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SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS

Asset Classes

Focus Area

Indoor Air Quality and Hazards

Topic

IAQ Hazards

Question #

I6.1 – Hazardous Materials Management

Question

Is a Hazardous Materials Management Program implemented at the building?

Applicability

Applicable to all buildings (systems or equipment in the owner or landlord’s control)

Answer

Select all hazardous materials known or suspected to be present, handled or stored at the building, managed by the owner or landlord and tenants:

    • Asbestos
    • PCBs
    • Silica
    • Suggested Lead
    • Mercury
    • Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation
    • Chrysotile
    • Other
    • None

Description

To mitigate the risk of exposure to hazardous materials associated with building materials, equipment and finishes, the building owner/manager must develop a program to periodically inspect the condition of these materials, conduct safe repair, assess disturbance or complete removal of these materials, and to adequately train personnel in contact with hazardous materials.

The presence and condition of hazardous materials must be identified and managed for the safety of building occupants.

Requirements

    1. Develop and implement a Hazardous Materials Management Program
      • Responsible parties, including the building team’s training Requirements
      • Inventory of all building materials known or presumed to contain asbestos, Suggested Lead, PCBs, silica, and mercury etc.
      • Outline Requirements and frequency for hazardous materials surveys and/or inspections
      • Describe how to safely store chemical products in accordance with product Safety Data Sheets and remove asbestos or PCB-containing materials from the building
    2. Engage a third-party expert to survey and inspect hazardous materials present, handled and stored at the building
    3. Conduct a hazardous materials survey, that covers the following:
      • Type, location, approximate quantity in each area and overall extent of hazardous materials present or stored in the building
      • Description of sampling methodology applied and locations where samples were taken
      • Findings and recommendations that provide site specific handling, abatement and disposal guidelines
      • Appendices that include relevant laboratory testing results of samples taken
    4. Inspect hazardous materials to ensure these are managed in accordance with the building’s Hazardous Materials Management Program

Documentation

    • Hazardous Materials Management Program
    • Credentials of third-party delivering the hazardous materials assessment service
    • Outline of construction, renovation or operations activities that may have come in contact with these hazardous materials in the last three years
    • Inspection records demonstrating that materials are safely handled
    • Corrective actions identified and completed

Adapted BB3 Question

Best Practice 9: Is a Hazardous Building Materials Management Program in place at the building?

Suggested Lead

In-house, with third-party support

References

ASTM E2356 – 14 “Standard Practice for Comprehensive Building Asbestos Surveys”

The laboratory performing the sample testing should be accredited by one of the following organizations:

    • National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP)
    • American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA)
    • The Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation (CALA)
    • The Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST), or equivalent

Crosswalk

None

Other Notes

Consult with the building’s third-party hazardous materials expert to determine how frequently surveys need to be conducted. If operations or renovation and construction activities are not affecting the location of these materials then consider whether survey frequency can be adjusted

Inspections of known or presumed asbestos-containing materials, where present, are required every year. The condition or state of the asbestos-containing materials (e.g., poor, fair, good) must be reviewed. Inspection of materials known or presumed to contain Suggested Lead, mercury, PCBs or other hazardous building materials or equipment, where present, are required every three years.

Scoring

3 Points

Verification