Abstract
Asbestos operations and maintenance (O&M) programs in large organizations must be managed at several levels. Solutions to these management issues have been developed by the General Services Administration, the federal government's primary property management agency. GSA uses U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and Department of Transportation regulations and guidance; it manages asbestos in place where feasible, and abates asbestos which is damaged or subject to disturbance by routine operation or renovation, or for which abatement is programmatically and economically appropriate. Among GSA's asbestos management solutions are gaining program acceptance by integrating asbestos into line management duties (with the safety office having a staff role); keeping client and staff communications open; providing detailed guidance to staff; using economic decision-making (including developing an economic model of O&M versus abatement); training middle managers as well as building managers and their staff; routinizing maintenance work practices, reporting and recordkeeping; requiring building-specific management programs; keeping staff aware of changes in the regulatory environment; and participating in rulemaking and guidance development.