What should a school do if it finds thermal system insulation (TSI) in a ceiling space, pursuant to the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA)?

If the space in which the TSI is discovered has never been inspected in accordance with the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) inspection requirements, then such an inspection must be undertaken and should focus on all such previously unexpected space above a drop ceiling in which TSI is present. Any areas of a school building where friable asbestos-containing building material (ACBM), damaged or significantly damaged TSI ACM, or friable suspected ACBM assumed to be ACM are present shall be cleaned at least once after the inspection is complete. See 40 CFR part 763.91(c). If any of the TSI encountered is damaged, AHERA requires that the local education agency repair the damaged material and/or “remove the damaged material if it is not feasible, due to technological factors, to repair the damage.”