Building materials can contain a number of hazardous components that, if disturbed, can pose a health risk to workers and occupants. Materials that have potential to cause health and environmental problems are regulated by law.
Regulated building materials pose no health risk when left undisturbed and intact. During maintenance, renovation or demolition, when building materials are disturbed, the regulated materials that may pose health risks must be carefully managed, abated and disposed of according to regulations.
Regulated building materials may exist in University buildings in walls, floors, ceilings, insulation, caulk, glazing, mastic, paint, light fixtures, fireproofing, equipment and other materials.
Regulated building materials include, but are not be limited to:
Asbestos
Found in flooring, carpet, ceiling tiles, pipes, fireproofing, joint compounds, baseboards, siding and windows.
Chlorofluorocarbons
Found in refrigerators and freezers.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
Found in fluorescent light ballasts, caulk, weather stripping, masonry joints.
RESPONSIBILITIES
During building renovation, demolition or maintenance, specific federal, state, and local health and safety regulations governing regulated building materials apply to workers, including training, safe work practices, disposal, and other regulations.
Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) has overall responsibility to ensure compliance with the regulations that govern the management of regulated building materials. EH&S provides plans and procedures for the management of regulated building materials at UW locations.
It is the responsibility of each organizational unit and/or department involved in the planning, leasing or selling of real estate, capital construction and demolition projects, maintenance, repair and renovation of University properties to develop project-specific safety plans that meet the requirements of all federal, state, and local health and safety regulations governing regulated materials. Failure to follow regulations could cause possible exposure and health issues or result in clean-up costs, regulatory fines, and increased risk of liability to the University.
Refer to UW Administrative Policy Statement 12.1, Managing Asbestos and Other Regulated Building Materials for more information.
SCOPE
APS 12.1 applies at all locations including, but not limited to: the Seattle campus, UW Bothell, UW Tacoma, UW Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, jointly-owned facilities; all other University-owned, managed, or operated properties; University leased space as tenant or landlord; and research vessels that are owned or operated by the University.
EXPOSURE PREVENTION
Custodians and maintenance staff
University personnel performing maintenance or custodial services in buildings with regulated materials that could be disturbed or contacted during work are required to take measures to prevent exposure.
- Complete the required training for the types of regulated building materials you may be exposed to while working.
- Follow safe work practices.
- Wear your personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Notify your supervisor if you encounter potential asbestos or another regulated building material where not expected or anticipated.
- Report work-related injuries, illnesses, and exposures to your supervisor and Environmental Health & Safety.
Building occupants
All University personnel and students on the Seattle campus are prohibited from making alterations or modifications of University buildings or grounds, including (but not limited to) adding, replacing, modifying, relocating, removing, or painting doors, walls, windows, built-in casework, shelving, or flooring.
Submit a UW Facilities service request to request building alterations on the Seattle campus, including (but not limited to) the following:
- Hanging pictures
- Installing cabinets
- Installing bookshelves
- Modifying doors, walls, ceilings, etc.
Read more about preventing exposure to regulated building materials:
Incident reporting
UW personnel are required to submit an incident report to Environmental Health & Safety for any work-related event that results in an injury, illness, exposure to hazardous materials, or fire, regardless of the work location.
UW personnel are highly encouraged to submit work-related near-miss events. Visit the Incident Reporting page for more information
Services available
Environmental Health & Safety provides air sampling for establishing initial exposure determinations for workers potentially exposed to regulated building materials during their work activities. A negative exposure assessment can result in reducing the level of respiratory protective equipment required for a specific activity and condition.
- For health and safety information and specific guidelines and procedures regarding regulated building materials, contact EH&S at 206.543.7262 or ehsdept@uw.edu.
- Contact the UW Facilities Regulated Materials Office to report suspected damage to regulated building materials on the Seattle campus.