| Cumberland
Analytical Laboratories Services Services Provided
The individual services that Cumberland Analytical Laboratories, Inc. (CALI) can and will provide for its clients covers an extremely wide range of disciplines and occupational functions. A majority of the projects in which CALI is associated are multifaceted and often cover services from multiple occupational designations. The services can be broken down into four (4) general categories. These categories are not inclusive of all services that CALI can provide, but are the most common and relevant, and are as follows:
Asbestos Management and Asbestos Related Services
Cumberland Analytical Laboratories, Inc(CALI) provides asbestos consulting services to abatement contractors, private industry, commerce, school districts and government agencies on a regular basis. These services include asbestos testing, asbestos surveys, laboratory analysis, planning and designs for asbestos abatement projects, air monitoring before, during and after abatement projects and asbestos management and abatement oversight services. These services are usually combined to derive a scope of work for each separate project. CALI's personnel will assist you in managing your asbestos problems from simple encapsulation projects to extensive removal projects. CALI's extensive experience with asbestos projects will work for you.
The Asbestos Testing Management and Asbestos
Related Services include, but are no limited to:
Asbestos Containing Building Materials Inspections
Cumberland Analytical Laboratories, Inc's(CALI's) group of Industrial Hygienists conduct asbestos containing material inspection surveys prior to real estate transfers, renovations or demolitions of buildings or just for reference to building owners. CALI's licensed professionals are skilled at identifying and collecting samples for analysis from suspected asbestos containing materials (ACM). CALI's in-house asbestos laboratory is certified to conduct Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) analysis to identify the type of asbestos and the amount of asbestos present in the sample analyzed. This ability allows CALI to keep analytical costs low and to maintain an efficient sample turnaround time.
Depending upon the needs of the client, Cumberland Analytical Laboratories Inc.’s (CALI's) professional staff will review all previous asbestos surveys performed at the project location, if any, and confirm the presence and quantity of known ACM. CALI will also provide additional sampling of previously untested materials, and re-test as necessary, to derive a complete list of known ACM and the respective quantity and condition of each item. CALI will also document the location of unaccessible materials and location in which additional materials may be present.
Each Building Survey Project Includes:
1. An Industrial Hygienist(IH) to oversee the hazard assessment survey, ensure sample quality control and prepare the final report.
2. An on-site Project Manager to
ensure efficient scheduling, priority analysis and thorough documentation and
3.
Inspection and inventory of all building areas made accessible by the building owner's representative
to
4. On-site Chemists/Technicians for bulk sample collection and material movement. Following the formulation of a thorough sampling strategy, bulk sample collection is performed using EPA recommended procedures to minimize fiber release. Chain of custody is documented throughout the sample collection process to ensure proper quality control.
5. Analysis
of "suspect" asbestos containing material samples by Polarized Light Microscopy per EPA Method
6.
Preparation of a building inspection report containing results of bulk sample analyses, quantities,
locations
Asbestos Management Planning and Abatement Project Designs
If asbestos is present at a site, Cumberland Analytical Laboratories, Inc. (CALI) will recommend an effective management or abatement program, as deemed necessary. CALI's staff includes Licensed/EPA Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) certified management planners and project designers to ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations to provide the confidence your company requires.
If the perspective project entails a building renovation or demolition, Cumberland Analytical Laboratories, Inc. (CALI) will work with the Architectural or Engineering Design Team to derive a list of the ACM that will need to be professionally abated as part of the overall project scope of work. This list will be used, in part, to provide all necessary documentation and the specifications to properly and legally abate the ACM in question. CALI will prepare cost estimates and the bidding documents for competitive bidding, provide a list of qualified abatement contractors, oversee the pre-bid process, and provide all necessary addendums for clarification of the bidding documents, if necessary. CALI will assist in the review of contractor submittals for the selection of the abatement contractor, and will assist in contract negotiations, project phasing, determining required completion times, and coordination efforts with other building trades. CALI will also assist in preparing the PaDEP abatement notification forms.
