Asbestos Floor Tiles
Anyone inspecting for asbestos, determining risk, or recommending control measures must be competent to do so. To be competent a person should: - have appropriate training, knowledge and experience in identifying suspected asbestos materials and be able to determine risk and appropriate controls - be familiar with building and construction practices to determine where asbestos is likely to be present - be able to determine that material may be friable or non-friable and evaluate its condition. If you do not have the capability to identify asbestos, then you should use an external providers, for example, a consultant.
The design plans for a building, structure, ship or plant may help in identifying inaccessible areas. Talking to builders, architects, manufacturers of plant and maintenance employees can also help. Experience and findings from inspections of similar sections of the building (or similar buildings) may also be helpful.
In addition, the black mastic used as an adhesive for this tiles may also be laced with asbestos. As the name indicates, this adhesive is black in colour and may contain about 15 to 85 percent of asbestos. However, you may only encounter it after your floor has been removed to make way for new flooring.
Christine, if they’ve only broken a few tiles, I really don’t think you have anything to worry about. But if you’re concerned about it, you can always have an air quality test done after the renovations are done. I know there’s a way to clear the air, so to speak, but I don’t really know what it entails. I’d be willing to bet that your house will be just fine as far as asbestos goes, though.
If you removed so few tiles, I can’t imagine that you would have anything to worry about. Generally, people who have issues with asbestos exposure are people who have worked with it every day as part of their job. Such limited exposure (if any) from a few broken tiles doesn’t seem like enough to worry about. However, if you just need peace of mind, you can always have the air quality tested in your home. Companies who test air quality can tell you what contaminants are in the air inside your home, and what can be done to eliminate those contaminants. I’m not an air quality expert, but in my non-professional opinion, I really think you have nothing to worry about. But sometimes it’s worth it to shell out some money for peace of mind, especially when children are involved.
Asbestos came into popular use around in the first half of the 19th century due to its affordability, insulating qualities, flexibility and resistance to fire. Laws phasing it out or banning it immediately from some industries were first passed about 1980.
AbstractThis study investigated personal airborne exposure to asbestos during its abatement in two projects that had floor tile with different concentrations of asbestos. Abatement of floor tile with the higher percent asbestos exhibited the highest personal exposure level. Airborne exposure concentrations of asbestos between these abatement projects were found to be statistically significant. However, since neither had levels above occupational exposure standards this difference was not considered important, a type two error (false positive). It is suggested that when establishing negative exposure assessments, priority be given to process/work practices, with percent of contaminant in the building component being of less importance. Time period of applicability of data from negative exposure assessments to future projects should be considered indefinite. Neither within- or between-worker variation was predominant, in this study. Likelihood of exceeding occupational exposure standards during abatement of asbestos-containing floor tile, even for materials containing up to 15% asbestos, is low. Regulation of floor tile as a special category or group of asbestos-containing material appears to be warranted. Current schemes in the United States that regulate floor tile in the same group as other asbestos-containing materials would appear to be a legislating of science.
The design plans for a building, structure, ship or plant may help in identifying inaccessible areas. Talking to builders, architects, manufacturers of plant and maintenance employees can also help. Experience and findings from inspections of similar sections of the building (or similar buildings) may also be helpful.
In addition, the black mastic used as an adhesive for this tiles may also be laced with asbestos. As the name indicates, this adhesive is black in colour and may contain about 15 to 85 percent of asbestos. However, you may only encounter it after your floor has been removed to make way for new flooring.
Christine, if they’ve only broken a few tiles, I really don’t think you have anything to worry about. But if you’re concerned about it, you can always have an air quality test done after the renovations are done. I know there’s a way to clear the air, so to speak, but I don’t really know what it entails. I’d be willing to bet that your house will be just fine as far as asbestos goes, though.
If you removed so few tiles, I can’t imagine that you would have anything to worry about. Generally, people who have issues with asbestos exposure are people who have worked with it every day as part of their job. Such limited exposure (if any) from a few broken tiles doesn’t seem like enough to worry about. However, if you just need peace of mind, you can always have the air quality tested in your home. Companies who test air quality can tell you what contaminants are in the air inside your home, and what can be done to eliminate those contaminants. I’m not an air quality expert, but in my non-professional opinion, I really think you have nothing to worry about. But sometimes it’s worth it to shell out some money for peace of mind, especially when children are involved.
Asbestos came into popular use around in the first half of the 19th century due to its affordability, insulating qualities, flexibility and resistance to fire. Laws phasing it out or banning it immediately from some industries were first passed about 1980.
AbstractThis study investigated personal airborne exposure to asbestos during its abatement in two projects that had floor tile with different concentrations of asbestos. Abatement of floor tile with the higher percent asbestos exhibited the highest personal exposure level. Airborne exposure concentrations of asbestos between these abatement projects were found to be statistically significant. However, since neither had levels above occupational exposure standards this difference was not considered important, a type two error (false positive). It is suggested that when establishing negative exposure assessments, priority be given to process/work practices, with percent of contaminant in the building component being of less importance. Time period of applicability of data from negative exposure assessments to future projects should be considered indefinite. Neither within- or between-worker variation was predominant, in this study. Likelihood of exceeding occupational exposure standards during abatement of asbestos-containing floor tile, even for materials containing up to 15% asbestos, is low. Regulation of floor tile as a special category or group of asbestos-containing material appears to be warranted. Current schemes in the United States that regulate floor tile in the same group as other asbestos-containing materials would appear to be a legislating of science.
