Consumer, Environmental and Occupational Health Service, New Jersey Department of Health, Trenton, New Jersey.
J Public Health Manag Pract. 2023;29(1):E1-E10. doi: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000001549. Epub 2022 Sep 3.
The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) became a law in 1986, and the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) was mandated to promulgate rules to regulate the inspection, management, and abatement of asbestos-containing building materials (ACBM) in schools. This study describes 10 years (2008-2017) of AHERA compliance site inspection data conducted by the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH).
To establish the level to which inspected NJ schools comply with AHERA regulations, to characterize compliance deficiencies including those that may lead to increased asbestos exposure risk to students and school employees, and to determine whether age, type, and geographic location of school impacted the likelihood of noncompliance.
Information collected during 456 unique inspections between 2008 and 2017 was analyzed.
Inspections were conducted at public and private schools in New Jersey. These included elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as charter and vocational/technical schools.
Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression modeling of 3 factors, school type, geographical region, and school age.
NJDOH inspectors found damage to friable ACBM in 50% (n = 229) of the schools and fiber release episodes in 27% of inspections (n = 121). The case of schools failing to attach warning labels on or immediately adjacent to ACBM was the most frequently noted compliance deficiency over the 10-year period. The modeling output showed that compliance was associated with the type of school and geographical region.
Inspected schools during the 10-year period were in serious noncompliance with AHERA regulations. This included deficiencies that demonstrate a potential exposure to asbestos such as missing ACBM in management plans, damaged ACBM, lack of protection of short-term workers and custodial staff, and the identification of fiber release episodes. Modeling results of specific school characteristics can help direct limited resources to mitigate potential asbestos exposures.
《石棉危害紧急应对法案》（AHERA）于 1986 年成为法律，美国环保署（USEPA）被授权颁布规定，以规范学校含石棉建筑材料（ACBM）的检查、管理和减少。本研究描述了新泽西州卫生部（NJDOH）进行的 AHERA 合规现场检查数据的 10 年（2008-2017 年）。
确定经检查的新泽西州学校遵守 AHERA 法规的程度，描述合规缺陷，包括可能导致学生和学校员工暴露于石棉风险增加的缺陷，并确定学校的年龄、类型和地理位置是否影响不合规的可能性。
对 2008 年至 2017 年期间进行的 456 次独特检查中收集的信息进行了分析。
在新泽西州的公立和私立学校进行了检查。这些学校包括小学、中学和高中，以及特许和职业/技术学校。
对学校类型、地理位置和学校年龄 3 个因素进行描述性统计和多逻辑回归建模。
NJDOH 检查员发现，50%（n=229）的学校存在易碎 ACBM 损坏，27%的检查（n=121）中存在纤维释放事件。在过去 10 年中，最常注意到的合规缺陷是学校未能在 ACBM 上或紧邻 ACBM 处贴上警告标签。模型输出显示，合规性与学校类型和地理位置有关。
在 10 年期间进行检查的学校严重违反了 AHERA 法规。这包括缺乏石棉管理计划中的 ACBM、损坏的 ACBM、缺乏对短期工人和保管人员的保护以及纤维释放事件的识别等潜在暴露的缺陷。对特定学校特征的建模结果可以帮助指导有限的资源，以减轻潜在的石棉暴露。
