Asbestos Concerns Temporarily Close University Building in California

This past May, a university in California announced that out of an abundance of caution, one of the university’s halls had been closed until further notice. This meant that all events, finals and other activities in the building were suspended, and no access to offices or classrooms was allowed.

According to the university, the temporary closure was put into effect the same day that a routine check of the building’s systems discovered the possible presence of disturbed asbestos. The suspect material was discovered in a plenum, the space used to help circulate air behind an access panel on the second floor.

Asbestos is a mineral fiber that was added to thousands of products and building materials in the past to add strength and provide heat insulation and fire resistance. Up until the 1970s, many of these asbestos-containing materials were being used in residential, commercial and institutional buildings where they can still be found today.

“Temporarily closing a building or parts of a structure when materials that may contain asbestos are disturbed or found to be friable is important to prevent building occupant exposure to asbestos fibers that can easily become airborne and settle as dust,” said Michael Chapman, Laboratory Manager of LA Testing’s Huntington Beach facility. “The good news in these situations is testing is available to rapidly determine if any suspect materials or air and dust samples do indeed contain asbestos.”

Universities, schools, institutions, businesses and property owners in California can turn to LA Testing for all of their asbestos analyses, sampling supplies, test kits, air monitoring instruments and personal protective equipment. Testing is instrumental for identifying exposure risks, monitoring abatement projects and for post clearance testing to ensure a project has been completed properly to ensure a safe indoor environment for all future building occupants.

To learn more about asbestos testing or other environmental, indoor air quality (IAQ), occupational, health and safety issues, please visit www.LATesting.com, email  info@LATesting.com  or call (800) 755-1794. For access to asbestos and other indoor environmental quality (IEQ) test kits, visit www.EMSLTestKits.com.


About LA Testing
LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for indoor air quality testing of asbestos, mold, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash and smoke damage, particulates and other chemicals. In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including: AIHA LAP LLC., AIHA ELLAP, AIHA EMLAP and AIHA IHLAP, CDC ELITE, NVLAP, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health and other states. LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including South Pasadena, Huntington Beach, San Leandro, San Diego and Ontario.

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