15 RCNY § 1-125 Work Area Preparation.
§ 1-125 Work Area Preparation.
The following work area preparation shall be followed during the conduct of pre-demolition abatement activities:
(a) Prior to the start of abatement activities on asbestos projects the building owner or designated representative must post a general notification at all main entrances to the structure. Postings of this notification must be in English and Spanish, at eye level in a conspicuous well-lit place that can be viewed by the public without obstruction. Information provided in the notification must include contractor, project location, that the project is regulated by NYC DEP, and the Call Center "311" for government information and services. The notice must have the following heading: NOTICE OF ASBESTOS ABATEMENT, in a minimum of one inch sans serif, gothic or block style lettering, with the balance of the lettering of the notice to be of the same type lettering in a minimum of one quarter inch size. The notification must be posted throughout all abatement activities.
(b) The building shall be vacated prior to the start of abatement activities.
(c) Electric power to all work areas shall be shut down and locked out. Safe temporary power and lighting shall be provided in accordance with all applicable NYC Code(s) and Regulations. Existing light sources (e.g., house lights) shall not be utilized. All power to a work area shall be brought in from outside the area through ground-fault interrupter at the source.
(d) The worker decontamination enclosure system shall be installed or constructed prior to plasticizing the work area and before disturbing ACM. The waste decontamination enclosure system shall be installed or constructed prior to commencement of abatement. The area in which these systems are located shall require HVAC system isolation and plasticizing of electrical outlets and equipment that are within 6 inches of floor level.
(e) Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) System shall be shut down and locked out. Isolation barriers shall be installed to prevent interior duct work contamination.
(f) Abatement shall not commence until work place preparation has been completed.
(g) Methods that raise dust, such as sweeping or vacuuming with equipment not equipped with HEPA filters, are prohibited.
(h) Objects which can be removed from the work area prior to abatement without disturbing ACM shall be pre-cleaned using HEPA-filtered vacuum equipment and/or wet cleaning.
(i) The isolation barriers (i.e. sealing off of all openings, including but not limited to windows, corridors, doorways, barriers, skylights, ducts, grills, diffusers, and any other penetrations of the work areas) shall be installed with 2 layers of fire retardant 6-mil plastic sheeting separately sealed with tape. All seams of HVAC or other system components that pass through the work area shall also be sealed. Chimney effects in stacks, columns, flues, shafts, double- walled enclosures, etc., that impact the work area, shall be eliminated by sealing the accesses with solid material covered with a double layer of 6-mil plastic sealed with tape.
(j) Cinderblock and porous construction materials, painted or unpainted, must be covered with one layer of fire retardant 6-mil plastic sheeting, sealed at edges and seams.
(k) Flooring within the work area shall be water-tight.
(l) Suspended ceiling tiles and T-grid components in proximity to ACM shall remain in place until the work area has been fully prepared as outlined in this section and electrical and HVAC systems have been shut down. Contaminated suspended ceiling components shall be removed prior to abatement and treated with a penetrating encapsulant.
(m) Required means of egress, including emergency and fire exits, must be maintained at all times during abatement activities except as otherwise provided, pursuant to the New York City Building and Fire Codes. Exits must be checked daily to ensure that there is no blockage or impediments to exiting.
(n) Entrances to the work area that will be used for worker entry or emergency exits shall be locked against unauthorized entry.
(o) Elevators running through the work area shall conform to the following:
(1) The elevator door in the work area shall be enclosed with conventional 2 x 4 stud framing, covered with 3/8" fire rated plywood sheeting and sealed at all edges and seams. The barrier shall be covered and lapped for 8 inches with two layers of fire retardant 6-mil plastic sheeting adhered individually with edges taped for airtightness.
(2) Elevators not remaining in service shall have the fuses removed and the power switch locked in the open position.
(3) Elevators that remain in service shall conform to the following additional procedures to minimize the piston effect that results:
(i) Elevator control shall be modified to bypass the work area.
(ii) A final larger layer of fire retardant 6-mil plastic sheeting is to be taped airtight but with slack forming a larger perimeter diaphragm. Air leakage across the barrier shall be corrected upon discovery, and the elevator shaft shall be checked for airborne asbestos contamination.
(iii) This system shall be smoke tested daily.
(4) Elevator shafts shall not be used as waste chutes for asbestos-containing waste material.
(p) Adequate toilet facilities shall be provided in the vicinity of the clean room external to the work place. Where such facilities do not exist, portable service shall be provided.
(Amended City Record 12/7/2018, eff. 1/6/2019; amended City Record 8/21/2019, eff. 9/20/2019)