Asbestos Management Plan

An asbestos management plan is the written plan that AHERA requires every public and private nonprofit elementary and secondary school to keep. It records where asbestos-containing materials are in each building, their condition, and how the school will inspect, maintain and respond to them.

Origin

Congress passed the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act in 1986, and EPA's regulations at 40 C.F.R. Part 763, Subpart E set the plan requirements. Schools had to inspect buildings and submit plans to their states in the late 1980s, and must keep plans current.

Significance in Asbestos Context

The plan must be available for public review at the school and district office, and schools must notify parents, teachers and staff each year that it is available. It includes inspection results, reinspection every three years by an accredited inspector, periodic surveillance at least every six months, response actions, and the name of a designated person responsible for compliance. For former students, teachers, custodians and maintenance workers, a school's management plan and its history can show what asbestos was present, where, and what was done about it. Missing records, damaged materials left in place, or work done without precautions can matter in a claim. Non-school buildings are not covered by AHERA's plan rule, though owners have other duties under OSHA.

Example Sentence

The district's asbestos management plan showed that damaged pipe insulation in the boiler room had been flagged for years before custodians were told of it.

Related Terms

AHERA, Operations and Maintenance Program, Asbestos-Containing Material (ACM), Abatement, Encapsulation, Presumed Asbestos-Containing Material (PACM)

Notes

• Anyone may ask to see a school's asbestos management plan; requests can be made at the school or district office.
• If you worked or studied in a school, note the building names and years; old plans can be requested later.