Updated: 5:15 p.m.

The Architect of the Capitol started work Monday on a project that will involve removing asbestos in the Rayburn House Office Building subbasement.

AOC spokeswoman Eva Malecki said the installation of an upgraded switchgear, which is used to open and close high-voltage electronic circuits, will involve the abatement of some asbestos in Rayburn SB-363.

“The switchgear installation project is designed to replace old switchgear equipment, original to the Rayburn Building and whose parts are no longer manufactured, with modern, energy-efficient, new equipment,” Malecki said in an e-mail. “There may be a need to abate some asbestos in the floor as the project progresses, but it is not the focus of the project.”

House Superintendent William Weidemeyer sent a notification to Member offices in November, in accordance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards, but added that they need not take extra precautions.

He wrote that an industrial hygienist and contractors who are certified by the Environmental Protection Agency are managing the work, which will include daily inspections, removal of debris and waste disposal.

“Room and personal air sampling/monitoring will be conducted and documented on a daily basis,” Weidemeyer wrote. “The completion of each project will require a visual inspection and final clearance air sampling.”

Malecki said the work is expected to be finished in January.