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Asbestos: Do Not Disturb 

Asbestos is a group of several naturally 

occurring fibrous minerals. Wide use of 

the material in a broad range of products, 

particularly since the 1940’s, led to wider

recognition of their health hazards in the 

late 1970’s. At that time, some, but not all, 

uses of asbestos were banned in the United 

States; however, employees continue to be 

exposed to asbestos fibers released from 

materials installed in buildings before those 

bans and through use of products still being 

made with asbestos. 

Locating Asbestos 

In the 1980’s, the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) established its 

first protocols for conducting inspections 

to determine where asbestos‐containing 

materials (ACM’s) are found in schools and 

other buildings. Though the EPA considers 

materials containing less than 1% asbestos 

not to be an ACM, standards established 

by the Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration (OSHA) apply to materials 

containing any amount of asbestos. 

Evaluating the many materials that 

may contain asbestos requires removal 

and laboratory testing of pieces of that 

material. Various public safety and repair 

cost considerations may limit the scope 

of initial asbestos inspections. Therefore, 

OSHA considers any untested thermal 

system insulation and surfacing material in

buildings constructed no later than 1980 

to be a “presumed asbestos containing 

material” (PACM) until it is proven not to 

contain asbestos. 

Common ACM’s include insulation 

on pipes and other hot surfaces, various 

fire‐proofing materials, and troweled‐ or 

sprayed‐on acoustical materials such as 

“popcorn” ceilings. Asbestos is found in 

most 9x9 inch vinyl floor tiles, and in some 

floor tiles of other sizes. Asbestos is in the 

felt backing of some linoleum and roofing 

materials, in mastics used to adhere floor 

tiles and linoleum to the floor, and in 

mastics used on duct and pipe insulation. 

Some acoustic tiles used on ceilings and 

walls contain asbestos, as do some mastics 

used with them. Asbestos can be found in 

wallboard, joint compound, spackle used 

in wall systems, and in some floor leveling 

materials. It was frequently used in wall and 

ceiling plaster, and in cement board panels

called transite. Certain gaskets, clutch and 

brake pads in vehicles and other machinery 

frequently contain asbestos, too. 

Hazardous To Your Health 

ACM’s that are “friable” – or able to be 

crushed or reduced to powder by hand 

pressure – are most likely to release asbestos 

fibers. Therefore, employees who conduct

activities that make ACM’s friable, or who 

work around materials that are already 

friable, are at greatest risk of exposure 

to the fibers. These employees typically

include tradespeople who service plumbing, 

electrical, ventilation and other mechanical 

systems, custodians who disturb or contact 

asbestos, renovators and remodelers, and 

those who repair ACM or abate it. 

Materials which can be crushed or reduced 

topowderonlyby sanding,sawing, abrasion, 

or other mechanical action are considered to 

be non‐friable. The health risks posed by 

these materials are considerably less than 

those posed by friable materials. Examples 

of non‐friable materials include intact vinyl 

floor tiles and transite panels. 

Breathing asbestos can result in several 

illnesses, including asbestosis, a scarring of 

the lungs that typically occurs as a result

of inhaling asbestos over a long period of 

time. It decreases the ability of the body 

www.compliance.gov 

Figure 1: Damaged 9-inch vinyl tile exposing mastic 

to get needed oxygen and often results in 

development of fatal cardiopulmonary 

disease. It can also cause lung cancer, 

particularly in individuals who smoke. 

Mesothelioma, a rare, untreatable cancer of

the membrane lining the lungs, chest, heart, 

and abdomen is caused almost exclusively 

by asbestos exposure. Exposure to asbestos 

has also been shown to cause cancer of the 

stomach and colon. Typically, these health 

effectsdonotdevelopformore than20years 

after first exposure. 

Protective OSHA Regulations 

OSHA’s Asbestos Standard for general 

industry covers maintenance and office 

workers, among others. A separate 

standard applies to those who conduct 

construction‐related activities, including 

repair, demolition, renovation, and asbestos 

abatement. Because the general industry 

standard applies to most legislative 

branch employees, the information below 

summarizes some of its requirements. 

