Abatement from Vertical Exterior Surfaces.
15 RCNY § 1-109
in effect§ 1-109 Abatement from Vertical Exterior Surfaces.
All applicable sections of these rules shall be followed in conjunction with this section except 15 RCNY § 1-81(m), § 1-81(p), § 1-91, and § 1-112(c), (d), (e), (g), and (h).
This section shall apply to projects involving the abatement of asbestos-containing materials from the vertical exterior surfaces (and associated horizontal surfaces, e.g. coping stones on top of a parapet wall) of a building or structure, including but not limited to the following materials:
Caulking or glazing compounds
Asphaltic mastic or tar (e.g., flashing on parapet walls)
Cement siding or shingles (including Transite)
Paints
Sealants for coping stone caps or clay roofing tiles
(a) The work area shall be prepared as follows:
(1) The entire surface to be abated and ground-level perimeter shall be considered the work area unless partitions and warning tape are used to define the work area, except that if the horizontal surface below the surface to be abated is not the ground (e.g., surface to be abated is inside parapet wall on roof), the horizontal surface underneath the abatement shall be considered the work area, not the ground.
(2) A restricted area shall be established using warning tape extending at least 25 feet from the affected areas of the building or to the nearest vertical obstruction or the curb.
(3) The restricted area may be entered only by certified workers or authorized visitors.
(4) Before plasticizing, the restricted area shall be inspected for ACM debris and, if necessary, pre-cleaned using HEPA vacuums and wet methods.
(5) All openings to the building or structure's interior which are within 25 feet of the affected ACM shall be closed and made airtight.
(6) Scaffolding erected to access the ACM shall be constructed, maintained, and used in accordance with applicable federal, state, and city laws. The contractor must comply with the requirements set forth in OSHA 29 C.F.R. 1926. Subpart M, Fall Protection and Subpart L (Scaffolds) and the NYC Building Code.
(7) Elevated platforms being used to access the affected ACM shall be plasticized with two layers of fire-retardant 6-mil plastic, which shall extend up from the platform to at least the height of the mid-rail on three sides, and shall be attached directly to the building just below the surfaces under abatement.
(8) The ground-level restricted area shall be cleared of all moveable objects and plasticized with two sheets of fire-retardant 6-mil plastic, which shall be extended one foot up the side of the building. The plasticized area shall be twenty-five feet wide or to the curb. This plastic shall be cleaned, replaced, and disposed of as asbestos waste at the end of each shift.
(9) Sidewalk bridges in the restricted area shall be covered with two layers of fire-retardant 6-mil plastic, placed over and secured to the bridge, spread across the full width of the bridge and up the interior walls of the bridge so the walls are fully plasticized.
(b) A worker/waste decontamination system shall be constructed within the restricted area.
(c) Persons entering the work area must wear personal protective equipment as required by 15 RCNY § 1-51.
(d) Removal Procedure.
(1) Removal of ACM must be by wet methods in accordance with 15 RCNY § 1-102.
(2) ACM removed must be placed in a leak-tight container without dropping the ACM into the container.
(e) Cleanup Procedure.
(1) The stripped substrate must be HEPA vacuumed and wet-wiped.
(2) A visual clearance inspection must be conducted by the asbestos handler supervisor and project monitor after the work area dries, to ensure the absence of ACM residue or debris in the work area.
(3) After the inspection is completed, the warning tapes and barriers may be removed.
(4) The clearance inspection must be documented in the abatement contractor's log and the project air sampling log.
(f) Air monitoring must be conducted in accordance with the relevant provisions of Subchapter D of these rules.
(g) Abatement must not be performed under this section during bad weather (e.g. precipitation, high winds, temperatures in the immediate outdoor surroundings below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, etc.).
(h) Power tools used to drill, cut into, or otherwise disturb ACM must be equipped with HEPA-filtered local exhaust ventilation and operated to prevent potential fiber release.
(Amended City Record 12/7/2018, eff. 1/6/2019; amended City Record 4/28/2022, eff. 5/28/2022)
Source: City of New York, Charter, Administrative Code and Rules (American Legal Publishing XML export, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/newyorkcity/latest/NYCrules/0-0-0-24015Fetched: 10/24/2026