Loma Linda University Health employees are hereby notified of the presence of asbestos-containing materials in campus buildings. While such notification is required by California Health & Safety Code 25915 et seq., LLUH is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy work and learning environment.
The department of environmental health and safety conducts on-going building surveys to identify and safely manage previously installed asbestos-containing products. Furthermore, all renovation of campus buildings must be reviewed in advance by the department of environmental health and safety to ensure that no asbestos-containing materials are disturbed without proper safeguards. Work that requires removal or repair of such materials is restricted to trained and qualified persons only.
Asbestos is a common name given to a group of mineral fibers that occur naturally and have been incorporated into a variety of construction products such as wall and ceiling plasters, floor tile, pipe insulation, and asphalt roofing. These materials pose no risk to health unless they are disturbed in such a way that asbestos fibers become airborne, are inhaled, and deposited within the lungs. Increased incidence of several illnesses including asbestosis, a debilitating lung disease, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the lung or stomach cavity lining, have been observed in individuals who were persistently exposed to high levels of airborne asbestos in work environments such as mining, milling, shipbuilding, construction, and manufacturing.
Use the following measures to protect you and others from exposure to airborne asbestos:
• Presume all building materials contain asbestos until determined otherwise by the department of environmental health and safety. Do not remove, cut, drill, sand, grind, or otherwise disturb any material that may contain asbestos.
• Do not go above ceilings, behind walls, or into building spaces such as attics and crawlspaces unless these areas have been inspected and cleared by environmental health and safety.
• Do not pull cable or wiring through above-ceiling spaces with asbestos.
• Do not install screws, pins, nails, or hangers into asbestos ceiling or wall plasters.
• Be careful not to damage walls, ceilings, or floors when moving furniture or equipment.
• Do not brush, sweep, or vacuum textured asbestos ceiling plaster or plaster debris.
• Immediately report any observed damage or deterioration of suspect building materials to your supervisor, safety coordinator, property manager, facilities manager, or environmental health and safety.
For more information, call (909) 651-4019.