Using cross-agency teamwork to develop an innovative Asbestos Tracking Tool
2015-07-22
Johnson Space Center exceeds regulatory standards in managing asbestos-containing materials, taking pride in process-improvement efforts and employee-driven initiatives. Thanks to a team of passionate individuals, JSC has added an innovative tool in its occupational-health arsenal. This team came together to develop a detailed asbestos-tracking database, working across several directorates and centers. It was through hard work, dedication and knowledge sharing that the team reached project completion.
Penney Stanch, a Certified Industrial Hygienist and Certified Safety Professional in Occupational Health, has been at JSC for more than 30 years. She attributes her dedication to the management of asbestos from mentor Sean Keprta, also a Certified Industrial Hygienist and Occupational Health officer in the Space and Clinical Operations Division. Stanch was able to use her prior experience as a programmer in the development of this database.
“Penney’s Asbestos Working Group is a very strong team,” Keprta said. “They take advantage of capabilities in JSC’s institutional organizations to monitor, manage and communicate any hazards associated with our asbestos-containing materials.” Keprta’s expertise comes from spending much of his 25 years at the center managing potential health hazards.
Asbestos is highly regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Environmental Protection Agency. A naturally occurring mineral, it was once used as a building material for its strength and thermochemical properties. However, when the fibrous material breaks down into even smaller pieces, it becomes both inhalable and friable, causing health risks.
“In the 1960s, it was hailed by The New Yorker as the magic mineral building product of the future,” said Jordan Tanniehill, Occupational Health and Safety Technologist and industrial hygiene technician. Tanniehill brought prior experience working with asbestos while monitoring roof damages and repair after tropical storms Katrina and Ike.
The tracking tool came about when the Asbestos Working Group began an initiative to better identify asbestos locations and communicate that information to interested parties.
“That’s an advantage of the database—we can track asbestos to the building and the room level,” Stanch said. “This allows us to know where we previously identified asbestos, where we suspect it is and where we abated [removed] it.”
The JSC Asbestos Tracking Tool uses the Geographical Information System (GIS) and Space Utilization Tool, which contains detailed JSC room information in both graphical and tabular forms. Tanniehill and co-worker Sherman Teuscher surveyed buildings at JSC and at Ellington Field to gather data. Stanch merged this data with floor-space information using the Space Utilization Tool. The team passed the data to the GIS group at Langley Research Center, who refined the collected data into a simple, searchable tool with asbestos-tracking information. The system also alerts the team of any room number changes or demolition projects to keep the data in sync.
By using existing NASA resources, this tool came at a low cost. “We also got to work with our counterparts at other NASA centers,” Stanch said. “We leveraged off of something that was already available through the agency.”
The Asbestos Working Group also reports the status of the center-level asbestos risk to the Institutional Risk Review Board, run by JSC Risk Manager Sharon Thomas and chaired by center management. This serves as another example of center collaboration, with the diverse team environment including Center Operations, Occupational Health, Human Health and Performance, Safety, Engineering, Information Resources and others.
“We take JSC 2.0 to heart in the things that we do in safety, health, environmental and emergency preparedness,” Keprta said. “Most of us have worked together for years. It comes naturally for us to look for solutions within our community.”
A congratulations to the team is also in order, as the development of the asbestos-tracking tool was recognized as a best practice by NASA’s Office of Chief Health and Medical Officer.
Members of the Asbestos Working Group review the new JSC Asbestos Tracking Tool. Image Credit: NASA
If you have any questions or would like to report an asbestos-related issue, please contact Occupational Health at x36726.
Nancy Garcia
NASA Johnson Space Center
Penney Stanch, a Certified Industrial Hygienist and Certified Safety Professional in Occupational Health, has been at JSC for more than 30 years. She attributes her dedication to the management of asbestos from mentor Sean Keprta, also a Certified Industrial Hygienist and Occupational Health officer in the Space and Clinical Operations Division. Stanch was able to use her prior experience as a programmer in the development of this database.
“Penney’s Asbestos Working Group is a very strong team,” Keprta said. “They take advantage of capabilities in JSC’s institutional organizations to monitor, manage and communicate any hazards associated with our asbestos-containing materials.” Keprta’s expertise comes from spending much of his 25 years at the center managing potential health hazards.
Asbestos is highly regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Environmental Protection Agency. A naturally occurring mineral, it was once used as a building material for its strength and thermochemical properties. However, when the fibrous material breaks down into even smaller pieces, it becomes both inhalable and friable, causing health risks.
“In the 1960s, it was hailed by The New Yorker as the magic mineral building product of the future,” said Jordan Tanniehill, Occupational Health and Safety Technologist and industrial hygiene technician. Tanniehill brought prior experience working with asbestos while monitoring roof damages and repair after tropical storms Katrina and Ike.
The tracking tool came about when the Asbestos Working Group began an initiative to better identify asbestos locations and communicate that information to interested parties.
“That’s an advantage of the database—we can track asbestos to the building and the room level,” Stanch said. “This allows us to know where we previously identified asbestos, where we suspect it is and where we abated [removed] it.”
The JSC Asbestos Tracking Tool uses the Geographical Information System (GIS) and Space Utilization Tool, which contains detailed JSC room information in both graphical and tabular forms. Tanniehill and co-worker Sherman Teuscher surveyed buildings at JSC and at Ellington Field to gather data. Stanch merged this data with floor-space information using the Space Utilization Tool. The team passed the data to the GIS group at Langley Research Center, who refined the collected data into a simple, searchable tool with asbestos-tracking information. The system also alerts the team of any room number changes or demolition projects to keep the data in sync.
By using existing NASA resources, this tool came at a low cost. “We also got to work with our counterparts at other NASA centers,” Stanch said. “We leveraged off of something that was already available through the agency.”
The Asbestos Working Group also reports the status of the center-level asbestos risk to the Institutional Risk Review Board, run by JSC Risk Manager Sharon Thomas and chaired by center management. This serves as another example of center collaboration, with the diverse team environment including Center Operations, Occupational Health, Human Health and Performance, Safety, Engineering, Information Resources and others.
“We take JSC 2.0 to heart in the things that we do in safety, health, environmental and emergency preparedness,” Keprta said. “Most of us have worked together for years. It comes naturally for us to look for solutions within our community.”
A congratulations to the team is also in order, as the development of the asbestos-tracking tool was recognized as a best practice by NASA’s Office of Chief Health and Medical Officer.
Members of the Asbestos Working Group review the new JSC Asbestos Tracking Tool. Image Credit: NASA
If you have any questions or would like to report an asbestos-related issue, please contact Occupational Health at x36726.
Nancy Garcia
NASA Johnson Space Center