Where Asbestos is Used
Because asbestos is strong and resistant to heat, it has been used in many different types of products. In the construction industry, asbestos is used in more than 3,000 building products.
Some materials are presumed to contain asbestos if installed before 1981. For example, vinyl asbestos floor tiles may be as much as 15% to 20% asbestos, which is released when old flooring is removed.
Examples of products that may contain asbestos-containing materials (ACM) or presumed asbestos-containing materials (PACM) include:
- Asbestos-cement Pipe and Sheet Material
- Fireproofing/Acoustical Texture Products
- Friction Materials
- Gaskets and Packings
- Insulation
- Laboratory Hoods and Table Tops
- Spackling, Patching & Taping Compounds
- Textile and Cloth Products
- Tiles, Wallboard, Siding and Roofing
- Vermiculite
Asbestos is not a serious health problem unless the fibers are disturbed and released into the air. The fibers are so small that workers cannot see it with the naked eye. The fact you can inhale these fibers without knowing it makes asbestos an even more dangerous hazard. Significant exposure to asbestos can cause breathing problems, lung cancer, and cancer of the lung lining many years after exposure. Therefore, only specially trained asbestos workers may remove asbestos.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-4. Asbestos exposure is not serious unless _____.
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