Florida State University
Environmental Health & Safety
Outline
This training is intended to provide FSU faculty, staff, and students with an overview of information related to asbestos-containing materials in FSU buildings. The following topics are covered:
As you go through the training, look for items to click on to reveal additional important information.
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a group of six naturally occurring fibrous minerals that are mined from the earth. Asbestos deposits are found throughout the world. The word asbestos comes from the ancient Greek, meaning "inextinguishable" or "indestructible".
What are the types of asbestos?
The six types of asbestos are:
Of these chrysotile, amosite, and crodicolite are the most common types.
What makes asbestos unique?
Asbestos fibers have very unique properties that make it a useful product. These include the following:
As a result, asbestos has been used in over 3,000 commercial products.
What do asbestos fibers look like?
All types of asbestos tend to break into very small fibers. The individual fibers are so small that a microscope must be used to identify them.
Some fibers are up to 700 times smaller than a human hair.
Once these fibers are released into the air they may stay suspended for hours or even days.
Pictured here is a sample of Chrysotile ore.
Summary
Asbestos is a group of six naturally occurring fibrous minerals that have very unique and useful properties.
Asbestos fibers are very small and are unable to be seen by the human eye. If fibers are released into the air, they can stay suspended for long periods of time.
Types of Asbestos-Containing Materials
Asbestos is found in many types of products and places. Below is a partial list of suspect asbestos-containing materials from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Where is asbestos-containing material found at FSU?
Asbestos-containing material is most likely to be found in buildings built before 1981. Examples of materials may include the following:
Is asbestos still used?
Growing concerns about the health risks associated with asbestos exposure resulted in a reduction in use beginning in the 1970s. In the 1970s, EPA banned many uses of asbestos including new uses of asbestos. As a result of government regulations and improved work practices, today’s workers have lower risks of exposure than in the past.
What types of materials may still contain asbestos?
Some asbestos-containing materials are still not banned. Asbestos can still be used in the following products:
Who regulates asbestos?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are primarily responsible for regulating environmental exposure and protecting workers from asbestos exposure.
The EPA was required by the Clear Air Act to produce regulations to regulate air pollutants hazardous to health. These are called the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants. Asbestos is one of these.
OSHA promulgates mandatory safety and health standards designed to reduce the number of occupational safety and health hazards at places of employment.
Summary
There are many types of asbestos-containing materials that have been used in the past. Asbestos-containing materials are most likely to be found in buildings built before 1981 although they can still be found in some products today.
The EPA and OSHA are primarily responsible for regulating environmental exposure and protecting workers from asbestos exposure.
How does asbestos enter the body?
The most common way for asbestos fibers to enter the body is through inhalation (breathing). Generally, asbestos-containing material is not considered to be harmful unless it is releasing dust or fibers into the air where they can be inhaled.
If asbestos fibers are inhaled, some of the fibers will be deposited in the air passages and deep air exchange regions of the lungs. Most fibers are exhaled from the lungs and are carried away or coughed up and swallowed. Fibers that are deposited in the deepest parts of the lung are removed slowly. In fact, some fibers can remain in place for many years and may never be removed the body.
How does asbestos enter the body?
If asbestos fibers are ingested (swallowed), nearly all of the fibers will pass through the body. A small number of fibers may penetrate into the stomach lining or intestines, and a few may pass through to the blood stream. Some may become trapped in other tissues.
Another way asbestos can enter the body is through the skin. However, very few, if any, asbestos fibers will penetrate through the skin.
What are the primary diseases associated with exposure to asbestos?
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that occurs in the thin membrane lining of the lungs, chest, abdomen, and (rarely) heart. About 200 cases are diagnosed each year in the United States. Virtually all cases are linked with asbestos exposure.
It can be caused by very low exposure and is not directly related to the amount inhaled. This cancer may take 30-40 years to develop. The resulting epidemic of mesothelioma in workers born after 1940 did not become apparent until the 1990s owing to the long latency of the disease. Incident rates are still rising.
When asbestos fibers are inhaled they can become embedded in the lungs. Fibers embedded in the lungs can cause lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma.
What does all this mean?
Exposure to asbestos does not mean a person will develop health problems. Asbestos has been used widely in the United States and low levels of asbestos are present in the air, water, and soil. Nearly everyone has been exposed to very low levels of asbestos at some time in his or her life. However, most people do not become ill from such exposures. Many factors must be considered when evaluating the risk of health problems related to asbestos.
It is important to recognize that the majority of people who have developed diseases because of asbestos exposures worked in occupations where asbestos was used. These workers were frequently exposed to high levels of asbestos fibers each working day, with little or no protection. Generally, those who develop asbestos-related diseases show no signs of illness for a long time after their first exposure. It can take from 15 to 40 years or more for symptoms of an asbestos-related condition to appear.
