New York State Asbestos Investigator Practice Exam

In which situation can only 1 sample of thermal insulation be taken?

1. If the material is very old

2. If the material is a patch and less than 6 linear feet

3. If the insulation is heavily damaged

4. If the insulation is visible

The correct answer is: If the material is a patch and less than 6 linear feet

The scenario where only one sample of thermal insulation can be taken is when the material is a patch and less than six linear feet. This is because regulatory guidelines typically allow for a limited number of samples to be taken from small areas or patches of materials to minimize disruption and accurately assess the presence of asbestos without needing multiple samples. When the area is small, such as a patch, taking multiple samples is often unnecessary as it may not yield additional significant information about the asbestos content. In contrast, the other situations presented would typically require more than one sample for accurate assessment. For example, if the material is very old or heavily damaged, this could suggest a higher likelihood of asbestos presence and variability within the material, thereby necessitating multiple samples to ensure accurate results. When insulation is simply visible, it does not provide enough reason to limit sampling to just one, as there could be varying conditions and compositions present that need to be fully evaluated.