Managing Asbestos in California

I’m constantly having to remind myself of the progression of training and certification required in California to do any kind of consulting related to asbestos, so I thought I’d capture it in a blog post.
The regulations for asbestos consultants are found in Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations, Section 341.15.  They are based on federal AHERA requirements are found in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 763, Subpart E, Appedix C.
The federal training and certification program includes:

1. Abatement Worker - 4 days of training
2. Contractor/Supervisor - 5 days of training
3. Inspector - 3 days of training
4. Management/Planner - 2 days of training
5. Project Designer - 3 days of training

In order to be certified to consult about asbestos issues in California, there is a progression of training and experience:

Step 1:  Federal AHERA inspector training.  Requires three day course and passing a test.  Once you become a building inspector, you can conduct asbestos inspections and collect samples, but you must work under the supervision of a Certified Asbestos Consultant.
Step 2:  Federal AHERA Abatement Contractor/Supervisor training.  Five more days of training is required, focusing on the practicalities of doing abatement work.
Step 3:  Six months of supervised experience under the direction of a certified asbestos consultant.
Step 4:  California Site Surveillance Technician exam and registration. An application is submitted, the exam taken, and then you’re certified to perform site inspection independently.
Step 5.  Federal AHERA Management/Planner training.  Two more days of training on how to prepare operations and maintenance programs and plan for abatement projects.
Step 6.  Federal AHERA Project Designer training prepares you for responding to incidents involving releases of asbestos fibers, conducting abatement projects in schools and public buildings, and understanding in detail the health risk aspects of asbestos abatement.
Step 7.  Additional year of experience.
Step 8.  California Asbestos Consultant exam and registration.  Another application is submitted to document and verify all your credentials and experience, and once you pass the exam you’re certified to perform all aspects of asbestos management and planning.
The state issues official ID cards for each certification.  The certifications are good for one year, and must be renewed annually after completing 3 days of refresher training.