Does smoking and asbestos exposure affect the risk of developing lung cancer?
The combination of smoking and asbestos exposure is particularly hazardous. Smokers who are also exposed to asbestos have a risk of developing lung cancer that is greater than the individual risks from asbestos and smoking added together. Quitting smoking will reduce the risk of lung cancer among workers who have been exposed to asbestos.
Summary
The primary mechanism for asbestos to enter the body is through inhalation.
The primary diseases associated with asbestos exposure are lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma. Smoking and inhalation of asbestos fibers greatly increases the risk of developing certain asbestos related diseases.
Health effects from asbestos exposure may continue to progress even after exposure is stopped.
How does FSU prevent exposure to asbestos fibers?
The presence of asbestos-containing materials in buildings is not harmful to the occupant’s health if the materials are maintained in good condition and properly managed.
A harmful situation doesn't exist unless dust or fibers are released from the material into the air where they can be inhaled.
A fiber release is more likely to occur if a material is damaged or deteriorated.
FSU actively manages asbestos-containing material with a multitier approach.
Signage used to identify asbestos containing material.
Does the condition of the material influence the potential for exposure to asbestos?
A key element to preventing exposure to asbestos-containing material is to understand the mechanisms that increase the likelihood for asbestos fibers to be released.
Materials that are easily crumbled and reduced to a powder are called friable materials. Friable asbestos-containing materials have a much greater risk of releasing asbestos fibers.
Non-friable materials are generally not considered to be a health risk since the fibers are normally bound or contained in the material itself. However, a fiber release can occur when these materials are broken, damaged, or improperly removed.
Friable
Picture of friable pipe insulation that has been damaged
Non-Friable
Picture of vinyl flooring that contains asbestos that is non-friable
How does FSU manage asbestos-containing material?
FSU’s primary method of managing asbestos-containing materials is to manage the materials in place. This is consistent with recommendations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The EPA recommends a practical approach that protects public health by emphasizing that asbestos material in buildings should be located, appropriately managed, and that those workers who may disturb it should be properly trained and protected.
Areas that contain friable asbestos have a warning sign on the access alerting employees of the hazard.
How does FSU manage asbestos containing material?
FSU maintains an inventory of all known asbestos-containing materials in University buildings.
When necessary, FSU will initiate asbestos removal.
Periodic inspections are conducted of materials that contain asbestos to confirm the material is intact.
If complaints or concerns are raised, FSU quickly responds to address any issues.
Training and education are provided to employees to prevent exposure to asbestos-containing material.
Asbestos Workers install glove bags prior to the removal of asbestos containing pipe insulation to prevent fiber release.
When is it necessary to remove asbestos containing material?
If asbestos-containing materials are identified, its removal is required prior to building renovations, demolitions, and repairs. This is acceptable and safeguards are utilized to protect building occupants.
Only Florida Licensed Asbestos Abatement Contractors are used for the removal. The contractors must follow strict regulations and work practices when performing asbestos abatement to ensure that asbestos fibers do not migrate to areas outside the abatement area.
To ensure all the asbestos-containing material is removed and the abatement area is safe for re-occupancy, each asbestos removal project is conducted under the supervision of a Florida Licensed Asbestos Consultant who monitors the contractor and collects air samples to ensure workers and building occupants are not exposed to asbestos fibers.
How is asbestos abated?
An example of an asbestos abatement. Note the PPE being worn by the workers and the air cleaner exhausting clean/filtered air to the outside.
How do you tell if a material contains asbestos?
It is impossible to determine if a material contains asbestos just by looking at it. If you are uncertain as to whether or not material contains asbestos, you should not disturb it.
Any department initiating work activities that will disturb a building material (e.g. floor tile during a carpet replacement, new ceiling installation, etc.) must first contact the EH&S Asbestos Coordinator or Facilities Asbestos Project Manger to determine if asbestos-containing materials are present. EH&S maintains records concerning known locations of asbestos-containing materials in buildings.
Prior to initiating work, contractors must be provided with information about the location of asbestos-containing materials so they can appropriately manage the material.
Carpet that has been placed over tiles that contain asbestos.
How can you avoid exposure to asbestos fibers?
If you have reason to suspect that a material contains asbestos, because it is labeled as such, because it is something that is likely to contain asbestos, or because you are uncertain, DO NOT DISTURB IT.
A fire door that was cut contained asbestos-containing material inside that resulted in a fiber release episode.
What is Environmental Health and Safety’s role in managing asbestos-containing materials at FSU?
EH&S provides the following technical support activities in support of managing asbestos-containing materials for the University:
Where can I learn more?
Whom do I contact if I have any additional questions or need to report damaged asbestos-containing materials?
