Asbestos 2016 in the Biology Building

In the middle of March 2016, asbestos was found in the Biology building in the course of renovation work. The asbestos refurbishment of the hot spots was finished in September.

The President's Office elaborated solutions together with the affected departments and the University Building Office in order to lower the  impact. The University Management attached great importance to comprehensive information and transparency as regards the consequences and the measures taken. Apart from regular news on the topic in “Kurz gemeldet” and the Hohenheim Online Courier, informative events for university members or the affected facilities, this intranet site summarizes the current information as well as all current developments as regards this topic.

Consequences of the asbestos find

  • According to the results of the assigned external expert, there has not been any health hazard for students and employees in the highly frequented areas (lecture halls, laboratories, and offices):

    • Most of the measured results in the above-mentioned areas were below the legal limit values so that no immediate measures were necessary.
    • In these highly frequented areas, asbestos-bearing firewalls were not used, therefore they were not damaged and asbestos was not released.

  • There are restrictions in use
    due to the sealing of the affected electric rooms in which asbestos was found (so-called red zone)  and the creation of protection areas (so-called yellow zone).

    • Rooms where asbestos was found by the external expert were sealed immediately.
    • That causes a more difficult accessibility of these rooms when they have to be entered for servicing tasks and repair works: The access to the electric rooms (red zone) on every floor is only possible via a safety sluice and is only allowed when accompanied by persons trained in handling asbestos.
    • The bordering protection areas (so-called yellow zones) can only be used to a limited extent and in consultation with the University Building Office.

  • The actual refurbishment works at the Bio building paused until clearance was given for the rooms due to confirmed measurement results below the limit values or until the end of the asbestos cleaning. Thus, the refurbishment  and also re-entering the laboratory building was delayed. In August, the refurbishment of the Biology Building could continue.

Details-on-asbestos-find

Fundorte

  • Fundort elektrische Betriebsräume

Der Asbestfund wurde in den sogenannten elektrischen Betriebsräumen im Südwesten des Biogebäudes I festgestellt. Es handelt sich um kleine Räume, in denen sich Etagen-Schaltschränke befinden. Ein solcher elektrischer Betriebsraum ist in jedem Stockwerk angesiedelt. Sie sind alle durch Kabeltrassen über die Stockwerke hinweg miteinander verbunden. Deshalb weisen diese Räume auf jedem Stockwerk ähnliche Asbestbelastungen auf.

Asbest wurde in schwach gebundener Form als graue Fasermasse bei den Brandschottungen verwendet. Diese wurden bei der aktuellen Sanierung bei Bohr- und Schlitzarbeiten beschädigt.

Das Universitätsbauamt ließ in Absprache mit der Universitätsleitung die betroffenen Räume versiegeln und Schutzzonen mit eingeschränkter Nutzung in den benachbarten Räumlichkeiten einrichten.

Ende Oktober wurden diese Räume auf jedem Stockwerk von Asbestfasern gereinigt und freigemessen.

  • Location server room on floor U2

At the beginning of April, pieces of an asbestos-bearing material were also found in the corridor in front of the server room and a side room on floor U2. Up to now, the exact reason for this asbestos find and the point in time since when the material had been there could not be finally clarified. However, measurements have proven that at the point of time when the find was made there was no acute danger and that the limit values for the fiber pollution in the air were not exceeded.
Meanwhile, the access to the server room and the server room is granted (in the green area). The place of the asbestos find was sealed by the University Building Office.

  • Location of bound asbestos

In the course of the precautionary investigations, solid bound asbestos was discovered in the plaster under the paint behind the wall paintings in the Biology Building (extract from the document) at the end of September. For the use in daily life this solid bound asbestos has - in contrast to lightly bound asbestos - no impact since it does not release any dusts. Thus, solid bound asbestos is not a danger and there are no restrictions for the people using the building. However, from now on, it is prohibited to carry out construction work on the walls without respective precautions.

Nutzungsplan weist aktuelle Gefahrenzonen aus

Ein Nutzungsplan mit Ampelsystem beschreibt die Einteilung in Gefahrenzonen zum Schutz der Nutzer des Gebäudes. Der Plan wird aktualisiert, wenn neue Untersuchungsergebnisse und Reinigungsfortschritte vorliegen. 

