Any building constructed before 2000 is thought to contain an ACM (Asbestos Containing Material) of one type or another. They are found in schools, hospitals, factories, public buildings even domestic properties, so asbestos has woven itself into our lives, but largely unseen.
The properties and versatility of asbestos made it an excellent building material. As a good thermal insulator it has been used to lag pipes and protect structural steelwork. It is also an excellent electrical insulating material and its high tensile strength has been used to give that strength to a wide range of other products such as gaskets. The long flexible fibres have been woven into cloth and rope used for fire protection and sealing of joints.
Add to all this the fact that it is highly resilient and does not degrade; it is not surprising it was used so widely. However, unfortunately it can also be deadly! Large numbers of people are now dying from past exposure to asbestos and will continue to do so unless action is taken.
If you own, occupy, manage or have responsibilities for non-domestic premises which may contain asbestos you have a legal duty to manage the risk from this material.
There are three main types of asbestos still found in premises today. These are commonly called ‘blue asbestos’ (crocidolite), ‘brown asbestos’ (amosite) and ‘white asbestos’ (chrysotile). All of them are dangerous, but blue and brown asbestos’ are more hazardous than white, but unfortunately you cannot identify them by their colour.
Although it is now illegal to use asbestos in the construction or refurbishment of any premises, many thousands of tonnes of it were used in the past and much of it is still in place. As long as it is in good condition and is not being or going to be disturbed or damaged there is no risk. But if it is disturbed or damaged, it can become a danger to health, because asbestos fibres are released into the air and people can breathe them in.
Up to 1,500,000 commercial, industrial and public buildings in the UK are likely to contain asbestos materials. Unless this material is properly managed anyone who has access to the buildings, including employees, the public and building/maintenance workers is at risk from breathing in the life-threatening fibres of asbestos.
An asbestos survey is now required due to new law legislation and is highly advisable for the health and safety of a workforce, friends or family.
Watch the video related to asbestos
Download high quality version tinyurl.com Asbestos is a tough, heat-resistant mineral that was added to the building materials of many older homes. It can pose health hazards to workers and homeowners who renovate or demolish those homes. This animation shows how asbestos fibres could damage lung tissue and lead to lung disease.
Help answer the question about asbestos
How is asbestos dealt with after it is removed from a home furnace or siding?I was looking at buying a home with an octopus furnace (AKA gravity furnace) and the vent pipes were white and made of asbestos. I was told a HAZMAT team would have to come in and remove the asbestos, but I am curious as to what they do with the asbestos covered pipes when they are done. I was also told that if the pipes are not damaged or peeling that it is perfectly safe and it can remain in the home.
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I am an Electrician and reside in the top 10 most likely to contract Asbestos related diseases along with plumbers and other contractors.
I still encounter Asbestos every day, I hate it, there’s a terrible attitude that many builders have towards asbestos, I see it ripped out by idiot guys without masks all the time, if these guys are around you just walk off the job, there’s nothing you can do but walk, you’ll lose money but hey? life’s not fair.
Smokers are in four times more danger.
A good thing to carry is a water spray, an atomiser like the hair stylist uses, if you need to disturb an area where you are concerned about fibers then spray a mist over them before you do anything.
Asbestos guys use plain old PVA (wood)glue mixed with hot water to enable it to be sprayed when they wet fibres down, mix a spray with hot water and PVA glue and shake it until it’s mixed up and white then spray the areas that concern you.
If you have any questions I’ll try to help out.
I doubt there would be asbestos in the wall but it may be present in old pipe lagging etc it should have been mentioned in the surveyors report when you purchased the house.Because your boyfriend is a plumber he will be fully aware of the risks of asbestos and will take the appropriate action if he finds any
In my state, it's the Department of Environmental Quality, unless you're in a certain county, then it can come under the county's air quality regulation agency. So, be prepared for the health department to steer you to someone else.
If the building was constructed after 1980, there's little chance it's asbestos containing, but not impossible. You can take a full-depth sample of the hallway walls or whatever they're demolishing and take it to an accredited lab – look for "environmental services" in the yellow pages. Analysis can range from 12 to 30 dollars, but would be well worth it.
Do NOT use a vacuum. It's very difficutl to analyze, and impossible to give an accurate number from. Also, there's no published and approved method for analyzing asbestos in vacuum bags….For air sampling, you need appropriate pumps, filters, and you need to know the air flow volume. This is best left for an industrial hygienist.
Bulk samples, if you decide to take one, should be taken with a clean tool, put in a sealed plastic bag, record the location taken, maybe take pictures, and send it to a lab. Or – call your air quality regulatory agency and "sic them" on it. Good luck.
asbestos takes 20 – 40 years to affect you, so u still may have lung cancer down the road….
