Frequently asked questions

AbateIQ is an industrial hygiene and environmental compliance platform built for abatement contractors, environmental specialists, and industrial hygienists. It replaces disconnected spreadsheets, PDFs, and email chains with a single system for managing the full project lifecycle.

Core users include field technicians logging samples on-site, environmental specialists managing NEAs and regulatory documentation, and project managers tracking budgets, personnel compliance, and client deliverables.

AbateIQ is purpose-built for work governed by OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1101, EPA NESHAP 40 CFR Part 61, RCRA hazardous waste requirements, and TSCA PCB regulations.

AbateIQ includes the following modules, all accessible from one account:

• Surveys — asbestos, lead paint/XRF, silica, metals, and PCB inspection records with sample logging and chain of custody
• Air monitoring — pump sample management, TWA/PEL/STEL calculations, exceedance flagging, and NEA linkage
• NEA management — negative exposure assessment creation, monitoring history, NESHAP notification data sheets, and gap detection
• Personnel compliance — respirator fit test tracking, medical surveillance, clearance status, and deployment restrictions
• Budgets & estimating — line-item budgets with rate tables, margin tracking, rate modifiers, and bid document generation
• Regulatory matrix — org-scoped PEL/TWA/STEL/action level database with OSHA import and custom overrides
• Report builder — one-click generation of survey reports, NEA documents, air monitoring summaries, and NESHAP notifications

Yes. AbateIQ works as a responsive web application on any device and is also available as a native iOS app for field use. The iOS app supports offline data entry — samples and observations logged without a connection sync automatically when you're back online.

Generic tools don't know what a PEL is, what a NEA requires, or how NESHAP notification data maps to a regulatory submittal. AbateIQ is domain-specific: every module is built around the actual workflows, regulatory thresholds, and document requirements of industrial hygiene and abatement work.

Specific differences include: automated TWA and PEL comparison built into the air monitoring module, NESHAP notification data sheets generated directly from survey data, NEA gap detection that scans your survey findings against existing NEAs, and personnel compliance tracking tied to OSHA respirator and medical surveillance requirements.

AbateIQ supports several import paths:

• Asbestos sample importer — paste or upload lab results from common laboratory formats
• Regulatory matrix import — import analyte data from OSHA's chemical database or upload a CSV
• Manual entry — all modules support direct entry with no import required

For large legacy datasets, contact support for a guided migration. We assist with bulk uploads for Pro plan customers.

AbateIQ supports: Asbestos (bulk sampling, homogeneous area tracking, positive stop logic, ACM register), Lead paint / XRF (component-level readings, pass/fail classification), Silica and metals (air sampling surveys), PCB (bulk and wipe sampling per TSCA), and Multi-hazard surveys covering more than one regulated substance.

Positive stop is an AHERA-aligned sampling protocol where, once a homogeneous area has a confirmed positive result, you stop collecting additional samples from that area and classify it as ACM without further analysis.

In AbateIQ, marking a sample result as positive automatically flags the homogeneous area with a positive stop indicator. Subsequent samples in that area are marked as pos-stop in the ACM register and excluded from the minimum sample count calculation.

AbateIQ generates chain of custody documents directly from logged survey samples. COCs include sample IDs, collection dates, matrix type, analysis method, collector name, and project info. Exportable as XLSX (two-sheet: asbestos and paint/metals) or PDF.

Yes on both. The asbestos importer accepts pasted or uploaded lab result tables and maps them to existing sample records by sample ID. Bulk selection lets you update status, result, or analyst across multiple samples at once. Paint and metals samples can be imported from XRF instrument export files.

Marking a survey completed: locks it for editing (Managers and Admins can unlock individual fields), runs NEA gap detection against findings, makes it eligible for all report types in the Report Builder, and updates dashboard KPI counts.

AbateIQ calculates an 8-hour TWA from logged pump samples using: TWA = Σ(Cᵢ × Tᵢ) / 8. The TWA is compared against the PEL, REL, and action level from your Regulatory Matrix for that analyte. Results below action level = green; between action level and PEL = amber; above PEL = exceedance (red).

A monitoring recommendation is a system-generated suggestion that a specific analyte should be sampled, based on survey findings (confirmed ACM or hazard findings suggest air monitoring) and the hazard sample requirement matrix (your org's rules for which operations require air sampling). Recommendations can be accepted or dismissed with a reason.

Each air sample accepts pre- and post-sampling flow rate readings. The system applies the NIOSH adjustment: Q_adj = (Q_pre + Q_post) / 2. If pre/post differ by more than 10%, the sample is flagged for review noting potential NIOSH 7400/7402 sampling validity concerns.