Room use plan of all floors (as of 28 October 2016)

The map divides the Bio building into three categories, according to a traffic light system:

  • blocked rooms (red)
  • cleared rooms (green)
  • Rooms with restricted use until the investigation or cleaning (yellow)
  • Room has not been investigated yet (white)

Belastungswerte

Legal limit values

There are several legal limit values for air measurements. According to TRGS 519 no action has to be taken below 500 fibers per m³. In the city center of Stuttgart it is also possible to measure concentrations of up to 100 fibers per m³.

With up to 1000 fibers per m³, a building contaminated with asbestos can be used for an interim period of 3 years without an arise of dust - that means with a couple of restrictions - until refurbishment works are carried out.

10,000 fibers per m³ air are considered as the so-called “accepted limit.” As long as this value is not exceeded after an asbestos find, refurbishment measures may be carried out without a mask and with reduced protective measures.

Measured values of contamination in the Biology Building

According to the reviewer, 33 of 36 air measurements that were carried out in the building between 21 March 2016 and 28 April 2016 were clearly below the legal limit value of 500 fibers per m³ air, that is considered to be harmless. Only one result in a restricted area was above this limit with 780 fibers per m³.

The bordering corridors that are outside the construction site area and had been used normally were immediately cleaned after the first visitation on the recommendation of the harmful substance expert. After the cleaning, the air measurements in the areas accessible to the public were below 100 fibers per m³.

Based on the results of these air measurements, the harmful substance expert ruled out that there was a danger to health in the highly frequented access areas such as lecture halls, laboratories, and offices. 

The further development is documented by regular air measurements that the university provides in a register accessible to university members.

Chronology of the results/measures

DateEvent/Measure
Wed, 16 Mar First find (electrical distribution center, room closed)
Thurs, 17 MarExpert takes material samples
Fri, 18 MarThe laboratory confirms that it is asbestos.
The construction site is closed as a precaution.
Mon, 21 MarThe University Building Office (UBA) informed the Occupational Safety Expert. Inspections and air measurements are carried out.
Tues, 22 MarThe university receives the measurement results from March 17. Staff Council, campus doctor, and local employees informed.
Wed, 23 MarThe measurement results for the room air are available. The university informs local employees, among others.
Thurs, 24 MarA planning meeting is held with the UBA, the university, and specialist companies, to which the Staff Council is also invited.
Cleaning then begins.
Tues, 29 Mar (after Easter): Report in Staff Council meeting
Tues, 5 AprilThe University informs the Accident Insurance Fund
Thurs, 7 AprThe Chancellor invites everyone to the information event (invitation in Kurz gemeldet and email to the institutes concerned)
Fri, 8 AprExpert finds further suspicious material and closes rooms (server room and adjoining room)
Sat, 9 Apr Research of the Hohenheimer Online Courier (HOnK) learns of second find
Sun, 10 AprThe Chancellor requests update from the expert / university building authority and informs the institutes concerned
Mon, 11 AprUniversity-wide information (Kurz gemeldet, HOnK)
Meeting UBA/Uni/specialst companies for the solution of technical problems and more transparency
Wed, 13 AprilBuilding plans with restricted areas available.
Thurs, 14 AprInformational event for university members The university management, the University Building Office, members of Construction and Property Management, the Occupational Safety Expert, the university doctor, and the pollutant expert give information and answer questions.
Thurs, 28 AprThe University receives the plan of the measuring points and the room air samples
Wed, 4 MayThe University receives the contact sample results and updated register and informs the affected institutes (email) and also all university members via Kurz gemeldet.
Tues, 9 MayBuilding plans with current blockings and releases are available.
Tues, 24 MayA new asbestos find in an electronics distribution room (21.U187) on the 1st floor of the University Building Office is the result of an examination. Only experts enter the room during operation. 
Mon, 30 May Intranet page "Asbestos discovery in the biology building" published. It bundles all the information on the asbestos find.
Mon, 6 JuneThe electronics distribution room 21.U187 is blocked after a room air sample. 
Wed, 15 June The Occupational Health and Safety Department and Human Resources Department begin by documenting the asbestos dust exposure of university members.
Week 31Free measurement of cleaned areas with restricted use
Week 31Resumption of construction work on the biology building
4 Aug The asbestos refurbishment of the hot spots starts
Week 39Asbestos found in the plaster behind the walls of the Biology Building
End of SeptemberThe asbestos refurbishment of the hot spots is completed
Week 44Free measurement of hot spots

