Inspection and AHERA Certification Requirements
The Inspection Rule
Before any demolition or renovation that may disturb asbestos, the facility owner or operator must ensure a thorough inspection, including sampling and analysis, is performed by a trained inspector. The inspector must be certified under the AHERA model accreditation plan (MAP) or an equivalent state program. The inspection must cover all reasonably accessible areas and materials that could be disturbed, and the results must be documented in writing before work begins.
AHERA Certification Basics
AHERA accreditation is discipline-specific. The main disciplines are inspector, management planner, project designer, contractor/supervisor, and worker. Each requires approved initial training, an examination, and periodic refresher training (inspectors and management planners refresh on a shorter cycle than workers and supervisors). Accreditation is generally valid for one year and must be renewed. Traps include assuming one certification covers all roles, or that a management planner can perform the initial inspection without inspector credentials.
Sampling and Analysis Traps
Questions often test the number of samples required and the handling of non-friable organically bound (NOB) materials. Bulk samples must be analyzed by an accredited laboratory using polarized light microscopy (PLM), with gravimetric or point-count methods for certain NOB materials. A candidate should know that a single sample is rarely sufficient to clear a homogeneous area and that assumed asbestos-containing material is treated as asbestos until sampling proves otherwise.
Worked Example
A supervisor is asked whether a two-room school renovation needs an inspection. Because the building is a public facility and the work will disturb ceiling tile and pipe insulation, a certified inspector must sample each homogeneous area before disturbance, and the written report must be on site. The supervisor's own certification does not substitute for an inspector's report.
Rule of Thumb
No disturbance without a written inspection by a certified inspector. If the report is missing or the homogeneous area is unsampled, assume the material contains asbestos.