The Asbestos Risk Management Program

The program dedicated to asbestos control is the Asbestos Risk Management Program or ARMP. In 1982, State began developing a strategy to assess the possible danger of asbestos to employees and their family members. There was no federal mandate to implement such a program, but the assistant secretary for Administration, nevertheless, considered it a serious issue requiring a comprehensive control program.

Department officials, with help from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and the Defense Department, designed an inspection and abatement approach for properties where asbestos was most expected to exist. As asbestos control technologies advanced in the ensuing years, the Department adopted a policy that if materials containing asbestos are left in good condition, protected from damage and safely removed when necessary, the risk to personnel is minimal.

The essence of the Department’s ARMP is to survey properties to determine if asbestos is present; if there is a risk for fiber release, to act immediately to remove or contain it. If there is no immediate fiber release risk, the plan suggests in-place management to ensure that the material is not disturbed unless absolutely necessary (as with renovations). If the asbestos must be disturbed, appropriate control measures must be taken to protect workers, employees and the environment from exposure. Asbestos must be removed before renovation work begins.