MassDEP urges building owners to hire a licensed asbestos contractor

The Division of Occupational Safety (DOS) within the Massachusetts Department of Labor licenses asbestos contractors who can be retained by building owners to remove asbestos cement shingles.

In general, DOS regulations require that a building owner hire a licensed asbestos contractor to remove friable asbestos-containing material. DOS regulations do not require a building owner to retain a licensed asbestos contractor to remove non-friable asbestos-containing building materials (which includes asbestos cement shingles), unless the cement shingles are deteriorated and have become friable, in which case the DOS regulations would apply.

MassDEP recommends that building owners consider hiring a licensed asbestos contractor to remove asbestos shingles even if the shingles are in good condition, since the handling standards in MassDEP’s asbestos regulations (except for work area containment and air cleaning as specified in this guidance) must be fully met regardless of who removes the shingles.

In MassDEP’s experience, due to a lack of training and appropriate equipment, homeowners and other building owners who attempt to remove asbestos cement shingles often fail to meet MassDEP’s regulations. Failing to meet MassDEP’s asbestos regulations can result in increased health risk, as well as MassDEP enforcement actions that may include civil penalties and mandated cleanup work by a licensed asbestos contractor.

Therefore, given the potential hazards to public health and financial risk posed by improper asbestos removal, building owners and managers should carefully consider hiring a licensed asbestos contractor to remove asbestos cement shingles.