In accordance with United States law, Choate will continue to have two sixth-month re-inspections of buildings that have or are presumed to have building materials containing asbestos.
What is it?
Asbestos is a natural fiber, used since ancient times as an insulating material because of its exceptional heat resistance. In the early 20th century, evidence mounted that asbestos particles caused lung scarring and cancer.
During the shipbuilding effort of World War II, however, massive numbers of industrial workers were exposed to asbestos. Awareness of its health hazards grew in the second half of the 1900’s, when laws were enacted limiting imports, use, and exposure standards for the material.
There are two main means of asbestos exposure, both of which are possible on Choate’s campus. Inhalation is one. When old materials containing asbestos, such as floor tiles, start to break down, the fibers create small dust particles that can be inhaled with indoor air. Inhalation of asbestos over a long period of time can cause cancer, primarily lung cancer and mesothelioma as well as other types.
How does it develop?
The second source comes from pipe insulation made with asbestos. There are such pipes in mechanical rooms and in the walls around campus, accessible by Facilities employees for maintenance. The floor tiles are more widespread. At Choate, they are or have been in most buildings, from class buildings to dorm rooms, confirms Mr. Steven Cahoon, the Manager of Energy Management Systems at Facilities.
Most schools built before the mid-70’s have some amount of asbestos. Its powerful insulating properties made it a popular choice for the many new buildings or renovations being made.
When the dangers of asbestos came to light, however, several laws were passed in order to protect students. The United States Environmental Protection Agency and Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act mandate that K-12 schools have an Asbestos Management Program. This program requires Choate to have an outside licensed consultant inspect and record the condition of asbestos in every building on campus. Every six months, Facilities personnel are responsible for re-inspecting those buildings and noting the state of the asbestos. From there, they determine if anything has to be done.
Asbestos poses no real threat to human health as long as it is bonded into intact finished products, says the American Cancer Society. As long as the material has not been affected or damaged in any way, there is no way the fibers can be inhaled.
Choate’s Asbestos Management Plan, therefore, is responsible for making sure that any asbestos-containing substance on campus is controlled or removed if necessary.
Tiles Prove Threatening
Since floor tiles with asbestos are the main threat on campus, the containment process of encapsulation is used. Underneath many of the rugs in dorm rooms, there are tiles that contain asbestos fibers. As long as that layer of rug is not disturbed, however, there is no chance of those fibers being released, says Cahoon.
In addition, the Plan states that an outside consultant must test the materials being disturbed if there is a renovation or construction done on campus. If removal is necessary, a licensed contractor is enlisted to safely dispose of asbestos-containing substances. This means that all recent additions and buildings that have been remodeled since the Plan’s enactment—such as the science center, the library, and several dormitories—are now asbestos-free. Records of these inspections are kept in the Facilities office and are available to anyone who wishes to look at them.
“It’s an ongoing process. At some point in time, when all of the buildings are renovated, then there won’t be any asbestos left,” says Cahoon. He stresses the importance of the whole Choate community looking out for any possible asbestos danger. A damaged rug or hole in the wall could pose a subtle but serious threat to the health of everyone in the area. If anything looks suspicious, he urges the community to alert Facilities.
“The students are not in danger,” Cahoon says. As long as Facilities continues to stay on top of the remaining asbestos around campus and everyone stays on the lookout for damaged floor areas, it no longer poses any health risk in Choate’s future.
