Ohio Code 3710.17 – Civil liability
(A) Where any person is certified or licensed by the director of environmental protection to engage in asbestos hazard abatement or evaluation activity pursuant to this chapter, the liability of that person when performing such activity in accordance with procedures established pursuant to state or federal law for an injury to any individual or property caused or related to this activity shall be limited to acts or omissions of the person during the course of performing the activity which can be shown, based on a preponderance of the evidence, to have been negligent. For the purposes of this section, the demonstration that acts or omissions of a person performing asbestos hazard abatement or evaluation activities were in accordance with generally accepted practice and with procedures established by state or federal law at the time the abatement or evaluation activity was performed creates a rebuttable presumption that the acts or omissions were not negligent.
Terms Used In Ohio Code 3710.17
- Asbestos: means the asbestiform varieties of serpentine (chrysotile), riebeckite (crocidolite), cummingtonite-grunerite, anthophylite, and actinolite-tremolite as determined using the method specified in 40 C. See Ohio Code 3710.01
- Asbestos hazard abatement contractor: means a business entity or public entity that engages in or intends to engage in asbestos hazard abatement projects and that employs or supervises one or more asbestos hazard abatement specialists for asbestos hazard abatement activities. See Ohio Code 3710.01
- Asbestos hazard abatement specialist: means a person with responsibility for the oversight or supervision of asbestos hazard abatement activities, including asbestos hazard abatement project managers, hazard abatement project supervisors and foremen, and employees of school districts or other governmental or public entities who coordinate or directly supervise or oversee asbestos hazard abatement activities performed by school district, governmental, or other public employees in school district, governmental, or other public buildings. See Ohio Code 3710.01
- Asbestos hazard evaluation specialist: means a person responsible for the inspection, identification, detection, and assessment of asbestos-containing materials or suspect asbestos-containing materials, the determination of appropriate response actions, or the preparation of asbestos management plans for the purpose of protecting the public health from the hazards associated with exposure to asbestos, including the performance of air and bulk sampling. See Ohio Code 3710.01
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Person: means any individual, business entity, governmental body, or other public or private entity. See Ohio Code 3710.01
- Property: means real and personal property. See Ohio Code 1.59
- state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59
(B) Where any person contracts with a certified asbestos hazard abatement specialist, asbestos hazard evaluation specialist, or other category of asbestos hazard specialist established by the director of health, or a licensed asbestos hazard abatement contractor, the liability of that person for asbestos-related injuries caused by the person’s contractee in the performance of asbestos hazard abatement or evaluation activities shall be limited to those asbestos-related injuries arising from acts which the person knew or could reasonably have been expected to know were not in accordance with generally accepted practice or with procedures established by state or federal law at the time the abatement activity took place.
(C) Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Revised Code or rules of a court to the contrary, this section governs all claims for asbestos-related injuries arising from asbestos hazard abatement or evaluation activities.