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Avoiding Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos fibers are nearly indestructible - and they're toxic. They're also found in lots of products, and it's best to avoid them.
A list of things you need:
- Consumer safety telephone numbers
- EPA phone number
- Contact info for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Step-by-step run-through:
1. To find out whether a product contains asbestos, call the Consumer Product Safety Commission: (800) 638-2772.
2. Before you have your house remodeled, find out whether asbestos materials are present. Send a small sample to an EPA-approved laboratory for analysis. The NIST has a list of these laboratories. You can get this list from the Laboratory Accreditation Administration, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, or (301) 975-4016. Your state or local health department may also be able to help.
3. Look for signs of wear or damage such as tears, abrasions, or water damage. Intact tile and insulation will not release asbestos fibers. Asbestos is only dangerous when fibers are released and inhaled.
4. Report any damaged asbestos-containing materials immediately to a licensed asbestos-abatement contractor.
5. Never sand a material containing asbestos, especially vinyl-asbestos tiles and linoleum, and avoid tearing them.
6. Before moving ceiling tiles or repairing insulated pipelines to perform maintenance work, make sure they don't contain asbestos. If they do, they will need to be removed by licensed asbestos-abatement workers before the work may be performed.
7. Verde recommends that sampling of airborne fibers and minor repair of asbestos-containing materials be done by professional contractors.
8. Do not use a vacuum cleaner to pick up asbestos-containing dust. Asbestos fibers and particles are so small that they can pass through normal vacuum-cleaner filters and become airborne.
A helpful green hint:
Here's a short list of products that use/used asbestos: steam pipes and boilers, furnace ducts, resilient floor tiles, vinyl sheet flooring, adhesives, cement sheet, millboard, paper, door gaskets in furnaces, old fireproof gloves, stovetop pads, ironing board covers, old blow-dryers, auto brake pads and linings, clutch facings and gaskets.
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