Frequently, removal of all asbestos containing materials in a building is neither technically nor economically feasible. Removal is not mandated by existing federal, state or local regulations. In fact, the EPA has stated that, "As long as asbestos containing materials remain in good condition and are not disturbed, exposure is unlikely." Although not required by federal law, the prudent building owner will take steps to limit building occupants' exposure to airborne asbestos. Any building in which known ACM remains should be inspected and reinspected, as deemed necessary by the client, or by state, federal, or local regulations. The locations, conditions and quantities of ACM will need to be verified to determine if the building conditions or material conditions have changed and the ACM has become damaged or is a potential hazard to the building occupants. CALI’s certified asbestos management planners will provide the necessary documentation, forms, reports, and inspections to properly maintain any building with ACM. This service is extremely useful in building with fall under the AHERA guidelines and regulations, where a management plan and re-inspections are required. CALI will guide you through the process to make compliance as uncomplicated as possible.
An essential interim control to minimize the building owner's liability prior to asbestos removal (or in lieu of asbestos removal) is the implementation of an Operations and Maintenance Program.
These Programs Serve Two
Purposes:
Cumberland Analytical Laboratories, Inc(CALI's) written programs clearly define areas of responsibility and establish guidelines to control asbestos exposures.
Other Programs Include:
1. Notification procedures for in-house maintenance staff and outside contractors.
2. Development of an in-house inspection program, including emergency abatement and repair techniques.
3. Training of maintenance staff in the hazards, health
effects and special cleaning techniques associated
4. Thorough record keeping requirements for environmental monitoring results, workers' training, medical records, waste disposal and abatement operations.
These programs, in conjunction with an active abatement program, allow building owners to phase in abatement activities on an "as needed" basis and maintain budgetary controls. If the perspective project consist of only doing select abatement of materials that may directly cause a hazard or potential contamination due to its condition or location, or stabilization of material in poor condition until abatement can be performed, CALI will provide a list of materials that need to be stabilized or abated, as with the building renovation or demolition project, and provide the same services required to design the abatement project and assist in contractor selection.
Asbestos Abatement Oversight, ASBESTOS TESTING, Project Management, and Air Sampling
Cumberland Analytical Laboratories, Inc(CALI) offers its clients asbestos testing & asbestos abatement oversight, abatement project management, and compliance services during abatement projects to ensure project completion is according to the work plan and that project personnel and other building occupants are adequately protected under non-hazardous or hazardous situations. One of the extremely important services provided to it clients during abatement projects is air monitoring sampling and analysis.
Background air samples will be collected from the work area prior to the commencement of abatement activities to document the quality of the air. This is usually performed using calibrated high volume sampling pumps and Phase Contrast Microscopy (PCM) methods. When all critical barriers and containment setup devices are in place, and HEPA-filtered negative air pressure units are operational, depending upon the abatement project, the work area will be inspected by the onsite representative to ensure containment procedures and protective barriers will be adequate, and to protect the building occupants for potential exposures to asbestos during abatement activities. The onsite representative will then allow the abatement contractor to start removal of asbestos containing materials form the work area.
During abatement, perimeter air samples will be collected outside of the work area at critical barriers, HEPA-filtered negative air pressure exhausts, and at decontamination units, to ensure that airborne fiber concentrations outside the work area remain below the “clean” air limits of 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter (f/cc) and will collect air samples from within the work area to ensure that the persons performing abatement are wearing the appropriate level of personal protective respiratory equipment and may also provide OSHA personal worker exposure monitoring. If necessary due to containment breaches, high airborne fiber count levels, or poor abatement work practices, the onsite industrial hygienist will stop all work abatement activities until the airborne fiber concentrations levels are at acceptable limits, introduced additional controls or work practices, and assess the work area for additional concerns. The industrial hygienist will then allow abatement to continue, documenting all actions, air results, and associated concerns.
After the completion of abatement activities, CALI’s industrial hygienist will provide a visual final clearance assessment of the work area, and will determine if any additional abatement or cleanup activities are required to meet the scope of work and to ensure that the work area is clean and adequately encapsulated. The industrial hygienist will then perform final clearance air testing to ensure the airborne fiber concentrations with the work area are below the “clean” air levels. If PCM methods are utilized, the industrial hygienist will analyze the collected samples to determine if the area is below the “clean” limits, or if additional air filtration time is required. If Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) methods are required, the industrial hygienist will have the collected samples delivered to an accredited testing laboratory for analysis. CALI has the capabilities to read all collected PCM air samples on site, reducing the turnaround time for results, and can provide preliminary results to help ensure workers' safety throughout the entire project. If needed, TEM analysis must be scheduled with an accredited testing laboratory with turnaround times to be determined based upon sample cost and necessity.