The standard establishes two permissible 

exposure limits (PEL’s) for asbestos. The 

first is a time‐weighted average (TWA) of 

0.1 fiber per cubic centimeter of air (f/cc), 

averaged over an 8‐hour work shift. OSHA 

has also established an excursion limit 

(EL) of 1.0 f/cc during a single, 30‐minute

period. 
Employers are required to do the following:

• Determine the presence, location, and

quantity of ACM and/or PACM. 

• Inform employees—and the employers

ofhousekeepingemployees—ofasbestos

hazards in their building. 

• Post warning signs at the entrance to

mechanical rooms/areas containing

ACM and/or PACM, identifying the 

material present and its location, and

appropriate word practices to ensure it 

is not disturbed. Warning labels must

be affixed to these asbestos products and 

containers of asbestos products. 

• Assess all asbestos operations for their

potential to generate fibers. 

• Conduct initial monitoring for all

employees who either are, or may be 


expected to be, exposed to airborne 


concentrations of asbestos above the 


TWA and/or EL.


• Establish a regulated area wherever

airborne asbestos concentrations exceed 


the TWA and/or EL.


If you suspect you are exposed to friable 

asbestos materials in your workplace, do 

not disturb them or create dust. Notify 

your safety and health office or immediate 

supervisor of your concerns. Its potential 

asbestos content can be determined, and any

necessary actions can then be taken.	 Figure 2: A damaged pipe insulation jacket exposes 

friable asbestos. 

fast stats 

United States Statistics 

•	 30 million pounds of asbestos are still used in the U.S. each year. (Source: EWG Action Fund)

•	 Asbestos is the #1 cause of occupational cancer, causing 54% of those deaths. (Source: Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization)

•	 Since 1979, more than 43,000 Americans have died of asbestos-related diseases. (Source: EWG Action Fund)

OSHA Standards

•	 29 CFR 1910.1001, Asbestos (in general industry)

•	 29 CFR 1926.1101, Asbestos (in construction)

For More Information

•	 OSHA’s asbestos webpage: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/asbestos/index.html

•	 EPA’s asbestos webpage: http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/

•	 Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) FAQ on

Asbestos: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts61.html

Regulated Area Requirements

•	 Implement a written compliance plan that explains engineering controls and work practices to be followed.

•	 Post warning signs at all approaches to regulated areas.

•	 Ensure appropriate respirators and personal protective equipment are worn.

•	 Ensure wet methods and local exhaust ventilation with appropriate dust collection are used to limit exposure.

•	 Provide a proper decontamination area that includes changing and showering facilities.

•	 Provide initial and annual refresher training to employees exposed at or above the TWA or EL.

•	 Provide medical surveillance for all employees exposed to airborne concentrations at or above the TWA and/or EL.

•	 Keep accurate records of exposure monitoring and medical surveillance for each worker’s duration of employment plus 30 years.

Peter Ames Eveleth 

General Counsel 

Rachel Berg Scherer 

Editor 

If you spot a safety hazard in your legislative branch 

workplace, contact the Office of Compliance to report it: 

Room LA 200, John Adams Building 

110 Second Street, SE 

Washington, DC 20540 

t/ 202‐724‐9250; tdd/ 202‐426‐1912; f/ 202‐426‐1913 

Recorded Information Line/ 202‐724‐9260 

www.compliance.gov 

The Office of Compliance advances safety, health,

and workplace rights in the U.S. Congress and the 

Legislative Branch. Established as an independent

agency by the Congressional Accountability Act of 

1995, the Office educates employees and employing 

offices about their rights and responsibilities under the 

Act, provides an impartial dispute resolution process,

and investigates and remedies violations of the Act. 

This information does not constitute advice or an official ruling of the Office of Compliance or the Board of Directors and is intended for educational 

purposes only. For further information, please refer to the Congressional Accountability Act (2 U.S.C 1301 et seq.) and the regulations issued by the 

Board, or you may contact the Office of Compliance.