What is asbestos?
Asbestos is a fibrous material that used to be common in building materials, floor tiles and automobile parts. The only way to tell if something contains asbestos is to have it tested. In some cases when you know where the material came from or it's brand you can google it to see if it is known to contain asbestos. Identifying asbestos takes an expert.
Asbestos is a fibrous material that used to be common in building materials, floor tiles and automobile parts
Asbestos is a fibrous material that was commonly used in building materials, floor tiles and automobile parts. It can be found in your home, workplace or school if you live in Canada or the United States. If you suspect that there is asbestos in your home, it's important to have it removed by a professional. Asbestos has been banned in many countries including Australia and New Zealand because of its health risks
The only way to tell if something contains asbestos is to have it tested. In some cases when you know where the material came from or it's brand you can google it to see if it is known to contain asbestos.
Asbestos is a mineral that was mined extensively in Canada and the United States, but has now been banned in most countries. Asbestos is known to cause certain types of cancer, as well as lung disease and other serious health problems. If you have any old building materials or construction supplies in your home, you should be on the lookout for asbestos or fibrous materials that may contain it. Unfortunately, there's no way to tell if something contains asbestos just by looking at it—you'll need to have a sample tested by an accredited professional in order to know for sure whether or not it poses a health hazard.
Identifying asbestos takes an expert.
Asbestos identification is complicated, and it’s not something you can do on your own. You have to have the material tested by a professional lab to know whether or not it contains asbestos. If you're uncomfortable having an expert take care of this for you and send samples off to be analyzed in a lab, check with your local health department or waste management company about what options are available in your area for safe disposal of asbestos-containing materials.
If there is any chance that the material may contain asbestos (for example, if it came from someone else's house), don't try to identify it yourself—find an expert who can help!
You can't identify asbestos without it being tested.
It's not possible for a lay person to identify asbestos. In fact, the only way to know if you have asbestos in your home or workplace is to have it tested by an expert who has been trained to identify toxic materials. There are no visual signs of asbestos, so it may be present in your home without you even knowing it. Asbestos isn't just a single type of material; it comes in many forms, including rock, slag and powder.
When an individual identifies as having been exposed to asbestos fibers at work he/she may qualify for compensation through their employer's workers' compensation insurance carrier or by filing an individual claim against the employer directly (if they were exposed while working). If they do not qualify under either method then they may still receive benefits through lawsuit against the company that manufactured or installed the product which contained harmful materials such as asbestos-containing pipes
Conclusion
If you think you might have an asbestos-containing material in your home, it's best to leave it alone and contact a professional like ALLAB for asbestos testing. Asbestos is not something that should be taken lightly and if you do have it in your house then there are steps that can be taken to minimize any risk involved.
