Asbestos Building Inspector Initial Exam (2025–2026) – Questions and Answers Study Guide

Asbestos Building Inspector Initial
Questions and Answers 2025/2026

AHERA - CORRECT ANSWER-The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act. 40
CFR Part 763, Subpart E. Started 1986 and requires that all schools, grades K-12
(nonprofit), be inspected for the presence of ACBM (asbestos-containing building
material).

ACBM - CORRECT ANSWER-Asbestos Containing Building Material

ASHARA - CORRECT ANSWER-The Asbestos School Hazard Abatement
Reauthorization Act. Started 1990, effective Nov. 1992, requires that an accredited
Building Inspector perform any asbestos inspection conducted in a public or commercial
building. Extended the training requirement to cover asbestos workers, supervisors, and
inspectors in public and commercial buildings. ("Under the ASHARA revisions AHERA's
training requirements now apply to all persons working with asbestos in public and
commercial buildings...")
Increased number of hours required for asbestos worker and supervisor training to 32
and 40 hrs respectively.

Building Inspector Responsibilities (AHERA & ASHARA) - CORRECT ANSWER-1.
Determining whether ACBM is present in a building
2. Assessing the physical characteristics of the ACBM within the building.

A building inspection involves: - CORRECT ANSWER-1. Investigation of records for the
identification of ACBM
2. A physical and visual inspection of the building for suspect materials
3. Sampling and analyzing suspect materials to test for asbestos
4. Assessing the condition and location of the ACBM and other characteristics of the
building

Management Planner Role - CORRECT ANSWER-Uses info from the building
inspection to estimate the degree of current or potential hazard posed by the ACM and
develop a plan for managing the ACM. After ACM is confirmed, create O&M plan, stays
in effect until ACM is removed.

OSHA - CORRECT ANSWER-Occupational Safety and Health Administration - Protects
workers

, How mAHERA maffects myour mwork/changed mthings: m- mCORRECT mANSWER-1. mDefines
mACM mas mbeing mmore mthan m1%. m

2. mLays mout m5 mcontrol mmethods: moperations mand mmaintenance, menclosure,
mencapsulation, mrepair, mand mremoval. m

3. mDescribes mclearance mair msampling mat mend mof mjob mwith maggressive mair msampling
mand ma m
m
TEM.
m
4. mRegulates mtraining mclasses mlike mthis mone mand mrequires mthis mtraining mfor mall
mworkers
m
working mwith masbestos m(excludes msingle-family
mhomes)
m

What mare mthe m5 mcontrol mmethods mfor masbestos, mand mwhat mlaid mthem mout? m-
mCORRECT m
m
ANSWER-O&M, menclosure, mencapsulation, mrepair, mand mremoval. mAHERA
mcreated.
m

TEM m- mCORRECT mANSWER-Transmission mElectron mMicroscope/Microscopy. mMay
mbe m
m
used mto mdetect msmaller mfibers mof
masbestos.
m

ASHAA m- mCORRECT mANSWER-Asbestos mSchool mHazard mAbatement mAct.
m1984, m
m
Directed mEPA mto mhelp mschools mcarry mout mtheir masbestos mhazard
mresponsibilities.
m

MAP m- mCORRECT mANSWER-Model mAccreditation mPlan. mFrom mEPA, msaid mnow
meveryone m
m
doing mthings mwith masbestos mmust madhere, mnot mjust
mschools.
m

Public mand mcommercial mbuildings: m- mCORRECT mANSWER-All mbuildings mother mthan
mschool m
m
buildings mand mapartment mbuildings mwith mgreater mthan m10
munits.
m

NESHAP m- mCORRECT mANSWER-National mEmissions mStandard mfor mHazardous
mAir m
m
Pollutants. m40 mCFR mPart m61, mSubpart
mM
m

How mNESHAP maffects myour mwork/changes mthings: m- mCORRECT mANSWER-1. mDefines
many mjob mat mleast m160 msqft m(100 min mSoCal munder mSCAQMD), m260 mlf, mor m35 mcf mas ma

mlarge mjob m

2. Asbestos mmust mbe mwet mbefore mtaken mdown mand msealed min mairtight mcontainer m m