Asbestos Certification (ASB) · Lesson 5 of 6

Asbestos Consultants and Site Surveillance Technicians: What a Contractor May and May Not Do

"Asbestos Consultants and Site Surveillance Technicians: What a Contractor May and May Not Do" is lesson 5 of 6 in the Asbestos Certification (ASB) Learning Hub. It opens with "Two Certified Roles, Separate From the Contractor" and works through 5 short steps, then a worked example you can check yourself against.

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Steps in this lesson

  1. Two Certified Roles, Separate From the Contractor
  2. DOSH Certifies Them, and Owners Must Hire Certified People
  3. Qualifications: Experience, Federal Certificate, and an Exam
  4. Independence: The Contractor Cannot Do the Consultant's Job
  5. Penalties and Enforcement

The worked example in the course applies this lesson to a realistic job in 5 steps, from "Watch for a conflict" through "Keep the paperwork".

What you'll be able to do

  • Explain the main idea of "Asbestos Consultants and Site Surveillance Technicians: What a Contractor May and May Not Do" in plain language you can use on the exam.
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Qualifications: Experience, Federal Certificate, and an Exam".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Independence: The Contractor Cannot Do the Consultant's Job".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Penalties and Enforcement".
  • Test yourself on the worked example and the quick-check quiz inside the classroom.
Consultant Rules: A.A. + 2 Years Is 1 Year ShortCONSULTANT: DEGREE PLUS EXPERIENCEDEGREE HELDYEARS NEEDEDB.S. in a listed field1 yearBachelor's degree2 yearsA.A. in a listed field3 yearsHigh school diploma4 yearsListed fields: engineering, architecture,industrial hygiene, construction management,or a related biological or physical scienceA.A. + 2 years: needs 3, one year shortBachelor's + 2 years: meets the 2 yearsCONTRACTOR SAMPLING IN A HOMEOnly for bid prep, own-worker exposure,or checking its own job is completeLimit: 12 bulk samples or fewerHouse A: 9 samplesallowedHouse B: 15 samplesconsultant neededSampler: AHERA-certified building inspectorClearance air monitoring:never the contractor (B&P 7180(b))No risk assessment or health services (7187)Site surveillance technician: 6 months under a consultant + high school diploma+ AHERA certificate + exam, all certified by DOSH (B&P 7185)Consultant may hold no financial interest in the abatement contractor on the same project (7187)Uncertified practice: $1,000 to $3,000 first offense; later offense $3,000 to $5,000 or jail (7189)Source: B&P 7180, 7181, 7182, 7184, 7185, 7187, 7189, 7189.5; 8 CCR 1529(q)CC
The diagram for this lesson, exactly as it appears in the Learning Hub.

The first steps of this lesson

Step 1: Two Certified Roles, Separate From the Contractor

B&P 7181 defines an asbestos consultant as anyone who contracts to provide professional health and safety services relating to asbestos-containing material, including building inspections, abatement project design, contract administration, supervision of site surveillance technicians, sample collection, preparation of asbestos management plans, and clearance air monitoring. B&P 7182 defines a site surveillance technician as an independent onsite representative of a consultant who monitors the abatement activities of others, provides air monitoring for area and personal samples, and performs building surveys and contract administration at the consultant's direction. Section 1529(q)(1) uses the same roles for asbestos-containing construction material of 100 square feet or more of surface area.

Step 2: DOSH Certifies Them, and Owners Must Hire Certified People

No one may practice as a consultant or technician unless certified by the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (B&P 7180(a)). A building owner or operator who engages one must contract with a certified person (B&P 7180.5), and no employer may engage a consultant or technician who cannot show proof of certification (1529(q)(4)). The article applies to abatement projects involving 100 square feet or more of surface area (B&P 7189.5). The Division must tell an applicant within 15 days whether the application is complete, and issue the card within 45 days of a complete application, or issue a provisional card (B&P 7183). The Cal/OSHA Pocket Guide cites section 341.15 for this certification.

The remaining 3 steps, the worked example and the quiz are in the course. This is a preview. The full lesson, with the step-by-step explanations, a worked example and a quick-check quiz, is inside the classroom.

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