A piece of pipe insulation found at City Hall East on May 7, 2007 has been identified as an asbestos containing material, but experts say it poses little or no risk to the health and safety of City of Atlanta employees.
Testing shows that the pipe insulation, which was removed from the ceiling on the seventh floor, does contain asbestos. However, air samples collected during subsequent sampling by Corporate Environmental Risk Management (CERM) revealed air concentrations below Occupational and Safety Health Administration (OSHA) permissible exposure limits of 0.01 fibers per cubic centimeter and the EPA’s final clearance standard for asbestos abatement projects.
Employees who came in contact with the substance were sent to an area health facility for screening. However, the data suggests there was minimal to no risk of exposure.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fiber that was widely used in building materials up to the early 1980s. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, “Materials containing asbestos do not pose a risk to health if they are left undisturbed and are in good condition. Asbestos is only a risk to health if asbestos fibers are released into the air and breathed in.”
The area in question will now be cleaned and abated according to occupational health and safety standards and the recommendations of environmental experts.
The City of Atlanta is committed to the health and safety of all employees. As a result of this incident, employees at City Hall East will be briefed on how to deal with any incident involving unknown materials in the building. The City expects to sell City Hall East next year to a developer with plans to remove any asbestos containing materials during the demolition/renovation process.
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