Measures in order to protect university members

The Biology Building is the most important lecture hall building and the largest laboratory building of the university. In the building, there are technical appliances that do not only supply the building itself but in part the campus. The university definitely needs this central building - still: Safety first. For the university management, the highest priority is to provide safe working conditions in the Biology Building and to do everything in order to protect employees, students, and guests from dangers. Management has taken numerous immediate measures and repeatedly stated the interests of the university to the University Building Office.

Versiegelung der Räume und Einrichtung von Gefahrenzonen

Versiegelung der Räume

Die Elektroräume wurden sofort nach Entdeckung versiegelt. Der Zugang der Räume war nach der Versiegelung nur über eine Sicherheitsschleuse und gemeinsam mit Personen, die im Umgang mit Asbest geschult sind, möglich.

Inzwischen wurden diese Räume auf jedem Stockwerk von Asbestfasern gereinigt und freigemessen.

Use plan points out current danger areas

A use plan with a traffic light system describes the facility in danger areas for the protection of the people using the building. The plan is updated when there are new investigation results and progress in cleaning. 

Room use plan of all floors (as of 28 October 2016)

The map divides the Bio building into three categories, according to a traffic light system:

  • blocked rooms (red)
  • cleared rooms (green)
  • Rooms with restricted use until the investigation or cleaning (yellow)
  • Room has not been investigated yet (white)

Weitere vorsorgliche Untersuchungen

During a further visitation the harmful substance expert investigated all rooms for traces within the exploration zone (marking on the use plan) once again. Thus further asbestos findings could be ruled out.

In order to minimize the risk of spreading asbestos fibers, all seals between the restricted and cleared rooms that can be used were checked.

Sicherung der Versorgung

Some supply areas are temporarily restricted in their capacity due to the blocking of the rooms.

Electrical supply equipment

The electric operating rooms sealed due to the asbestos find can only be entered with restrictions for maintenance and repair works until the asbestos cleaning is complete. The access to the rooms is only possible via a safety sluice and is only allowed when accompanied by persons trained in handling asbestos.

As of 9 May 2016: For this issue, the University Building Office has assigned an electrician and an asbestos cleaner who can always be called in emergencies. In case of a power failure during which it is required to work shortly in those rooms, this emergency team is called. They carry out the necessary electric works, consulted by our own on-call service. Short reaction times of about two hours are guaranteed.

As of 14 October 2016: The asbestos cleaning of the electric distributor rooms was carried out and completed at the end of September. Clearance for the rooms has also been given. The sluices are still set up. However, they serve as a purely precautionary measure and as a direct access from the construction site to the electric distributor rooms. Thus, the wish of the university that the construction workers not enter the stairways was fulfilled.

Deinonized water

The impaired filling of the  deionizing plant with salt caused by the blocking is assured again (as of 9 May 2016)

Toilets for major lecture halls

The toilets were renewed in the course of the renovation of the building and were actually to be opened again before the beginning of the lectures in the summer semester. However, a contamination with coli germs was found, which was why the toilets remained blocked and were not accepted by the university.

As of 9 May 2016: On 22 and 25 April the University Building Office could flush and disinfect the renovated toilets in order to fight the contamination with coli germs efficiently. Due to the blocking of technical rooms because of asbestos that was not immediately possible. Due to the immediate sealing of the toilets a spread of the germ contamination to other areas of the Bio building could be prevented, which was proven by several control investigations. Thus, the contamination was limited solely to the closed toilets.

As of 13 May 2016: The measure result of the final measurement are available: The water pipes are free of germs (0.0 KBE coli germs). The Occupational Safety Expert has informed the Health Department Stuttgart and the users in the Bio building about that the same day. However, the point in time when the toilets are accepted by the university and when they can be used again is still open.

Luftmessungen und Staubkontaktproben (Kataster)

The harmful substance expert regularly takes dust contact samples, carries out air measurements and assesses them (as a precautionary measure sometimes also in cleared areas (see green areas on the use plan)).

