The scope and content of this course and manual are limited to the information essential to this requirement. These regulations became effective on October 10, 1995. This does not imply that you will be doing asbestos work. On the contrary, this training is being presented in the hope that you may avoid any exposure by becoming more aware of the locations and types of asbestos. Asbestos is a generic term for a group of naturally occurring silicate minerals that are mined primarily in South Africa, Canada and the former Soviet Union.
Asbestos can appear in fibrous crystal form and, when crushed, separates into flexible fibers.
There are three commercially important types of asbestos. Chrysotile is white asbestos with fine silky fibers. It accounts for over 90 percent of the asbestos used in the U.S. Chrysotile is mined in Canada and the Soviet Union. Amosite is known as brown asbestos and is used in heat insulation materials. Amosite is mined primarily in Transvaal, South Africa.