If you are wondering what could contain asbestos, the answer is almost anything.
The “asbestos abatement workers handbook” shows what you should be worried about.
Read our recap below.
The types of materials to be investigated in an asbestos control program should include the following:
Ceiling Surfaces. There are many different types of ceiling finishes which are likely to contain asbestos. they are usually sprayed onto concrete or metal ceilings, beams and posts. In another common application the material is troweled onto wire or expanded metal lath. These are found in a wide variety of textures, including a grey, fibrous or fluffy material which is easily pulled apart (sometimes treated to make it more solid), granular acoustic plaster which is easily damaged when anything brushes across it, and hard, cementitious plaster, sometimes used as decoration. The fibrous and granular materials are of special concern because of their friability and susceptibility to damage from contact of vibration.
Although most ceiling tiles don’t contain asbestos, they are often suspended below ceilings which have a sprayed-on asbestos coating. In these cases, they may conceal friable, damaged asbestos and dust containing asbestos may collect on the upper surface of the tile.
A type of ceiling tile which does contain asbestos consists of a cloth-covered pad sandwiched between two perforated sheet metal covers. These tiles require particular care in handling since the asbestos-containing material.
Equipment Covering, Asbestos was routinely used to insulate the exterior surface of boilers, breeching, ductwork, tanks and other components of heating systems in buildings of various types. Similarly, the tanks, vats, vessels and pipelines of industrial facilities such as refineries and chemical plants have been insulated with asbestos-containing materials. Typical applications involve blocks of grey or white substances which have a chalk-like consistency and are generally very friable. Sometimes there are wired together and attached to expanded metal lath which is wrapped around the vessel. in other cases, they may be cemented together using an asbestos plaster. on both application, the blocks are covered in wire mesh and then coated with layers of asbestos plaster and paint.
Pipe Covering. the various kinds of insulating coverings used around pipes contain more asbesto than any other kind of construction material. Such covering are found in two basic forms: the first cementitious plaster, used as insulation on elbows, joints, valves and pre-formed sections which come in two halves, usually about three feet long. The second is pre-formed insulation which comes in two varieties; one is made of compressed or, more often, corrugated paper, sometimes wrapped in cloth, then help in place with metal bands; the other is a block-type insulation similar to that found in boiler covering. In indoor applications this is covered with cloth and held in place with metal bands and frequently painted. Outdoors, on larger pipes it is protected by a corrugated aluminum sheet over asphalt paper and on smaller pipes, asphalt paper held in place by wire.
Friable, Possibly Containing Asbestos:
-Surface materials
-Fibrous, fluffy material
-Damaged wrapped insulation
-Granular cementitious material such as acoustical plaster
-Other
Non Friable, Possibly Containing Asbestos:
-Surfacing materials which are concrete-like
-Construction materials including wall board, cement pipe, floor and ceiling tile.
-Wrapped insulation, pipe and boiler coverings
-textiles, aprons, curtains, etc.