

  • Eye protection

Other tools required to complete task: drill, razor knife, saw, screwdriver, etc.
½ face respirator with high efficiency (P-100) filters during NEA monitoring.

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Work practices

These are two-person work practices.

Work procedure for drilling

Customers can be present in rooms where drilling or nailing is occurring as long as current NEA exists. If obtaining NEA, room cannot be occupied while work is being done.

  1. Gather all required tools at the worksite.
  2. Assure all training is up to date, and the competent person is aware of the project.
  3. Place plastic on the floor next to work area and secure with duct tape. (Written work procedure should suffice. Do we need documentation to verify training, NEA?)
  4. Mark the wall where the penetration is needed.
  5. Cut a hole in the sponge.
  6. Wet the sponge with amended water.
  7. Place the sponge over the drill.
  8. Place drill on the mark.
  9. Hold the sponge firmly against the wall.
  10. Drill hole.
  11. Keep the sponge firmly in place and remove the drill.
  12. Set the drill on the plastic on the floor.
  13. Wipe the sponge across the area where the hole was drilled, being careful not to release any dust.
  14. Place the sponge on the plastic.
  15. Wet some paper towels and wipe the wall to assure all debris is removed.
  16. When all drilling is complete, spray the drill with water and wipe with a wet paper towel to assure all dust is removed. Pay special attention to the drill bit.
  17. Wrap waste up in plastic sheeting and secure with duct tape, or place in a plastic bag.
  18. Dispose of waste in the shop dumpster. Since the material contains less than 1% asbestos, it does not need to be disposed of as a regulated waste or labeled.

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Work procedure for installing nails

Customers can be present in rooms where drilling or nailing is occurring as long as current NEA exists. If obtaining NEA, room cannot be occupied.

  1. Gather all required tools at the worksite.
  2. Assure all training is up to date, and the competent person is aware of the project.
  3. Place plastic sheeting on the floor next to work area and secure with duct tape.
  4. Mark the wall where the penetration is needed.
  5. Cut a hole through the sponge for the nail.
  6. Don PPE.
  7. Wet the sponge with amended water.
  8. Put the nail through hole in sponge.
  9. Place the nail over the mark.
  10. Hold the sponge firmly against the wall.
  11. Make sure the cut sponge wraps around the nail.
  12. Keep the sponge firmly in place, hammer the nail in place.
  13. Set the hammer on the paper towels on the floor.
  14. Have another person hold the end of the HEPA vacuum to the area and gently pull the sponge down until it is below the nail, being careful not to release any dust.
  15. Place the sponge in a plastic bag.
  16. Wet some paper towels and wipe the wall to assure all dust is removed.
  17. Wet wipe hammer to assure all dust is removed.
  18. Wrap waste up in plastic sheeting and secure with duct tape, or place in a plastic bag.
  19. Dispose of waste in the shop dumpster. Since the material contains less than 1% asbestos, it does not need to be disposed of as a regulated waste or labeled.

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Work procedure for removal of sections of wallboard

Customer/occupants cannot be present in rooms where sections of wallboard are removed.

  1. Gather all required tools at the worksite.
  2. Ensure awareness training and work procedure training is up to date and the competent person is aware of the project.
  3. Place plastic sheeting on the floor next to work area and secure with duct tape.
  4. Mark the area of wall to be removed.
  5. Don PPE.
  6. Spray wall surface with amended water.
  7. Begin cutting, having another person periodically spray the area where the blade is penetrating while holding the end of the HEPA vacuum to the area being cut.
  8. When cutting is complete, spray amended water around penetration.
  9. Gently remove the section of wall system as a whole piece.
  10. Set removed wall material on plastic, wrap and duct tape or if small enough place in a plastic bag. 
  11. Spray edges of remaining wall opening with encapsulant.
  12. Wet wipe tools to assure all dust is removed.
  13. Wrap waste up in plastic sheeting and secure with duct tape, or place in a plastic bag.
  14. Dispose of waste in the shop dumpster. Since the material contains less than 1% asbestos, it does not need to be disposed of as a regulated waste or labeled.

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Work procedure for patching penetrations

Never sand exposed asbestos taping compound. Never conduct any activity which disturbs only the taping compound. When scoring, never cut through all the paint layers.

  1. Gather all tools at the worksite.
  2. Ensure awareness training and work procedure training is up to date and the competent person is aware of the project.
  3. Place plastic on the floor next to the work area and secure with duct tape.
  4. Don PPE.
  5. Ensure all fixtures have been removed from the wall, exposing holes (wiremold, modular furniture, etc.).
  6. Encapsulate affected area with paint or encapsulant.
  7. Use hammer to drive toggle bolt anchor, etc., below surface.
  8. Re-encapsulate affected area.
  9. Fill hole with patching compound and wet sand area.
  10. Let dry and paint.

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Work procedure for patching glue damage or extensive wall damage

Repairing when sections of wall do not have to be removed.

  1. Gather all tools at the worksite.
  2. Ensure awareness training and work procedure training is up to date and the competent person is aware of the project.
  3. Place plastic on the floor next to the work area and secure with duct tape.
  4. Don PPE.
  5. Encapsulate affected area with paint or encapsulant.
  6. If paper is torn but no taping compound is present on paper to be removed, paper can be cut off. Contact competent person with any questions.
  7. If taping compound is present on torn paper, encapsulate area. DO NOT REMOVE PAPER.
  8. If paper with taping compound needs to be removed or repairing large holes, refer to Procedure for Removal of Sections of Wallboard. Once this is done, “California Patch” or other repair can be done.

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Work procedure for label removal

  1. Gather all required tools at the worksite.
  2. Assure all training is up to date, and the competent person is aware of the project.
  3. Place plastic sheeting on the floor next to work area and secure with duct tape.
  4. Don PPE.
  5. Mist with amended water.
  6. Use scraper to remove label, being careful not to penetrate paint layers.
  7. If taping compound is damaged, stop work and contact competent person.

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Supervisor checklist

  • Current training, 8-hour <1% Asbestos/Lead Safe Work Practices Training/2-hour annual refresher
  • NEA (one year), needed to downgrade PPE
  • Knowledge of work procedures
  • Notify Asbestos Coordinator/competent person of date, etc., of project
  • Provide Asbestos Coordinator/competent person’s contact number to workers
1. Asbestos Awareness Training Required (2 hours) and 8 Hour <1% Asbestos/Lead Safe Work Practices with annual 2 hour refresher Until a NEA is established.
2. Certified Asbestos Supervisor not required  
3. Personal Protective Equipment
  • Safety Glasses
  • Foot Protection
  • Gloves
4. Engineering Controls: One or more of the following must be used
  • Wet Methods
  • HEPA Vacuum
  • Drop Cloths (6 mil)
  • Wet Sponges or Shaving Cream
5. Air Monitoring Negative exposure assessment or objective data
6. Isolate work area from non-essential personnel and notify essential personnel of work  
7. Shut down HVAC, if possible  
8. Debris is regulated asbestos waste and may be disposed of as general construction waste in Physical Plant dumpster  

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