A harmful substance register is created and completed. As soon as new measured results are available, the data is updated, sent to the university and published below. The users were regularly informed about the interim status.

Current harmful substance register

The harmful substance register summarizes all measured results gathered since the first asbestos find. It was created by SokoastaCAU, the reviewer company assigned by the University Building Office. The University Building Office has approved the publication on the intranet sites of the university.

Register of the samples and reports (as of: 17 November 2016)

Map of the locations mentioned in the register (As of 14 November 2016)
Source: SokostaCAU

  • M = material samples for asbestos
    For the proof or the exclusion of the asbestos content of building materials , material samples are examined with a scanning electron microscope.

  • K = Contact samples for asbestos
    The dust contact samples measure accumulated fiber dust on surfaces.
    Basis: The evaluation is made according to the counting rules of the VDI guideline 3877. In the recent past, comparative measurements have been carried out by several engineer offices between contact samples (evaluated according to VDI 3877 Sheet 1) and room air measurements according to VDI 3492. These results led to the publication of VDI 3877 sheet 2 in December 2014.
    It essentially states that relevant asbestos concentrations can only occur if the lying dust is exposed to high loads and if there is high dust generation in the room. Thus, dust contact samples serve as an early warning system on the one hand. On the other hand, they are used to limit the extent of cleaning measures.
    The exact definition and the contamination limits can be found on page 4 of the register.

  • L = room air samples
    In the case of room air samples, the room air is drawn through filters and any fibers separated there are evaluated according to defined counting rules (VDI 3492). The assessment is made according to the legal limit values.
    An essential component of a room air measurement is the so-called simulation of use: In the case of a clearance measurement, possible still existing fibers are stirred up. Depending on the situation, areas are blown, doors slammed, suspended ceilings shaken, etc... Thus, it is guaranteed that no fibers remain “undiscovered.”
    The exact definition and breakdown can be found on page 44 of the register.

Asbest- und Unterhaltsreinigung

Cleaning of the contaminated rooms

The rooms next to the finding places that were temporarily only usable to a limited extent were soon decontaminated by a specialist company. In the first two weeks of August, a company specialized in asbestos cleaning properly cleaned the hotspots, which means the asbestos places in the electric operating rooms. Person and material sluices as well as antechambers in front of the asbestos protect the areas next to it. The success of the refurbishment was examined with a measurement at the end of October. Clearance was given by the pollutant expert, and now the rooms can be entered normally.

Regular maintenance cleaning

  • More intensive frequency and quality control
    The cleaning frequency and quality for the maintenance cleaning of the university in the stairwell, the corridors, and in the laboratories will be checked more frequently after complaints at the information meeting on 14 April.

    In the event of dissatisfaction or non-compliance with the scope of services provided by the cleaning company, university members are requested to report the maladministration to the Technical & Domestic Services Department using the complaint form.

  • Future protective measure against construction site dirt

    • Construction workers are prohibited from using the stairway, the elevators, and the toilets. The university has demanded the building office make sure that the construction workers respect this prohibition in order to prevent the areas used by the university from becoming too dirty.
    • The sealing of the construction site against dust is improved.

Clarification of the points of criticism on the topic of cleaning

Information on what is cleaned how often can be found on the Intranet of the university. The Biology and Ecology Building is situated in “Lot 2”

  • Total plan lot 2: Overview of which kind of work has to be carried out in which areas and how often
  • Definition of Services: detailed explanation of how to carry out the work
  • Plans for single buildings: Overview of which rooms have to be cleaned on which days. In the Biology Building it is “building 0231/0232” (Bio I) and “building 0221/0222” (Bio II) 

What to do in the case of poor cleaning?

As regards the cleaning, users of the building repeatedly make justified complaints. Actually, the university is not satisfied with all of the 3 cleaning companies.

However, it is only possible to make a change when possible poor cleaning is noted regularly. Then, improvements can be demanded, a company can be sent a warning, and after the contract has expired another contractual partner can be looked for.

Please use the opportunity given and report poor cleaning via the cleaning complaint form immediately.
 
Contacts:

There have been different suggestions made at the university to post check lists on which the cleaning personnel - similar to highway toilets - have to tick the cleaning. This suggestion was discussed again with the building cleaning unit of the Technical Department.

