Asbestos Awareness

29 CFR 1910.1001 – Asbestos Standard

Number: 1910.1001Standard Title:
Asbestos SubPart Number: Z SubPart
Title: Toxic and Hazardous Substances
 Objectives:
Be able to:

•Explain what asbestos is and what it is used for

•Identify asbestos containing materials (ACM)

•Explain health effects due to asbestos exposure

•Explain how to avoid personal exposure to ACM

*Completion of this lesson does NOT certify individuals to

remove or repair asbestos!
 What is Asbestos?

A naturally occurring fibrous mineral, found in

two-thirds of the rocks in the Earth’s crust.

Depending on where you live, you could be

inhaling 10,000 - 15,000 fibers each day.
What is Asbestos Used For and In?

Qualities:
Fire retardant, fibrous nature, heat stability,
thermal and electrical resistance, flexibility,
high tensile strength, stability in acids and
alkalis.

Uses:
Theater curtains, vehicle brakes, roof
shingles, building panels, water and
sewer pipes, roof coatings, floor tiles,
elevator brakes, protective aprons and
gloves.
 Health Effects
The most common way for asbestos fibers to
enter the body is through breathing. As a result,
asbestos is most hazardous when friable. (easily
crumbled, which releases fibers into the air).

The body cannot break down or remove asbestos

fibers once they are lodged in lung or body tissues.
 Health Effects
Diseases commonly linked to Asbestos
Exposure:

Asbestosis
Lung Cancer*
Mesothelioma

*Very few lung cancer cases found in non-smokers

Determining Factors in Developing Illness

1. Amount and Duration of Exposure

2. Smoking

3. Age
 Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos exposure in unavoidable given its

widespread, natural occurrence in air and water

The National Academy of Sciences and the

International Agency for Research on Cancer have
concluded that low level exposures does not pose
a significant public health risk
 Assessment

• Take a few moments to complete the

assessment.
 Assessment - Key 1
1. False
Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral. In its natural
state, asbestos occurs throughout much of the planet. It is found
in two-thirds of the rocks in the earth's crust.

2. True

3. True
 Assessment - Key 2

4. __ Asbestosis, a fibrotic lung condition

__ Lung cancer
__ Mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the surface
linings of lung or abdominal tissues.

5. The most common way for asbestos fibers to

enter the body is through breathing. In fact,
asbestos containing material is not generally
considered to be harmful unless it is releasing
dust or fibers into the air where they can be
inhaled or ingested.
 Assessment - Key 3
6. Asbestos is most hazardous when it is friable.
This term means that the asbestos is easily
crumbled by hand, releasing fibers into the air.
Sprayed on asbestos insulation is highly friable.
Asbestos floor tile is not.

7. One study found that asbestos workers who

smoke are about 90 times more likely to develop
lung cancer than people who neither smoke nor
have been exposed to asbestos
 Assessment - Key 4
8. __The amount and duration of exposure - the
more you are exposed to asbestos and the more
fibers that enter your body, the more likely you
are to develop asbestos related problems.
__ Whether or not you smoke
__ Age - The younger people are when they
inhale asbestos, the more likely they are to
develop mesothelioma.
 Assessment - Key 5

9. True

10. False