The abatement project management and oversight services, and the air monitoring services provided by CALI are key factors in any project. They allows the client to limit the liability of hazardous exposures by ensuring that proper abatement procedures are followed, safe work practices and containment procedure are adhered to at all times, and ensuring the safety of building occupants. CALI will documents all activities and will provide a final report with daily activities, the results of all collected air samples, and will maintain detailed sample chain-of-custody forms for all samples, which will be easily referenced to the specific work area and abatement project.
Analytical Asbestos Laboratory Services
Cumberland Analytical Laboratories, Inc.(CALI) operates a in-house asbestos testing laboratory, specialized in bulk asbestos sample analysis and PCM air sample analysis. The laboratory is also setup to perform a variety of other testing methods as well.
Cumberland Analytical Laboratories, Inc's.(CALI's) Industrial Hygiene Laboratory is run in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the American Industrial Hygiene Association. This represents the benchmark of quality assurance. CALI's clients can be assured that the laboratory data generated by our personnel is reliable and legally defensible in future litigation proceedings.
Additional internal quality control procedures implemented in CALI's Laboratory are as follows:
1. Field blanks are analyzed for every 10 samples collected.
2. Laboratory blanks are analyzed for every 25 sample cassettes.
3. Daily replicate samples are performed for 10% of the samples submitted for analysis.
4. Weekly replication of field and samples is performed.
5. Participation in the AIHA Asbestos Analysts Testing Program occurs quarterly to maintain accreditation.
Analysts are trained in Phase Contrast Microscopy analysis via external training, specifically the NIOSH 582 or Equivalent Course. Where on-site satellite laboratories are utilized, our comprehensive QA/QC Program is also incorporated.
Cumberland Analytical Laboratories, Inc's(CALI's) laboratory quality control procedures for bulk sample analysis include:
1. Daily replicate samples are performed for 10% of the
samples submitted for analysis. 3. Advanced Asbestos Analysis Course at McCrone Research Institute is a prerequisite for our analysts.
CALI’s professional perform a variety of
specialized services related to lead hazard management and testing services. These services are similar in
nature to the asbestos services, which have been previously described. These services
include:
On April 18, 1990, the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Lead Based Paint
Interim Guidelines for Hazard Identification and Abatement in Public and Indian Housing went into effect. The HUD
Lead Based Paint Interim Guidelines require that lead based paint equal to or greater than 1.0 milligrams per
square centimeter (1.0 We are extremely concerned about the public health issue surrounding lead poisoning. Lead poisoning continues to be one of the leading medical concerns to small children. Our staff of professionals have developed what we think are the most cost effective solutions to deal with this problem. Whatever your needs are, we are prepared to meet them. In today's uncertain economic times, we offer real value for a reasonable price. We are very responsive, reacting to most inquiries within 24 hours. When dealing with large traditional consultants, it often takes a substantial amount of time for a response. CALI's response time is rapid and our fees cost effective. CALI can provide any lead related service to meet you specific needs. CALI also owns and operates an X-Ray Fluorescence Lead Paint Analyzer, which utilizes non-evasive method of detecting lead concentrations, without the necessity of removing paint from the material substrates. The XRF can provide results in an extremely quick amount of time, sometimes within a few seconds, so that costly, time consuming bulk sample collections are not necessary.
Indoor Air Quality Investigations and Industrial Hygiene Services CALI offers its clientele years of hands-on
experience in occupational health and safety services. CALI's approach includes the expertise of several
disciplines including Certified Indoor Air Quality Managers (CIAQM), industrial hygienists and technicians,
health professionals, HVAC professionals and environmental specialists. The Indoor Air Quality/ Industrial
Hygiene Services include, but are not limited to:
CALI offers air monitoring services to its industrial clients to ensure worker safety during the processing of materials and to locate and evaluate the source of contaminant leakage or emissions within a facility.
CALI's professionals will assist your staff in developing a comprehensive monitoring program to fit your needs. If worker exposure is an issue, CALI will provide your staff with personal monitors to determine the level of exposure in the work place. We can also provide electronic direct reading or passive monitors requiring analysis to determine the level of exposure to a given chemical. Our staff can also provide electronic or passive monitors and/or air collection equipment to monitor an area for off gases or leaks. |
