Asbestos Training for School Custodial Staff

School maintenance teams work around flooring, pipe insulation, ceiling materials, wall systems and mechanical equipment that may have been installed decades ago. In buildings with asbestos containing material, ordinary cleaning or repair work can become a safety problem when employees do not recognise what should be left alone.

August is a sensible time for school districts and private schools to review training records before fall maintenance begins. The required course depends on what each employee may do, not simply on the person’s job title.

Start With Two Hour Awareness Training

Under the federal asbestos in schools rule, custodial and maintenance employees who may work in a building containing asbestos material need at least two hours of awareness training. New employees must receive that training within 60 days after starting work.

Awareness training is intended for people who may encounter asbestos but are not assigned to disturb it. Topics include the health effects of exposure, common locations of asbestos material, signs of damage and the activities employees should not perform.

The goal is recognition and prevention. A custodian who finds damaged pipe insulation or broken floor tile should know to stop, protect the area and report the condition rather than sweeping, scraping or repairing it.

Additional Training Applies When Work May Disturb Asbestos

Some maintenance employees perform tasks that can disturb small amounts of asbestos containing material. Those workers need more than awareness training.

EPA guidance describes 14 additional hours of training for maintenance and custodial staff whose work may disturb asbestos material. Together with the two hour awareness portion, this creates a 16 hour operations and maintenance level program.

This training covers safe work practices, protective equipment, cleaning methods, disposal procedures and small scale work controls. It is not the same as full asbestos abatement worker training. The employer must match the course to the work employees will actually perform.

Do Not Use Job Titles as the Only Guide

Two employees with the same title may need different training. One maintenance technician may only inspect rooms and replace light bulbs. Another may open walls, repair pipe insulation or remove damaged flooring.

Review normal duties, emergency assignments and the materials present in each building. Contractors also need accurate information before they begin work. A school should not assume that general OSHA training automatically covers asbestos responsibilities.

The asbestos management plan should identify known asbestos containing building materials and help supervisors decide which tasks require trained personnel.

Understand the Refresher Question

AHERA requires the initial school custodial training within the specified period, but EPA notes that the school rule itself does not establish a recurring refresher schedule for these employees. OSHA asbestos standards may require annual training for employees covered by workplace exposure requirements.

That distinction is easy to miss. Schools should review the employee’s duties, the applicable OSHA standard and any state requirements rather than relying on the date printed on an old certificate.

Changes in work assignments can also create a need for additional training even when the employee completed an awareness course previously.

Keep Training Connected to the Building

Effective awareness training should not remain purely theoretical. Employees need access to information about where asbestos material is located in the schools where they work.

Supervisors should explain reporting procedures, restricted tasks and who to contact when damage is found. The management plan must remain available as required, and employees should know how to find the relevant information.

Training works best when it supports a clear daily procedure rather than becoming a certificate that disappears into a personnel file.

Arrange School Asbestos Training With The Asbestos Institute

The Asbestos Institute offers a two hour online asbestos awareness course and instructor led operations and maintenance training for custodial and maintenance personnel. Training is available at its Phoenix centre, online where permitted and at client locations across the United States. Schools and employers remain responsible for confirming the requirements that apply in their state. Call 602 864 6564 to discuss employee duties and choose an appropriate training option.

References

The Asbestos Institute: Asbestos Awareness Online

The Asbestos Institute: Operations and Maintenance Training

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Asbestos Training

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Custodial Staff Training Frequency

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Local Education Agency Responsibilities