Asbestos: Guidelines for California State Certified Asbestos Contractors

Learn about asbestos abatement guidelines for California State certified asbestos contractors performing work at UC San Diego.

All disturbances or abatement to asbestos-containing materials (ACM) at UC San Diego, including transit pipes, must be done by a certified asbestos contractor.

Contractors working at UC San Diego should be familiar with and follow the guidelines below. It is the general and sub-contractors’ responsibility to ensure that all abatement activities are handled appropriately, including setup, hazardous waste disposal, and breakdown.

Project scope

Asbestos abatement projects at UC San Diego can be either small or large scale:

• Small-scale abatement is less than 160 square feet or 260 linear feet of asbestos-containing material and requires the services of a contractor, licensed to perform asbestos abatement work. Third party consultant oversight and final clearances are required in spaces that will be reoccupied after project completion. It is not required in mechanical spaces involving glove bag work.
• Large-scale abatement is greater than 160 square feet or 260 linear feet of asbestos-containing material and requires the services of a separate consultant and contractor, both licensed to oversee and perform asbestos abatement work. Large scale projects require notification to San Diego Air Pollution Control District and may require a 10-day waiting period.

Asbestos abatement guidelines

Before the project begins:

1. Collaborate with the UC San Diego Project Manager (PM) or Inspector, Planner, Estimator (IPE) and third-party consultants to provide information, exchange expectations, and establish a schedule.
   • Important – General contractors do not sub-contract third party consultant oversight and air clearances. This is viewed as a conflict of interest. The UC San Diego Project Manager hires the consultant directly.
2. Make sure the UC San Diego PM or IPE has submitted an Asbestos Project Information Sheet to Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S). Submission of this form is required before the project begins to ensure proper data tracking and timely waste manifest approval.
   • Note: Without prior notification provided by the Asbestos Project Information Sheet, the waste manifest will NOT be signed by EH&S Environmental Management Facility (EMF) personnel.

If you find unanticipated suspected asbestos during your project, follow these steps:

1. Instruct all employees to stop work on the task involved.
2. Take immediate action to ensure the material is not disturbed. Secure the area.
3. During business hours, immediately call EH&S at (858) 534-3660 and the UC San Diego Project Manager.
   After business hours, immediately call UC San Diego Police at 9-1-1 (from a campus landline) or (858) 534-HELP (from a cell phone).

Hazardous waste disposal:

1. Contact EH&S EMF personnel, (858) 534-2753, to obtain a waste manifest number to complete the Department of Transportation form for hazardous waste transport.
   • Important – Only EH&S EMF personnel are authorized to sign hazardous waste manifests for removal or disposal of asbestos-containing materials from UC San Diego facilities.
2. Call the EH&S Environmental Management Facility, (858) 534-2753, to have an EMF specialist sign the hazardous waste manifest when the waste is ready for pick-up by an authorized transporter.

Project close-out:

1. Notify EH&S when the abatement work is done by mailing a copy of the consultant's close-out report to Mail Code 0958, or e-mail to ehsasbestos@ucsd.edu. The UC San Diego PM is responsible for keeping consultant documents.