HPC of South Bend and St. Joseph County - Standards Update Draft

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City of South Bend and St. Joseph County Historic Preservation Guidelines 110 For More Information: Hazardous Materials Building repair and maintenance can potentially be dangerous work . It is recommended that all manufacturers’ recommendations be followed and appropriate safety precautions with ladders, tools, materials, and processes be taken . Property owners should consult a professional for work that is unfamiliar or potentially unsafe . Older buildings can contain dangerous materials such as asbestos, lead and mold that might be uncovered during work . Property owners should hire licensed professionals and familiarize themselves with these materials and their building’s conditions before beginning work . What are hazardous materials? Asbestos Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous crystalline mineral which is an excellent electrical insulator and is highly heat-resistant, making it an ideal building material and insulator. However due to its fibrous nature, it is today a well-known health and safety hazard and the use of asbestos as a building material is deemed illegal in many countries. The inhalation of asbestos fibers can lead to various lung and respiratory conditions. Exposure to asbestos in the form of fibers is always considered dangerous. Working with, or exposure to, material that is friable, or materials or work that could cause the release of loose asbestos fibers, is considered high risk. In general, people who become ill from inhaling asbestos have been regularly exposed in a job where they worked directly with the material . Asbestos is generally thought to be contained in most buildings constructed before 1980, with the most common uses including: insulation, pipe wrap, plaster and drywall, fireproofing materials, fiber cement materials, roofing and siding materials, and vinyl floor tiles. Today asbestos has been largely replaced in building construction with materials including fiberglass, mineral wool, and other organic and synthetic fibers. In good stable condition these materials generally will not cause undue health concerns, however if they become damaged, or develop friable edges, they should be addressed via encapsulation or remediation . Property owners are responsible for ensuring that all asbestos removal and disposal is handled in accordance with all applicable regulations and procedures . It is recommended that all asbestos related work be undertaken by a licensed contractor . • US Environmental Protection Agency Hotline (800)-368-5888 www .epa .gov/asbestos • Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Assistance Information Service (202)- 554-1404 tsca-hotline@epa.gov For some additional information about Asbestos in buildings consider the following resources: • Old House Online – The Lead and Asbestos Law • Asbestos .com – About Asbestos • The Craftsman Blog Dangers Hiding in Your Old House How to deal with asbestos • The Architect Magazine Understanding asbestos use in 20th Century Materials Lead Lead is a heavy metal which is soft and malleable . It was commonly used in a variety of capacities in building construction until the 1970’s when it was largely phased out of use, though some uses remain, such as leaded glass. Traditionally, lead was commonly used for drainpipes, roofing, gutters, and as a key ingredient in paint and other coating products. It is generally accepted that any building built before 1980 will likely contain lead products. In historic structures the number one lead related hazard is old paint and other similar types of coatings . Lead abatement is commonly conducted with two different approaches: complete removal or encapsulation. When removal of the lead is undertaken it either requires blasting the layers of coatings from the sub-straight material, or complete removal of the sub-straight material as well. This approach is not recommended when working with historic properties . More often encapsulation is the recommended form of lead abatement . Unlike asbestos or other similar hazardous materials often produced in the form of boards or shingles, lead paint is a coating on a board or shingle type material . This means that encapsulation with new paint will adhere the new paint to the old and create a protective film on the exposed surface. Hazardous Materials DRAFT