What is Asbestos? Asbestos
is a naturally-occurring mineral that has a unique, fibrous structure.
There are several types of asbestos. Asbestos is popular in building
materials because it is strong, won't burn, and is a good insulator
against heat and noise.
How
Can Asbestos Affect My Health? The mere presence of asbestos
in a building is not hazardous. The danger is that asbestos
materials may become damaged over time in a way that
releases asbestos fibers into the air. These fibers then can be inhaled
into the lungs. The fibers that are most dangerous are the ones that
are too small to be seen by the naked eye and too light
to "settle out" of the air quickly. Asbestos-containing
material that would crumble easily if handled ("friable" or "non-intact"),
or that has been sawed, scraped, or sanded into a
powder, is more likely to create a health hazard.
From studies of people who were exposed to high levels
of asbestos fibers for many years in factories and shipyards,
we know that breathing high levels of asbestos fibers can lead
to an increased risk of asbestosis (a gradual scarring of the
lungs that eventually impairs lung function), lung cancer, and
mesothelioma (a very rare cancer of the linings of the chest
or abdominal cavity). The symptoms of these diseases do not usually
appear until about 20 to 30 years after the first exposure to
asbestos. Most people exposed to small amounts of asbestos, as
we all are in our daily lives, do not develop these health problems.
How Do You
Identify Materials That Contain Asbestos? You can't
tell whether a material contains asbestos simply by looking
at it, unless it is labeled as containing asbestos. To know for
sure, samples of the material must be checked under a special microscope
by trained technicians.
However, certain types of material so commonly contain
asbestos that by law, we assume they contain asbestos.
These materials are called "Presumed Asbestos-Containing Materials," or
PACM for short.
These PACM materials are:
Thermal System Insulation (TSI) installed before
1981. Examples include steam pipes, boilers, and furnace ducts
insulated with an asbestos blanket, "hardcast," asbestos
paper tape, and cement sheet, millboard, and paper
used as insulation around furnaces and woodburning
stoves. These materials may release asbestos fibers if damaged,
repaired, or removed improperly. Worn seals in furnaces, wood stoves,
and coal stoves can release asbestos fibers during use.
Sprayed-on and troweled-on surfacing materials installed
before 1981. Examples include fireproofing, soundproofing, or
decorative material sprayed on walls and ceilings; patching and joint
compounds for walls and ceilings; and textured paints. Loose, crumbly,
or water-damaged material may release fibers. So will sanding, drilling,
or scraping the material.
Resilient flooring and adhesives installed before
1981. These include vinyl and asphalt floor tiles, vinyl sheet
flooring, and glues used to install vinyl, asphalt, or rubber floor
coverings. Sanding or improper buffing of these flooring materials
can release asbestos fibers. Tiles that are simply broken are not
a hazard.
Can Buildings Built
after 1981 Have Asbestos in Them? Yes. There
are still many asbestos-containing building materials
and other products (such as automobile brake linings)
being used in the United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency instituted a ban some years ago, but it was later challenged
in court and EPA was forced to withdraw it. The only items still
banned are thermal system insulation, sprayed- or troweled-on surfacing,
and new uses of asbestos. So, asbestos is still fairly common in
building products. If the product is made in the U.S., it is supposed
to have a warning label. However, many products sold in the U.S.
are actually made outside the U.S., so they may not contain these
warning labels.
Is There Asbestos in My
Building? The University has identified the known and presumed
asbestos-containing building materials in University-owned buildings
constructed before 1981. NC OSHA does not require employers
to look for asbestos in buildings constructed after 1981. EPA,
however, requires such buildings to be fully inspected, including
lab analyses for every possible type of asbestos, before demolition
work.
In most academic buildings, only materials that are inside the
building and which meet NC OSHA's definition of "PACM" are
listed. Thus there could be less-common forms of asbestos
in the building, which are not listed. Only areas that
could be seen during a walk-through are listed, so there may
be hidden asbestos behind walls, on roofs, on old wiring
insulation, or in other inaccessible places.
In most residence halls operated by Housing and Residence Life,
all materials that are inside the building and could
contain asbestos are listed. Lab testing to confirm whether
the materials contain asbestos was done following EPA
guidelines. Only
areas that could be accessed are listed, so there may
be hidden asbestos behind walls, on roofs, on old wiring
insulation, or in other inaccessible places.
Click here to see the survey of known and presumed asbestos materials
in each building built after 1981.
To understand the asbestos surveys, you may need to know the following
terms:
- ACM means known Asbestos Containing Material; i.e., where a lab
has confirmed that the material contains asbestos.
- "CT" means Ceiling Tile.
- "Floor Space" areas are estimated. Contact the Physical
Plant for current building statistics.
- "FT" means Floor Tile. May also be listed as "VCT."
- Mastic means the glue that attaches floor coverings such as tile,
carpet, base moulding, etc.
- PACM means Presumed Asbestos Containing Material. [LINK "PACM" AS
PER PREVIOUS]
- "Not Asb," "Non-Asb," or "NAD" means
that a lab has confirmed that the material does not contain
asbestos.
- TSI is Thermal System Insulation such as steam pipe or boiler
wrapping.
- "Visual Survey Only" means only PACM has been identified,
based on the type of building material and the date of construction.
No lab analyses have been done, and asbestos-containing materials
that are not required to be listed as PACM may be present. This approach
meets OSHA regulations on asbestos, but not EPA regulations for demolition
work.
What Should I
Do About Asbestos in My Building? Leave
it alone. Asbestos-containing
materials are not a hazard unless they are damaged
to the point of creating dust or fibers. For example, do not hang
plants from steam pipes or from drop-ceiling grids above which there
is sprayed-on fireproofing. Do not drive nails into plaster walls.
What
Should I Do if I Think There is Unidentified Asbestos-Containing
Material in My Building? At this time, the
University is in the process of developing a comprehensive
asbestos management program. In the meantime, contact the University
Industrial Hygienist if you have a concern about asbestos in your
building.
What Should
I Do if I Discover Damaged Asbestos-Containing Material in My Building? Leave
it alone and notify your Housekeeper or the University
Industrial Hygienist. Do not attempt to repair it yourself. Do not
sweep, vacuum, or otherwise disturb any debris that may have come
from the damaged material. All ASU Housekeeping staff have been
trained in recognizing asbestos-containing materials and the process
for requesting repair of damaged materials.
How Can I Find Out
More? There
are many documents available from OSHA (www.osha.gov),
EPA (www.epa.gov), and NIOSH (www.cdc.gov/niosh).
Just search for "asbestos." (Note: the regulations for
working on asbestos-containing materials changed
significantly in 1995 so documents published before
that date may have incorrect references to OSHA programs.).
In
addition, you can email the University
Industrial Hygienist, Mary M. Cavanaugh, or call at extension
6838, or 262-6838.
(Last updated: August 4, 2008)
