To the university community:

This notice provides information about asbestos-containing materials on the University of Pacific Stockton and Sacramento campuses.

Asbestos is a common name for naturally occurring minerals that were added to a wide variety of building construction materials such as fireproofing, plaster, floor tile, tile adhesive, pipe insulation, ceiling acoustic, ceiling tile mastic and wallboard joint compound, et al. Asbestos was used to protect life and property because of its excellent heat insulating and fire retardant properties. However, once some health effects of asbestos exposure became widely known, asbestos was removed from most of these products by the mid-1970s.  

Asbestos is only a hazard when small particles become airborne and are inhaled or ingested. Asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in buildings pose no risk to health unless the materials are disturbed and the asbestos fibers are released into the air. Intact, sealed and undisturbed materials are not a hazard.   

Renovation of buildings on our campuses must be reviewed in advance by facilities staff to ensure that no ACMs are disturbed without proper safeguards. Work that requires removal or repair of ACMs is restricted to trained and qualified persons only. Contact your campus Facilities team for a review prior to any work being performed.  

Please contact your campus facilities department for more information about ACMs in specific campus buildings. For more information about Asbestos refer to the OSHA website at Safety and Health Topics | Asbestos | Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Use the following measures to protect yourself and others from exposure to airborne asbestos:

• Presume all building materials contain asbestos until determined otherwise by facilities.
• Do not install walls, closets, cabinets, ceilings.
• Do not remove, cut, drill, sand, grind or otherwise disturb any material in the buildings, including carpet and floor tile.
• Do not paint (this includes any walls, ceilings, floors, and electrostatic painting of office furniture).
• Do not remove any items nailed or screwed to the walls (this includes pictures, cabinets, electrical, etc.)
• Do not go above ceilings, behind walls or into building spaces such as attics and crawlspaces unless these areas have been inspected and cleared by facilities.
• Do not pull cable or wiring through above-ceiling spaces with asbestos.
• Do not install screws, pins, nails or hangers into ceilings or walls.
• Be careful not to damage walls, ceilings or floors when moving furniture or equipment. It is recommended that facilities be contacted prior to moving furniture or equipment.
• Do not brush, sweep or vacuum ceiling, wall or floor tile debris.
• Immediately report any observed damage or deterioration of suspect building materials to facilities or Enterprise Risk Management (riskmanagement@pacific.edu).

For more information about the University's Asbestos Program, please contact your campus facilities department.