Service: Hazardous Material Assessment and Abatement; Construction Management/Title II Services
Project: Worcester State Hospital Asbestos Assessment and Abatement
Client: Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management
Site Location: Former Worcester State Hospital, Worcester. MA
Period of Performance: 2007

H&S evaluated a former state hospital complex, including historic buildings and partially destroyed buildings for presence of hazardous materials prior to rehabilitation and demolition. Licensed asbestos assessors quantified volumes and locations of asbestos, lead paint, and PCBs in light fixtures, plotted their locations on figures, and developed options for abating hazardous materials, including permit requirements, abatement cost estimates, construction coordination, and abatement schedules. We worked with the Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM) to achieve its goals with being sensitive to the Worcester Preservations Society and its objectives.

We mobilized for site reconnaissance within 1 week of award and completed sampling and analysis of a complex of 16 fire-damaged, 130 year old buildings with abandoned underground tunnels within 5 weeks. The assessments and abatement designs were completed in compliance with EPA, TSCA, OSHA, CAA, AHERA, and NESHAP federal regulations and Massachusetts regulations 310 CMR 4.00 for air quality regulations, notifications, and disposal and Massachusetts Department of Occupational Safety 453 CMR 6.00. We mitigated occupational hazards performing inspections in abandoned underground tunnels by implementing 3-person buddy system with multiple teams and using 2-way radio communication to ensure safe assessments.

Assessors completed an asbestos inventory checklist for all sample locations and recorded sample locations and conditions with digital photography to ensure ability to relocate the sample locations during abatement. We collected over 500 suspected asbestos samples for analysis at an outside laboratory and maintained proper chain of custody from sample collection through receipt at laboratory. Evaluation of the analytical results indicated that 40% of the samples contained asbestos. We prepared construction specifications for the abatement of the hazardous materials and assisted DCAM with evaluation and award of the abatement contracts.

Construction management staff provided Title II Engineering oversight of abatement to ensure implementation of abatement protocols. IH monitoring was performed to ensure contractors followed applicable regulations and their work activities conformed to the abatement specifications including verifying negative pressure requirements of containment, air monitoring, and oversight of verification sampling procedures. We used checklists to verify removal of all identified hazardous materials and implementation of proper containment and safety procedures. We avoided unplanned shutdown of occupied areas of the Hospital by monitoring the abatement contractor schedule to ensure critical path activities were completed in compliance with the baseline schedule.

• Safely completed over 3,000 labor hours with zero OSHA reportable or lost time incidents working in fire damaged structures and underground abandoned tunnels
• Saved client $8,000 by coordinating efforts with design AE Firms structural engineer to reduce redundant field efforts on building investigations