This
lists many of the asbestos products known to cause disease. These products
contained one or more of the three types of asbestos. Theseare
blue asbestos (crocidolite); brown asbestos (amosite); and white asbestos
(chrysotile). All three are dangerous.
| Asbestos
Product |
Use |
Asbestos Content |
Comments |
| Sprayed
asbestos coating |
Thermal
and acoustic insulation
Fire and condensation protection |
Sprayed
coatings contain up to 85% asbestos. Crocidolite (blue asbestos) was
used for thermal insulation of steam turbines until
1970. Amosite (brown asbestos) was used for fire protection, structural
steel condensation protection, acoustic control.
Chrysotile (white asbestos), with mineral wool and binder, was used
until 1974. Chrysotile was also used as a coating on top of
other sprayed asbestos. |
Potential
for fibre release unless sealed. Potential increases as the materials
age or
become friable and disintegrate. Dust released may then accumulate.
Removal of sprayed coating is a licensed activity. |
| Asbestos
lagging |
Thermal
insulation of
pipes, boilers, pressure vessels, pre-formed pipe sections, slabs,
tape,rope, corrugated paper, quilts, felts and blankets |
All
types of asbestos have been used. Content varies. |
Friability
depends on the nature of the lagging. Potential for fibre release
unless sealed. Potential increases as materials age or become friable
and disintegrate. Dust releases may then accumulate. Removal is a
licensed activity. |
| Insulating
boards |
Fire
protection, thermal and acoustic insulation, resistance to moisture
movement and general building board. Used in ducts,
firebreaks, infill panels, partitions and ceilings (including ceiling
tiles), roof underlays, wall lining, bath panels, external canopies
and porch linings. |
Crocidolite
(blue asbestos) used for some boards up to 1965. 16 - 40% amosite
or a mixture of amosite (brown asbestos) and chrysotile (white asbestos) |
Likely
to cause a dust hazard if very friable, broken, rubbed, sawn or drilled. |
| Insulation
board cores and linings of composite products |
Acoustic
attenuators, cladding, infill panels, domestic boiler casings, partition
and ceiling panels, oven linings and suspended
floor systems. |
|
|
| Ropes
and yarns |
Lagging,
jointing and packing materials. Heat/fire resisting gaskets and seals.
Caulking in brickwork. Boiler and flue sealing. Plaited asbestos tubing
in electric cable |
All
types of asbestos were used until 1970. Since then only
chrysotile has been used. Asbestos content approximately 100% |
Fibre
may be released when large quantities of unbonded material are
stored or handled. |
| Cloth |
Thermal
insulation and lagging including fire-resisting blankets, mattresses
and protective curtains, gloves, aprons, overalls etc. |
All
types of asbestos have been used in the past. Since the mid 1960s,
mostly chrysotile has been used. |
Fibres
may be released if material is rubbed |
| Millboard
and paper |
General
heat insulation and fire protection. Electrical/heat insulation of
electrical equipment and plant. Asbestos paper has been used in the
manufacture of roofing felt and damp-proof courses, steel composite
wall cladding and roofing, vinyl flooring, facing to combustible boards,
flame resistant laminate and corrugated pipe
insulation. Millboard was used in laboratories for thermal insulation |
Crocidolite
was used in some millboard manufactured between 1896 and 1965;
subsequently chrysotile. Asbestos content approximately 100% |
Uncoated
asbestos paper and millboard is not highly bonded and should not be
used where subject to abrasion or wear. |
Asbestos
Cement
|
Roofing.
Wall cladding and
weather-boarding. |
10
- 15% asbestos. Crocidolite and amosite have been used in the manufacture
of
asbestos-cement products, although chrysotile is the most common type. |
Likely
to release fibres if rubbed,
handsawn or worked on with power tools, cleaned with high powered
hoses, deteriorated or decomposed. |
Asbestos
Cement
- Semi
-
compressed flat sheet and partition board
|
Partitioning
in farm buildings and housing, shuttering in industrial buildings,
decorative panels for facings, bath panels, soffits, linings to walls
and ceilings, portable buildings, propagation beds in
horticulture, domestic structural uses, fire surrounds and composite
panels for fire protection.
|
|
|
Asbestos
Cement
- Fully
compressed flat sheet and partition board
|
As
previous product but where stronger materials are required. |
10
- 15% asbestos. Crocidolite and amosite have been used in the manufacture
of asbestos-cement products, although chrysotile is the
most common type.
|
Likely
to release fibres if rubbed, handsawn or worked on with power tools,
cleaned with high
powered hoses, deteriorated or decomposed |
Asbestos
Cement
- Tiles
and slates made from compressed flat sheet
|
Cladding, decking
and promenade tiles, roofing. |
|
|
Asbestos
Cement
- Preformed
moulded products
|
Cisterns
and tanks, drains, sewer pipes and
rainwater goods, flue pipes, fencing, roofing components, cable troughs
and conduits, ventilators and ducts, window and flower
boxes. |
|
|
| Asbestos-bitumen
products |
Bitumen
roofing felt. Bitumen
damp-proof course. Semi-rigid asbestos-bitumen roofing. Gutter linings
and flashings. Asbestos-bitumen coatings on metals |
Chrysotile
fibre or asbestos paper (approximately 100% asbestos) in bitumen. |
Fibre
release
is unlikely during normal use. Roofing felts, dpc and bitumen based
sealants must not be burnt after removal. |
| Flooring |
Thermoplastic
floor tiles.
PVC vinyl floor tiles and unbacked PVC flooring.
Asbestos paper backed PVC floors. |
Up
to 25% asbestos.
Normally less than 10% chrysotile.
Paper backing approximately 100% chrysotile asbestos. |
Fibre
release is unlikely to be a hazard under normal service conditions.
Fibre may be released when material is cut and there may be
substantial release when flooring, especially with paper backing,
is removed. |
| Textured
coating |
Coatings
on walls and ceilings |
3
- 5% chrysotile asbestos. |
Fibres
can be released when "dry mix" materials are prepared or
when old coating is rubbed
down. The materials must not be power sanded. Remove by wet scraping
if necessary. |
| Mastics,
sealants, putties and adhesives |
General. |
0.5
- 2% |
The
main hazard is from sanding of hardened material. Sanding down with
power tools should be avoided |
| Reinforced
PVC and plastics |
Panels
and cladding. Reinforcement for domestic goods
|
Variable |
|
| Wall
plugging compound |
Wall
fixings. |
Greater
than 90% |
Made
up from loose asbestos and cotton fibre with plastic dust. |
Hair
dryers, fan and radiant electric heaters, irons, toasters, Washing
machines,
tumble dryers, spin dryers, dish washers, refrigerators and freezers |
Paper
element formers, brake pads, compressed
fibre gaskets and seals, rubberised or other polymer gaskets and seals. |
Variable. |
Asbestos
paper has been used as heat insulation in hair dryers. In general,
gaskets and brake pads are sealed within appliances
and are unlikely to release fibres into the atmosphere. |
| Cookers |
Insulating
board.
Fire cement, compressed fibre seals, rubberised or other polymer seals. |
16
- 40%
Variable. |
|
| Boilers,
pipe work |
Asbestos
plaster with or without surface fibre layer |
Variable. |
|
The
list is incomplete. There are other asbestos
products and materials
which cause disease. |
Extracts
from the Department of Environment Asbestos Materials in Buildings.