The problem is not the time that the cleaning personnel requires to complete the list. What the university lacks are the resources to hang up, collect, and evaluate such control slips every week throughout the university. Therefore, inadequate cleaning should be reported via the cleaning complaint form so that the contractor can demand good work from the contractor.

Here there is a clear regulation: Construction workers may only use the stairway as an escape route. If the stairway, toilets, or other rooms are dirtied by construction workers, this should be reported to Mr Nakowitsch so that the cleaning can be demanded by the University Building Office.

The poor cleaning in March after the first asbestos find was made in the electric distributor room can be explained as follows:

According to the message of the University Building Office it was necessary to have a company specialized in asbestos refurbishment to set up a temporary blocking of the area around the electric distributor room. The University Building Office assigned that immediately.

Until the refurbishment was completed, regular cleaning could not take place. This has caused a higher degree of dirt, which, however, should not happen like this again.

Dokumentation der Asbeststaubgefährdung für Universitätsmitglieder

The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires the university to document which persons have been in the contaminated areas for a longer time. According to special regulations, the TRGS 410, the documentation has to be archived for 40 years. With the aid of this data possible correlations of illnesses with the asbestos contamination can also be examined at a later point of time. 

The university has elaborated a concept for a simple and practicable documentation and discussed it with the Staff Council as well as the Unfallkasse BW.

  • From 17 June , the University will make a public appeal (via  notice board, homepage, circular mail) to all people who used the building during the period of increased exposure to asbestos dust to contact the Occupational Safety Department by email ( asbest@uni-hohenheim.de).   
  • These persons receive  an excel table in which they can insert their personal data and their location in the building and then send it back to the same email address.  
  • The Occupational Health and Safety Department completes the highest locally measured values and composes all person-related information to a general list.
  • All available measured values of the building Bio I are digitally archived together with the general list for 40 years.
  • Anyone who has registered on the list will receive a personal extract with the supplemented measured values upon request.

Registering on the list is voluntary. Anyone who sends the table back approves the saving of the data. Questions on the concept and the measured values are answered by the Occupational Safety Expert.

In addition to the advice of the Campus Physician, all affected employees are free to have an occupational medical, lung specialist examination, if necessary including X-ray examination by another doctor; the costs are covered by the university. You have to be aware that this includes a possible unfounded exposure to radiation. Therefore, a previous consultation with the Campus Physician and/or the Occupational Safety Expert is recommended.

No FAQ's found.

Dokumentation möglicher Belastungen in der Vergangenheit

The university takes into account the concern of the university members that in the past there were already pollutants that were not known.

  • Since assessments during operation always involve a certain risk that pollutants are released during sampling, the University Building Office will not carry out a comprehensive assessment and documentation of the entire Biology building for possible pollutants. However, there is a commitment, on the one hand, to carry out visual inspections and, on the other hand, in cases in which existing bulkheads or ducts for electrical cables or heating, ventilation, plumbing pipes in the Bio I + II building are opened or dismantled, to coordinate this with a pollutant expert before carrying out the work.
  • The ventilation appliances of the laboratory buildings are examined for harmful substances by the University Building Office and their full capacity is restored.
  • The University Building Office will tell the direction of the university whether the construction sites were stopped during earlier refurbishments.

Wiederaufnahme der Bautätigkeit

Construction works in the Biology Building were continued at the beginning of August, after the end of the asbestos cleaning.

Construction schedule

Before the construction work continued, the University Building Office created a resilient construction schedule.

Preliminary testing for harmful substances

With the resumption of construction activities, the University Building Office arranged for an inspection of the construction site for harmful substances prior to each construction measure.

Since pollutants may be released during sampling, careful planning is required.

Avoidance of construction site dirt

Furthermore, the following protective measures were taken against construction site dirt

  • Construction workers are prohibited from using the stairway, the elevators, and the toilets.
  • Sealing the construction site against dust

Contact persons

Personal Advisor to the Chancellor
Melanie Heinrich
+49 711 459 23001
Email

Occupational Safety Expert
Javanshir Hosseinzadeh
+49 711 459 22975
Email

Construction and Property Management Department
(as contact person for the University Building Office)
N.N.
+49 711 459 22084

Downloads (in German)

Further information