Professional asbestos removal is one of the most heavily regulated construction activities in New York State — and for good reason. Asbestos fibers, when airborne, are invisible and can cause fatal diseases decades after exposure. The abatement process exists to ensure that every fiber stays contained from the moment work begins until the work area achieves clearance. Here is exactly how it works, step by step.
Phase 1: Pre-Project Planning and Notification
Survey and scope. Before any abatement work begins, a NYS DOH-certified asbestos inspector must have identified and quantified all asbestos-containing materials to be removed. The survey report defines the scope of work — what materials, how much, where located, and what condition they are in.
Abatement plan. The licensed contractor develops a written work plan specifying containment methods, removal procedures, worker protection measures, waste handling, and air monitoring protocols. For large projects, this plan may be reviewed by the building owner’s environmental consultant.
NYS DOL notification. New York State requires the abatement contractor to notify the NYS Department of Labor at least 10 calendar days before work begins. This notification includes the project location, scope, start and end dates, contractor license number, and names of certified workers assigned to the project. For emergency abatement (pipe break, storm damage), an expedited notification process is available.
Phase 2: Work Area Preparation and Containment
Area isolation. The work area is sealed from the rest of the building. All HVAC registers, doorways, windows, and openings are sealed with polyethylene sheeting and tape. In commercial buildings, this may require building temporary walls to create a containment enclosure.
Critical barriers. Two layers of 6-mil polyethylene sheeting cover the floor. Walls and ceilings within the containment area receive at least one layer of poly sheeting. All seams are sealed with tape. The goal is an airtight enclosure that prevents any asbestos fibers from escaping to occupied areas.
Decontamination unit. A three-stage decontamination corridor is constructed at the containment entrance: a clean room (where workers put on protective equipment), a shower room (for washing after exposure), and an equipment room (for removing and bagging contaminated PPE). Workers pass through all three stages every time they exit the containment area.
Negative air pressure. HEPA-filtered negative air machines are installed to pull air out of the containment area and exhaust it through HEPA filters to the building exterior. This creates negative pressure inside the containment — if any breach occurs, air flows IN (bringing clean air) rather than OUT (carrying contaminated air). Manometers (pressure gauges) continuously verify that negative pressure is maintained throughout the project.
Phase 3: Removal
Worker protection. Abatement workers wear disposable Tyvek suits, rubber boots, gloves, and HEPA-filtered powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) or half-face respirators with P100 cartridges. No skin is exposed. Workers are medically cleared and trained per OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1101 before performing any abatement work.
Wet methods. All asbestos-containing materials are thoroughly wetted with amended water (water with a surfactant added to improve penetration) before and during removal. Wetting suppresses fiber release by keeping fibers bound to the bulk material. Pipe insulation is saturated, ceiling materials are sprayed, and floor tiles are wetted at the point of removal.
Careful removal. Workers remove ACMs using hand tools — not power tools — to minimize fiber generation. Pipe insulation is cut in manageable sections and lowered into waste bags. Ceiling materials are scraped wet. Floor tiles are pried up carefully. The goal is removing the material intact as much as possible rather than breaking it into small pieces that generate more fibers.
Glove bag method. For isolated pipe insulation sections (individual elbows, valves, or short runs), a sealed polyethylene glove bag is clamped around the pipe. The worker reaches through built-in gloves to wet, remove, and bag the insulation without it ever entering the room air. This method is efficient for small quantities and avoids the cost of full-room containment.
Phase 4: Waste Handling and Disposal
Removed asbestos materials are immediately placed into 6-mil polyethylene bags, wetted, and sealed. Each bag is goosenecked (twisted shut) and sealed with duct tape. Filled bags are placed into a second bag (double-bagging) and labeled with OSHA asbestos warning labels and generator identification. Larger items are wrapped in poly sheeting. Waste bags are passed through the decontamination unit and stored in a designated waste accumulation area until transport. Only NYS DEC-registered transporters can haul asbestos waste, and disposal must occur at a permitted facility.
Phase 5: Decontamination and Clearance
Area cleaning. After all ACMs are removed, the entire containment area is cleaned — all surfaces are wet-wiped and HEPA-vacuumed, including poly sheeting, structural surfaces, and any tools or equipment. This cleaning pass removes residual fibers that settled during removal.
Visual inspection. The work area is visually inspected to confirm all ACMs have been removed and no visible residue remains on any surface.
Clearance air testing. An independent, third-party NYS DOH-certified asbestos air analyst — not employed by the abatement contractor — collects air samples inside the containment area. Samples are analyzed using Phase Contrast Microscopy (PCM) for most projects, or Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) for projects requiring AHERA-level clearance (schools). Air fiber concentrations must fall below the clearance threshold (typically 0.01 fibers per cubic centimeter or less) before the project can proceed.
Containment removal. Once clearance is achieved, the poly sheeting and containment materials are carefully removed, wetted, and disposed of as asbestos waste. The negative air machines continue running during teardown to capture any residual fibers.
The Final Documentation
Upon project completion, the contractor provides the building owner with a final project report including the scope of work completed, waste disposal documentation (waste shipment records), clearance air monitoring results, and a clearance letter from the independent air analyst. This documentation should be retained permanently — it protects the building owner legally and is valuable for future property transactions.
Upper Restoration’s Abatement Process
Upper Restoration follows this regulated process on every asbestos abatement project across Long Island. Our NYS DOL-licensed crews, certified workers, and coordination with independent air monitoring firms ensure that every project meets or exceeds NYS Industrial Code Rule 56 requirements. From pre-project planning through final clearance, we handle every step so building owners in Nassau and Suffolk Counties can trust that the work is done safely and completely.