I’m 35 and was exposed to Asbestos when I was 25 for about a month, it’s a little soul destroying because the British Health and Safety authority only gave the builders a verbal warning even though they knew it was present.
I worried for months and realise there is nothing I can do, I am still in construction and moved to Australia where Asbestos sheet is everywhere.
My advice to construction guys is.
A)Don’t Smoke
B)Wear a P2 rated mask every day
C)Throw away clothes you think contain fibres
Asbestos is broken up into 2 groups. Friable and nonfrible. Friable means easily crumbed, releasing fibers into the air. Popcorn Ceiling are friable however if asbestos is undesturbed you will be ok. If the ceiling is falling apart you can do one of two things. 1, you can paint the ceiling succesfully encapsulating it however you may disturb the asbestos while painting. or 2 you can call a professional asbestos worker, like me, to set up a containment barrier and perform a ceiling scrape
Our last house had asbestos siding. As long as you do not remove it and it is in good condition there is nothing to worry about. Some people have it removed and that is costly as you need a special permit and the contractor has to be certified. It depends on which state you live in. Many simply leave it alone or cover it up with another siding. We also did not have any trouble selling it last summer. Asbestos siding in good condition is actually very durable.
Actually this is a question involving legal issues as well as environmental issues.
You don't state where you live.
I worked on a house in Montana 3 years ago, which had asbestos shingles as siding. The customer wanted them removed, and a different type of siding installed.
I went to the local permit/code office and was told I couldn't do that, even as a licensed contractor.
Remediation of asbestos is potentially dangerous, and it's disposal is an issue as well. There are no specific laws that I know of however, regarding painting over, or siding over asbestos siding.
It may be expensive, in that if it's discovered to be asbestos based, you might be required to have it removed in any case?
I understand budgetary constraints, but if you plan to remain in the house for the long term, it seems to me, it would be worth it to explore the removal and disposal.
Certainly if you sold the house you'd be obligated to disclose the substance of the siding, especially if it is in fact asbestos based.
Rev. Steven
You should talk to your doctor about it. It might be a good idea for you to have periodic chest x-rays just as a precaution. I don't think you should get overly concerned at this point.
look im about to work on a house thats full of vermiculite, its all over the floor, i need to change the service, how much does it cost for you guys to come in and take some samples to see if they test positive? i know it may not contain asbestos, but if it was mined in libby montana, it can contain tremolite
You've touched on the answer. People who do not know think "this stuff is poison, or I will get cancer" Asbestos products as you indicated are best left alone. There are cases where the removal is important, if you are removing an old boiler system and installing a central forced air system then the old system is in the way and should be removed by a professional. In the case of asbestos tile floor or siding the material is OK as long as in the case of siding it is painted and you do not saw, or drill or scrape the material. If painted you don't want to scrape it when you plan to repaint. In the case of tile, you should not strip the floor to apply new wax. and you should keep it waxed or sealed. The fibers are dangerous when they become airborne. Lead based paint falls into this category too.
There is too much Hype over Asbestos. The people who suffered its awful effects worked with it everyday. Usually without a mask. Not knowing the effects of its dust on your lungs.
I did. Luckily I'm OK. But if its kept under control its harmless. Fit Vinyl Siding and forget it.
Anything over 30 years old is a risk.
mesothelioma is a terrible disease to die from and it doesn’t help at the crematorium where it takes 3 days to cremate the poor bugger who died from it. Almost as bad as the alcoholic who dies from drinking 2 bottles of brandy a day when it took 3 days to put the fire out.
many people suffer mesothelioma from unwitting exposure to asbestos. how would you like to find out in 30 years that the keyboard you use contained chemicals that are now killing you – incurably!
If you are suffering from this insidious disease you may be entitled to compensation to help with your treatment, or improve your quality of life.
mesothelioma-lawsuits. info
gives you info to help with this and start you on your path.
First of all, you need to know if it's asbestos, or something else. Could be anything.
If it is asbestos, it is illegal to dispose of it. If they try, the fines are FEDERAL, and very heavy!
Makes me wonder if this is the stuff that I found in my apartment ceiling loft that was built in the late 1960s. I found this weird brownish/greyish insulation underneath the loose fill yellow fiberglass insulation. I know that it wasn’t cellulose because you could shine a flashlight at that stuff and see tiny splinter like fibers. Since I had already (potentially) stirred it up and exposed myself, I tried to burn a sample of whatever insulation this was and it wouldn’t burn. Asbestos?