Furman University requested that AASHE Staff correct a mistake in
this reporting field for the reason specified below.
Previous Value:
Air quality is an important component of a healthy indoor environment. Facilities Services isresponsible for supplying quality indoor air by the introduction and distribution of adequate ventilation air, control of airborne contaminants, and maintenance of acceptable temperature and relative humidity. Indoor air quality complaints shall be handled jointly by Facilities Services and Risk Management.
4.14 SPECIAL ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS
There is constant research in the field of environmental health by government agencies andresearch organizations. Risk Management is responsible for keeping abreast of current
regulations and scientific findings. As hazards become known, they shall be responsible for
identifying and evaluating the hazards applicable to the University. Some of these hazards areaddressed below:
Asbestos
Asbestos has been identified in various buildings on campus primarily in the form of
fireproofing, pipe and tank insulation, and floor tile. Employees shall take every precaution to prevent the release of fibers into the air. Risk Management maintains an Asbestos Management
Program which is designed to identify the location of asbestos-containing materials (ACM),
outline methods for safe clean up, and provide for the proper removal and disposal of ACM, as
necessary. Risk Management shall be consulted prior to any renovation or demolition to ensure
that asbestos is not disturbed.
Radon
Radon is a chemically inert gas that is part of the indoor environment of most structures. In
general, the health risk of radon is roughly equivalent to that of smoking. Risk Management has
a program which periodically measures levels on campus and alerting occupants if they are excessive.
P.C.B.
Facilities Services has a program to identify, label, and eliminate polychlorinated biphenyl’s
(P.C.B.'s) identified in campus transformers. Equipment containing transformers (i.e. X-ray
equipment) shall be checked by the responsible department and/or Risk Management for
P.C.B.’s prior to removal from buildings. A list of the known locations of PCB-containing
transformers is located at Risk Management.
Mercury-containing Fluorescent Bulbs
Mercury-containing lamps include fluorescent, high pressure sodium, mercury vapor, and metal
halide lamps of all sizes and shapes. The storage, handling, and processing of these lamps are
generally considered hazardous waste under Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA) because of their mercury content. Facilities Services maintains a
program where lamps which exceed the quantity of mercury allowed under RCRA are recycled by an approved vendor, instead of being handled as a hazardous waste. The University complies
with the handling requirements set forth by South Carolina DHEC.
Explanation:
Feedback from AASHE staff review of originally-submitted report prompted institution to re-examine and/or clarify this response.
Date Revised: March 6, 2015