Asbestos in Building Material?

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Fred99

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#1092410 20-Jul-2014 11:33

DarthKermit: Apparently silica dust (what you get from cutting concrete) is nearly as bad as asbestos, but our laws have not changed to reflect the dangers of this yet.

While silicosis has been long recognised as an issue from industrial exposure to silica dust, and it's now been classified by IARC as a carcinogen (upgraded from a "suspected" human carcinogen), it's not in the same league as asbestos, asbestosis, and mesothelioma.
Avoiding inhalation of any dust is a good idea.
One which I'm acutely aware of at the moment is sawdust - I'm working (planing, cutting) H3.2 treated framing timber.
People living on unsealed roads are exposed to silica dust. I believe that Golden Bay/Nelson road dust may also contain some asbestos.

mattwnz

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#1092465 20-Jul-2014 13:37

Many building materials aren't particularly healthy.

DarthKermit

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Trusted

#1092501 20-Jul-2014 14:44

Fred99: One which I'm acutely aware of at the moment is sawdust - I'm working (planing, cutting) H3.2 treated framing timber.

What measures are you using to protect yourself from wood treatment chemicals?

Whatifthespacekeyhadneverbeeninvented?

bfginger

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#1093085 21-Jul-2014 14:56

mattwnz:
DarthKermit: Apparently silica dust (what you get from cutting concrete) is nearly as bad as asbestos, but our laws have not changed to reflect the dangers of this yet.

Apparently the old fibre glass also wasn't particually good either. But the new stuff is apparently different, and is supposedly bio soluable.

Many buildings have insulation material with unbiosoluable fibres in them. Biosoluable fibreglass only recently became ubiquitous in glass insulation. The biosoluable fibres can stay in your lungs for up to several years.

mattwnz

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#1093119 21-Jul-2014 15:40

bfginger:
mattwnz:
DarthKermit: Apparently silica dust (what you get from cutting concrete) is nearly as bad as asbestos, but our laws have not changed to reflect the dangers of this yet.

Apparently the old fibre glass also wasn't particually good either. But the new stuff is apparently different, and is supposedly bio soluable.

Many buildings have insulation material with unbiosoluable fibres in them. Biosoluable fibreglass only recently became ubiquitous in glass insulation. The biosoluable fibres can stay in your lungs for up to several years.

It is the installation of them where the most risk is of breathing it in. If the biosoluable ones can stay in your lungs for several years, what about the unbiosoluable ones? There doesn't seem to be a large amount of information out there.

Fred99

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#1093338 21-Jul-2014 21:58

DarthKermit:
Fred99: One which I'm acutely aware of at the moment is sawdust - I'm working (planing, cutting) H3.2 treated framing timber.

What measures are you using to protect yourself from wood treatment chemicals?

Mask, overalls, gloves, dust extraction on bench saw.
I should wash overalls daily - separately from anything else - but I'm a bit slack on that.

BTR

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#1093700 22-Jul-2014 13:46

Not sure about testing but I would recommend that anytime you have to deal with dust of what ever kind you wear a proper respirator (Not the cheap dust mask kind).

Talking to carpenters they all mention about MDF board being the next harmful material that most people use without any second thought.

Safety first guys.

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