Asbestos: Common Questions Answered
What is Asbestos and what are the risks?
- Asbestos is the name given to a group of naturally occurring minerals that are resistant to heat and corrosion. Asbestos includes the mineral fibers chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, anthophyllite, actinolite and any of these materials that have been chemically treated or altered.
- Historically asbestos has been a common ingredient in building materials, and it has been found in hundreds of routinely used building materials. Asbestos has been used in roofing, thermal and electrical insulation, cement pipe and sheets, flooring materials, gaskets, wall and ceiling surface coatings and textures, mastics and other commonly used construction materials that make up buildings. Asbestos in all its forms is a known carcinogen. Studies have demonstrated that exposure to asbestos causes respiratory-tract cancer, pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma and other cancers. The primary routes of potential exposure to asbestos are inhalation and ingestion. When building materials that contain asbestos are disturbed through renovation or demolition activities, the asbestos fibers contained in these materials become airborne and represent an exposure risk to the workers and or occupants of the structure. All regulatory guidelines must be followed when disturbing asbestos containing building materials (ACBMs) in order to insure worker and occupant safety
Who regulates Asbestos?
OSHA
- Asbestos is addressed in specific Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards. For buildings constructed prior to 1981, the Code of Federal Regulations (29 CFR 1926.1101 and 29 CFR 1910.1001) define presumed asbestos-containing material (PACM) as 1) Thermal System Insulation (TSI) (e.g., boiler insulation, pipe lagging, fireproofing); and 2) Surfacing Materials (e.g., acoustical ceilings). Building owners/employers can rebut installed material as PACM by either having an inspection in accordance with Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) (40 CFR Part 763, Subpart E) or hiring an accredited inspector to take bulk samples of the suspect material. Typical materials not covered by the presumptive rule include but are not limited to: floor tiles and adhesives, wallboard systems, siding and roofing.
NESHAP
- The applicability of the EPA’s National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP, 40 CFR Chapter 61, Subpart M) apply to the owner or operator of a facility where an inspection for the presence of asbestos-containing materials (ACM), including Category I (asbestos containing packings, gaskets, resilient floor coverings and asphalt roofing products), and Category II (all remaining types of non-friable asbestos containing material not included in Category I that when dry, cannot be crumbled, pulverized or reduced to powder by hand pressure), non-friable ACM must occur prior to the commencement of demolition or renovation activities. NESHAP defines ACM as any material or product that contains greater than 1% asbestos. It should be noted that the NESHAP regulation applies to all facilities regardless of construction date, including: 1) Any institutional, commercial, public, industrial, or residential structure, installation, or building; 2) Any ship; and 3) Any active or inactive waste disposal site. This requirement is typically enforced by the EPA or by local air pollution control/air quality management districts.
Do I need an Asbestos Survey?
- In 1989, the EPA issued a final rule under Section 6 of Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) banning most asbestos-containing products. However, in 1991, this rule was vacated and remanded by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. As a result, most of the original ban on the manufacture, importation, processing, or distribution in commerce for the majority of the asbestos-containing products originally covered in the 1989 final rule was overturned. Though buildings constructed after the mid-1980's are less likely to have been built with asbestos-containing materials (ACMs); the bottom line is that ACMs are still used in building materials today (e.g. vinyl floor tile, pipe wrap, roofing felt, cement pipe, roof coatings, non-roof coatings, millboard).
- Heavy exposures tend to occur in the construction industry and in ship repair, particularly during the removal of asbestos materials due to renovation, repairs, or demolition. Workers are also likely to be exposed during the manufacture of asbestos products (such as textiles, friction products, insulation, and other building materials) and during automotive brake and clutch repair work. If you plan to disturb building materials as part of the repair, renovation, or demolition of a building, you will likely be required to obtain an Asbestos Survey.