California Officials Verify Elementary School has Asbestos

LA Testing provides asbestos testing services to keep children and faculty at schools safe from exposure to deadly airborne asbestos fibers.

Garden Grove, CA

This summer it was reported that a multipurpose room at a Berkley, California elementary school has been exposing teachers and children to potential asbestos hazards. The room in question had previously had carper runners covering a large broken seam in a linoleum floor, but beginning in January the runners were removed most of the time.

With the floor runners removed the cracked and flaking flooring near the old linoleum floor seam allowed asbestos containing materials to be disturbed during normal school activities. When asbestos containing materials become disturbed it allows the asbestos fibers to become airborne which can then pose a risk to the building inhabitants.

The risks of developing lung cancer from asbestos exposure increases with the amount & type of fibers inhaled. Smokers also have an increased risk of lung cancer from inhaling asbestos fibers as compared to nonsmokers. Diseases caused by asbestos may not appear until 20 to 30 years after the asbestos exposure occurred.

Asbestos from building materials in indoor environments is heavily regulated. According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act all public school districts are required to monitor for asbestos. Custodial staff are required under the act to be given asbestos awareness training, but in the case of the asbestos containing flooring at the Berkley school it was a teacher that raised awareness of the problem.

LA Testing, an affiliate of EMSL Analytical and a leading source of environmental testing services, provides comprehensive asbestos testing solutions. “Because the harm that asbestos causes often doesn’t appear for decades it’s crucial that we monitor and protect people from asbestos exposure, especially our children in schools,” reported Ben Sublasky, National Director of Client Services for LA Testing and EMSL Analytical. “Simple testing is all it takes and LA Testing is here to help.”

To learn more about asbestos testing services please visit www.LATesting.com, email info@LATesting.com or call (800) 755-1794.

About LA Testing and EMSL Analytical, Inc.
LA Testing and EMSL Analytical are providers of environmental testing services and products to professionals and the general public. The companies have an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies.

Contact Information

Ben Sublasky

National Director of Clients Services/Operations Manager

EMSL Analytical, Inc.

Contact via E-mail