Asbestos

Asbestos is the generic term for a group of naturally occurring, fibrous minerals with high tensile strength, flexibility, and resistance to heat, chemicals, and electricity. In the construction industry, asbestos is found in installed products such as sprayed-on fireproofing, pipe insulation, floor tiles, cement pipe and sheet, roofing felts and shingles, ceiling tiles, fire-resistant drywall, drywall joint compounds, and acoustical products.

Asbestos fibers enter the body when a person inhales or ingests airborne particles that become embedded in the tissues of the respiratory or digestive systems. Exposure to asbestos can cause disabling or fatal diseases such as:

• Asbestosis, an emphysema-like condition
• Lung cancer
• Mesothelioma, a cancerous tumor that spreads rapidly in the cells of membranes covering the lungs and body organs
• Gastrointestinal cancer

The symptoms of these diseases generally do not appear for 20 or more years after initial exposure.

OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1101 covers the safe use and handling of asbestos in the construction industry. This standard applies to construction work, including alteration, repair, renovation, and demolition of structures containing asbestos.

Employers must ensure that no employee is exposed to an airborne concentration of asbestos in excess of 0.1 f/cc as an 8-hour TWA. In addition, employees must not be exposed to an airborne concentration of asbestos in excess of 1 f/cc as averaged over a sampling period of 30 minutes.

To learn more about Construction Chemical Hazards visit our Construction Chemical Hazards & Toxic Substances Online Training web page.