Asbestos – Hazards, Occurrence, Safety Measures

Asbestos is a danger to our health. This post explains why that is, where asbestos can be found, and what you should do if you come across asbestos. And of course, how you can protect yourself with PPE.

Asbestos is a natural silicate mineral fiber that occurs in certain types of rock. Its name says it all, since asbestos fibers are – as their ancient Greek name “imperishable” already suggests – extremely resistant, meaning they are

• heat-resistant,
• acid- and alkali-resistant,
• fire-resistant,
• stretchable,
• easily combined with other materials, and
• durable.

That is why, from the 1960s to the 1980s, it was called the “miracle fiber” and used in insulation, fire doors, cladding, walls, corrugated roof sheets, and many other places. However, asbestos is also extremely hazardous to health! For this reason, this fiber has been strictly banned in Germany since 1993, as confirmed by the EU ban on asbestos use.

The main problem with the extremely fine, robust asbestos fibers is that when inhaled, asbestos dust can settle in lung tissue and, over time, lead to chronic inflammation, tissue damage, and reduced lung function – known as asbestosis. This is because the asbestos burden in the body cannot be broken down or processed. In addition, the embedded fibers can trigger further, serious asbestos-related diseases, including:

• laryngeal cancer
• lung cancer
• pleural cancer
• ovarian cancer
• pleural tumors
• peritoneal tumors

To better assess the actual risk potential, asbestos built into houses, outdoor areas, or construction sites is divided into three categories:

1. Firmly bound asbestos (asbestos cement) is firmly embedded in the base material in facades, wall cladding, window sills, and ceiling panels. The material content is about ten to 15 percent. Therefore, this asbestos form is only slightly dangerous – unless the building parts are damaged, corroded, or otherwise exposed. Then immediate action must be taken.
2. Loosely bound asbestos (asbestos screed, spray asbestos) is found in old insulation, coatings, plaster, seals, and fireproof textiles. The material content here is more than 60 percent. With this easily detachable form, even vibrations or strong air movement can be enough to release fibers. The risk becomes even more acute if the material is worked on.
3. Pure asbestos is highly hazardous to health and was previously often used in chimney or stove construction.

Legal regulations governing the handling of the hazardous substance asbestos in Germany are:

1. the Chemicals Prohibition Ordinance (ChemVerbotsV),
2. the Hazardous Substances Ordinance (GefStoffV), and
3. the Technical Rule for Hazardous Substances (TRGS) 519.

In principle, asbestos is classified as a hazardous substance from a concentration of more than 0.1 percent.

• Indoor hazard threshold: under 500 fibers per cubic meter still considered harmless
• Hazard threshold for renovation work: 1,000 fibers per cubic meter
• Occupational activities with asbestos products: up to 10,000 fibers per cubic meter of air without protective equipment acceptable
• Upper limit with asbestos PPE in professional use: 100,000 fibers per cubic meter. Protective clothing should therefore be designed so that this tolerance limit is not exceeded!
• Recognition as an occupational disease: 1,000,000 fibers per cubic meter

Please check your local legal regulations as they might differ from the German ones.

Because of its comprehensive resistance, asbestos was used in many different materials and building products in the 1960s to 1980s. Even today, the following products may still contain asbestos:

As with other hazardous substances, appropriate, intact personal protective equipment is fundamental for good occupational safety when working with asbestos.

When working with asbestos-containing materials, it is important that fibers do not reach the body or airways, or get carried to another location. A particle-tight protective suit can provide this protection, covering the whole body from head to toe – including the hair – and keeping asbestos out. Protective overshoes for safety shoes are available in the uvex range.

For protection against asbestos, we recommend our disposable protective suits uvex 5/6 classic and uvex 5/6 comfort. These particle- and dust-tight protective suits are made of polypropylene spunbond, laminated with a polyethylene film, and certified according to ISO 13982-1.

You can find an overview of all our protective suits, their special features, and a video tutorial on how to put on and take off the suits on our website. Make sure to only take off the protective suit against asbestos once you have left the hazardous area, and dispose of it immediately and professionally in waste.

Because the fine asbestos fibers can also enter the body through the conjunctiva of the eye, we recommend tight-sealing safety eyewear such as full-vision goggles certified according to EN 3 and EN 4, for example the uvex megasonic. These reliably protect the eyes against liquids and coarse dust because the face seal sits tightly on the skin without causing pressure points. In addition, some spectacle-style safety glasses, such as the uvex i-guard, also meet these requirements.

Through hand contact, many bacteria, harmful substances, and other dirt can be transferred from one place to another – often without being noticed. Therefore, when working with asbestos, it is important to keep your hands clean as well. In this case, our chemical-protection gloves are a good choice. Since the main goal here is to cover the skin, you have great freedom in selecting a specific model. Our chemical-protection gloves can be worn for longer than 480 minutes at a time.

Would you like to dive deeper into our range or are you looking for safety gloves for other applications? Discover our innovative advisory tool, the uvex glove expert, which guides you to the perfect glove for your work with hazardous substances.

Asbestos is very harmful to respiratory health. The focus here is therefore on preventing the inhalation of asbestos fibers. Use an FFP3 respirator for demolition, maintenance, repair, or renovation work. If you are working at the hazardous site for longer than two hours, a half mask with a P2 or P3 particle filter is required. If the asbestos concentration exceeds 150,000 fibers per cubic meter, you must wear an asbestos protective mask (full-face mask) with a P3 filter.

As a basic rule, work as non-destructively as possible so that fiber release and asbestos exposure remain as low as possible. To this end, the use of vacuum units is recommended to filter fibers from the air. In addition, keep the materials to be worked on moist with a low-pressure spray or hand sprayer. This way, fewer asbestos fibers enter the air and the risk of contamination is reduced.

To be on the safe side, you should pay close attention to hygiene after working with asbestos: After short-term contact with asbestos-containing building materials, wash your hands and forearms with a suitable cleaning agent; after longer contact, take a full-body shower. Therefore, it is important that suitable changing and washing facilities are available outside the hazard or work zone.

Equip your employees with suitable asbestos PPE that effectively protects them at work. Of course, we also have protective suits for handling other hazardous substances in our range.

If you have any questions, feel free to use our contact form; our service team will be happy to advise you.