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What is asbestos?Asbestos is a
natural mineral with unusual qualities. It is strong enough to resist high
temperatures, chemical attack and wear. A poor conductor, it insulates well
against heat and electricity. Asbestos
crystals become long, flexible, silky fibres, so it can be made into a wide
variety of forms. It can be spun into yarn, woven into cloth or braided into
rope. Asbestos can also be added to materials as diverse as cotton and cement. This combination
of properties gives asbestos performance capabilities that are difficult to
match. What has asbestos been used for?Asbestos has
been used in hundreds of applications and products over the past 4,500 years.
The ancient Greeks wove it into oil lamp wicks, funeral shrouds and ceremonial
tablecloths. During the 1800s, it insulated the hot engines, boilers and piping
that powered the Industrial Revolution. For half a
century, until the 1980s, asbestos was used in office buildings, public
buildings and schools. It insulated hot water heating systems, and was put into
walls and ceilings as insulation against fire and sound. Asbestos has
also been widely used in transportation and electrical appliances, frequently
mixed with, and encased in, other materials. Asbestos has
also been found in many products around the house. It has been used in
clapboard; shingles and felt for roofing; exterior siding; pipe and boiler
covering; compounds and cement, such as caulk, putty, roof patching, furnace
cement and driveway coating; wallboard; textured and latex paints; acoustical
ceiling tiles and plaster; vinyl floor tiles; appliance wiring; hair dryers;
irons and ironing board pads; flame-resistant aprons and electric blankets; and
clay pottery. Asbestos can also be present in some loose-fill vermiculite
insulation. How has the use of asbestos changed?When it became
evident that regular exposure to asbestos on the job involved health risks, the
public became more concerned about exposure to asbestos in offices and schools,
and, eventually, about all asbestos products. This concern has
led to a dramatic decline in asbestos use since the early 1980s. The use of
asbestos insulation in buildings and heating systems has virtually disappeared.
Residential use, for roofing, flooring and appliances, continues to decrease. While
alternative products are being developed to replace asbestos, products sold
today containing asbestos are regulated under the Hazardous Products Act.
Asbestos can be used safely, and public concern has led to improved product
design and manufacture. Asbestos is now better encapsulated and sealed to reduce
the escape of fibres. Asbestos is
valuable in many applications because it has been difficult to find comparable
substitute materials. For example, it is still an important component of brake
lining and clutch facings. What health problems are associated with exposure to asbestos?Health Asbestos poses
health risks only when fibres are in the air that people breathe. Asbestos
fibres lodge in the lungs, causing scarring that can ultimately lead to severely
impaired lung function (asbestosis) and cancers of the lungs or lung cavity. Concern for the
health of asbestos workers was expressed as long ago as the late 1800s. The
risks became more evident in the late 1960s, when workers who had been heavily
exposed 20 to 30 years earlier showed increased incidence of lung disease.
Occupational exposure is now strictly regulated by provincial governments. When can asbestos be a problem in the home?Today, far fewer
products in the home contain asbestos. Current products that do contain the
material are better made to withstand wear and use. However,
frequent or prolonged exposure to asbestos fibres may still bring health risks.
This can happen with the release of fibres into the air when asbestos-containing
products break down, either through deterioration as they age or when they are
cut. People can put themselves at risk — often without realizing it — if
they do not take proper precautions when repairs or renovations disturb
asbestoscontaining materials. This can occur in a number of situations:
How to minimize the asbestos risks in the home?If you do not
know if products in your home contain asbestos, have an experienced contractor
inspect them. If there is asbestos, the best interim measure (unless the product
is peeling or deteriorating) is to seal the surface temporarily so that fibres
will not be released into indoor air. If the product is already protected or
isolated, simply leave it alone. It is a complex
and expensive matter to remove asbestos, and should be done by an experienced
contractor. When disturbing an asbestos product, maximum precautions must be
taken to safeguard the workers and anybody else who may be nearby. Asbestos dust
must remain within the work area so that it cannot be breathed in by unprotected
persons. It is essential
to take adequate precautions. Everybody who works with asbestos should always
wear an approved face mask and gloves, along with protective clothing. Be sure
to tape sleeve and trouser cuffs, and wash clothes separately after use. Keep
the work area moist to keep dust and fibre particles from floating into the air.
Isolate the work space. Reduce the air
pressure to prevent asbestos fibres from escaping from the work area, and filter
the exhaust air. Dispose of all waste appropriately, according to the guidelines
of your provincial department of the environment. Other removal methods may be
warranted for special conditions — consult an expert. Vermiculite InsulationSome vermiculite
may contain asbestos.
Where can you get more information on asbestos?For information
on how to minimize exposure to asbestos refer to: For information
on occupational exposure to asbestos, contact the: For contractors
who specialize in asbestos abatement and removal, look in the Yellow Pages™
under "Asbestos".
Although this
information product reflects housing experts' current knowledge, it is provided
for general information purposes only. Any reliance or action taken based on the
information, materials and techniques described are the responsibility of the
user. Readers are advised to consult appropriate professional resources to
determine what is safe and suitable in their particular case. The Fixit Team
assumes no responsibility for any consequence arising from use of the
information, materials and techniques described. |
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