The Applied Technical Services (ATS) Family of Companies performs asbestos consulting services in commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings. This naturally occurring fibrous mineral displays several qualities that are useful to the construction industry. For this reason, asbestos was widely used in the United States through the late 1900s for hundreds of construction products. Medical science and common knowledge now recognize that exposure to asbestos fibers is dangerous, and thus many uses of asbestos have been banned. While all asbestos-containing products are not banned in the United States, it is less prevalent in buildings constructed after the mid-1980s.
Current regulations require building owners and employers to know if asbestos is present in construction materials before starting renovations or demolition, which requires an accredited asbestos inspector to perform a thorough survey of the impacted areas of a building. Furthermore, significant health impacts and regulatory penalties may result when building owners and employers do not address asbestos concerns in accordance with regulatory guidance. As such, companies turn to experienced asbestos consultants such as ATS to assist them in regulatory and health concerns.
Abatement Consulting Capabilities
We offer a variety of services that assist our clients through every aspect of addressing asbestos concerns. Our Family of Companies employs accredited asbestos inspectors, asbestos project designers, and abatement project monitors. We are ideally suited to assemble the necessary teams to find out if asbestos is present in a facility and develop the best management practices to either remove or maintain asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in good condition to minimize potential exposures to employees and the general public.
To assist our clients through the quagmire of potential asbestos concerns, we offer related asbestos services including:
- Asbestos Surveys
- Baseline Survey (General): a building- or facility-wide survey that provides a general understanding of the overall location, type, quantity, and condition of any ACMs present. The baseline survey helps inform long-term ACM management efforts and determine priority for response actions
- Project Design Survey (Specific): more specific than a baseline survey, this is used instead to help the Project Designer prepare abatement plans and specifications. Inspectors assess only the locations to be affected by scheduled demolition or renovation in this case
- Develop Operations and Maintenance Programs: outline a plan to properly manage ACMs in place, thus minimizing potential asbestos exposures to building occupants during the abatement process
- Abatement Design, Bid Assistance, and Abatement Monitoring:
- PENTA can develop asbestos abatement design specifications to identify the scope of abatement work, establish minimum control measures to be used by the Abatement Contractor to ensure adjacent areas of the building do not suffer exposure, and outline clearance criteria
- PENTA can deploy Resident Project Representatives (RPRs) to the worksite to observe the Abatement Contractor’s work practices through the duration of their abatement efforts. While onsite, our RPRs document compliance with both the specifications outlined by the Project Designer and all applicable regulations at the local, state, and federal levels. Furthermore, PENTA provides air monitoring services to verify that areas adjacent to the work area remain unaffected and that completed abatement efforts meet clearance criteria
- When requested, PENTA can assemble the entire team to handle the process from survey to abatement monitoring, providing a turn-key solution for asbestos abatement efforts
Why Is Properly Handling Asbestos So Important?
Repeated asbestos exposures may cause health effects, including (but not limited to) lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma. If in good condition and managed properly, ACMs may remain in a facility and be maintained in place without risk of exposing the building’s occupants to asbestos particles. Renovations, demolitions, and natural disasters can disturb ACMs, resulting in potential exposures.
PENTA: Your Asbestos Consulting Team
The ATS Family of Companies is comprised of several consulting engineering firms assisting commercial, institutional, and industrial facilities throughout the country. We provide world-class services to property owners, managers, developers, and real estate investment firms by diagnosing and solving issues in existing buildings. Our multidisciplinary team is made up of licensed Professional Engineers (PEs), technicians, and industry professionals. Each of these specialists brings their distinct body of experience to every job. As such, ATS is uniquely qualified to perform a wide variety of consulting engineering services.
If your company needs an asbestos survey — or abatement support – contact us today.