Yes. Air monitoring jobs are analyte-agnostic — you can log samples for any analyte in the regulatory matrix, including PCB Aroclors, silica, metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium), and asbestos fibers. Each analyte uses its own PEL and action level from the matrix independently.

AbateIQ uses a two-level exceedance model: Sample level — each result is compared to the STEL (15-min) threshold. Job level — the calculated TWA is compared to the PEL and action level. A job is flagged if either a STEL or PEL exceedance is detected.

A NEA is a documented determination that employee exposures to a regulated substance during a specific operation are, and will remain, consistently below the action level. Under OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1101(f)(2)(iii), a NEA may be used instead of initial air monitoring if objective data supports it. Must be in writing, identify the operations covered, and retained for 30 years.

AbateIQ scans completed surveys and compares ACM/hazard findings against existing NEAs. A gap is flagged when a survey has confirmed positive results for a regulated substance and no active, linked NEA covers that substance for the same project. Gaps are classified as Required (confirmed ACM) or Recommended (suspect material, incomplete sampling).

The NESHAP Notification Data Sheet export generates a structured document for EPA NESHAP 40 CFR Part 61 Subpart M notifications, including owner/operator identification, facility description, RACM quantities, planned dates, waste disposal info, and inspector certification. Generated as .docx and designed to match state/local agency formats.

NEAs and associated documentation are retained indefinitely unless explicitly deleted by an Admin. OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1101 requires NEAs to be maintained for the duration of employment plus 30 years.

• Respirator fit tests — test date, type, result, and expiration per OSHA 1910.134
• Medical surveillance / clearance — physician clearance date, medical attention flags, restriction notes
• Deployment restrictions — workers restricted from specific task categories
• Training certifications — state asbestos worker/supervisor, 40-hr HAZWOPER, lead abatement, and custom certs

Workers within 30 days of any expiration show amber warnings; expired workers are flagged red and may appear in the Action Center.

A deployment restriction flags a worker as ineligible for certain operations — typically due to an expired fit test, outstanding medical clearance, or physician-recommended limitation. Restriction reasons and dates are stored in the record and included in the personnel compliance export.

Workers with a Field Tech or Viewer role can view their own personnel record. They cannot edit records — that requires Manager or Admin access. Create accounts at Settings → Team with the Field Tech role to grant field workers read access.

QLFT and QNFT fit tests expire 12 months from the test date per OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134(f)(3). Expiration dates can be manually overridden on individual records if your organization uses a different cycle. AbateIQ uses the stored expiration date once manually set.

• Asbestos survey report — 8-section Word document (cover page, certification, inspection methods, ACM results)
• ACM register — XLSX by location and condition
• Lead paint / XRF summary — component-level results
• NEA document — formatted Word with OSHA-required sections
• NESHAP notification data sheet — EPA-formatted submittal
• Air monitoring summary — TWA calculations and exceedance flags
• Chain of custody — XLSX or PDF for lab submission
• Photo log, quantity takeoff, O&M plan excerpt, budget letter, waste profile

Yes. Letterheads pull from your organization profile (company name, logo, address, contact info) set once in Settings → Organization. Pro plan customers also have white-label settings to customize application branding for client-facing access.

AbateIQ generates reports from the data you enter. Report defensibility depends on the accuracy of the underlying records. An audit trail is stored for every data change. The platform captures all fields required for defensible documentation under OSHA 1926.1101 and EPA NESHAP.

• .docx — survey reports, NEA documents, NESHAP notifications, O&M excerpts, budget letters
• .xlsx — ACM registers, lead paint summaries, quantity takeoffs, waste profiles, COC
• .pdf — COC (PDF variant), survey dashboard, photo log

• Free — core modules, 2 seat cap
• Starter — $39/user/mo or $400/user/yr, NEAs, budgets, exports, 10 seat cap
• Pro — $69/user/mo or $750/user/yr, regulatory matrix editing, operation profiles, white label, 25 seat cap
• Enterprise — annual contract, unlimited seats, multi-org, API access, enterprise SLA

See the Pricing section for a full feature comparison.

Yes. Upgrade, downgrade, or cancel from Settings → Billing. Changes take effect at the end of the current billing period. On downgrade, features above the lower plan's limit become read-only — data is preserved. Cancellation retains data for 90 days, then permanently deletes.

All plans support multiple users under one organization account. Four roles: Admin (full access + billing), Manager (all modules, can edit locked records), Field Tech (create/edit surveys and samples, no budgets), Viewer (read-only). Invite from Settings → Team.