Asbestos

tiocimarla

Hi, I started work as an apprentice carpenter in 2003. After about 2 weeks we were cutting this weird dusty material for the ceilings of garages in carpenterstown. To this day I havnt seen the stuff again but Ive an feeling it was asbestos in it. Anyway I was 17 years old and clueless so didnt think at the time but now I believe we were cutting asbestos with a circular saw and no masks. The stuff was in 8x4 smooth flat sheets, about 10mm thick and brown. When it was being cut, it turned almost into a smoky dust.

Im a bit worried as to what it was now and need guidance so I can get it tested. The garages have no doorways on them so you can see straight in. The builder just painted them white and left them like that.

Also does anyone know if asbestos was allowed back then?

cheers in advance

DublinDilbert

It's banned since 1979 in Ireland, as far as I know.

For piece of mind if you can gain access to the material, break off a 1 inch piece, double bag it and send to the uk for testing. Costs £35 or so.

I doubt there was asbestos in it, but doesn't mean the dust didn't do you harm.

Doom

Go talk to a doctor, I'm sure they can advise you better.

tiocimarla

Slight relief there, I dont suppose you know what material it could be. The garages are open with no door and its an entire estate so I may be able to get a sample.

starbelgrade

The use of asbestos in Ireland has been banned since the early 90s. You can't buy it here legally but there are a lot of unscrupulous people who re-use asbestos they picked up from different sites.

If it's already installed, you'll need to get a specialist to have a look at it - one of the licenced asbestos removal companies in your area will be able to do that.

Unfortunately, there's no-one who has responsibilty for asbestos used in private buildings unless there is a direct threat of pollution, then it falls to the EPA or local authority, or if there's construction going on in the building and the HSA then have authority.

I wouldn't worry about any health effects to yourself - it would take prolonged exposure to the stuff to cause any long term damage. Also, it's only really dangerous if the panels are broken & the fibres are exposed, so most likely if it is asbestos in the garages the health risk is most likely minimal especially as the garages are not habitable places.

There are thousands of buildings around the country that have asbestos in them - it only really becomes a problem when you have to remove it as the breaking of the panels causes the fibres to come loose & the asbestos must be disposed of under strict guidelines & controls.

Doom

The OP was cutting it, in dust form it is very dangerous

starbelgrade

Doom wrote: »

The OP was cutting it, in dust form it is very dangerous

Only if you're exposed to it over a prolonged period. A few garage ceilings wouldn't be a big issue.

tiocimarla

starbelgrade wrote: »

Only if you're exposed to it over a prolonged period. A few garage ceilings wouldn't be a big issue.

Id say we cut 50 or so sheets down the length so thats over 400ft in a straight line with a circular saw.

also the sheets weren't reused. they were brand new. When cut they turned into a smoke like dust and to this day Ive never seen it used again

tiocimarla

http://www.asbestostesting.com.au/uploads/43276/ufiles/garage/img-3961.JPG


This isnt a pic I took but it is asbestos sheeting. Also unfortunately it looks very similar to what I was cutting. Anyone work with this stuff before and know what it could have been. It was about 10mm thick and very flexible. And no its not MDF as I work with that all the time.....cheers

Cedrus

There were also cement composite boards like giant thrutone slates that look a bit like the asbestos boards. They were mostly profiled though because it wasn't very strong.
Any asbestos in 2003 would have definitely been illegally sourced.

MacGyver

tiocimarla wrote: »

http://www.asbestostesting.com.au/uploads/43276/ufiles/garage/img-3961.JPG


This isnt a pic I took but it is asbestos sheeting. Also unfortunately it looks very similar to what I was cutting. Anyone work with this stuff before and know what it could have been. It was about 10mm thick and very flexible. And no its not MDF as I work with that all the time.....cheers

Would it be drywall boards you were cutting ? http://www.google.ie/search?um=1&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=752&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=drywall+board&oq=drywall+board&aq=f&aqi=g1g-S1g-sS1g-S5g-mS2&aql=&gs_l=img.3..0j0i24j0i10i24j0i24l5j0i5i24l2.20762l23118l0l24258l6l6l0l0l0l0l745l1933l0j1j4j6-1l6l0.frgbld.

Cedrus

tiocimarla wrote: »

http://www.asbestostesting.com.au/uploads/43276/ufiles/garage/img-3961.JPG


This isnt a pic I took but it is asbestos sheeting. Also unfortunately it looks very similar to what I was cutting. Anyone work with this stuff before and know what it could have been. It was about 10mm thick and very flexible. And no its not MDF as I work with that all the time.....cheers

No asbestos board I've come across was flexible. There was a wool for fireproof insulation, a rope for chimney and furnace joints and a mat type stuff for bigger joints. The board was mostly made of cement and a asbestos fibres and it was very brittle.
Marley - Identify Asbestos Page

tiocimarla

MacGyver wrote: »

Would it be drywall boards you were cutting ? http://www.google.ie/search?um=1&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=752&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=drywall+board&oq=drywall+board&aq=f&aqi=g1g-S1g-sS1g-S5g-mS2&aql=&gs_l=img.3..0j0i24j0i10i24j0i24l5j0i5i24l2.20762l23118l0l24258l6l6l0l0l0l0l745l1933l0j1j4j6-1l6l0.frgbld.

No, the only reason we were made cut them was because the dryliners couldnt cut it with a knife.
The closest texture/material was like a mixture of Hardboard and MDF

tiocimarla

Cedrus wrote: »

No asbestos board I've come across was flexible. There was a wool for fireproof insulation, a rope for chimney and furnace joints and a mat type stuff for bigger joints. The board was mostly made of cement and a asbestos fibres and it was very brittle.
Marley - Identify Asbestos Page

Well.....It would have been about as flexible as holding a 4 mm sheet of ply above your head horizontally.

CJhaughey

Sounds like softboard to me. Or masonite?

Hotblack Desiato

starbelgrade wrote: »

Only if you're exposed to it over a prolonged period. A few garage ceilings wouldn't be a big issue.

There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos, it's a carcinogen. Risk goes up with exposure, but no level or period of exposure has zero risk.

puzzle factory

ya there is
red
white
and blue asbestos
just like the butchers apron.
and sorry bud its every where,
ceiling tiles, roof tiles remember the table tops in primary school, the ones you chipped the edges off and flicked at each other,
yup thats blue asbestos..............

Hotblack Desiato

Remarkably ignorant post.

puzzle factory

ninja900 wrote: »

Remarkably ignorant post.

my one? yours? or the one before me?

Pottler

Was it a form of cement backer board? Unlikly to have been asbestos but regardless, like every chippie going, whatever material it was, the dust did you no good and never will. MDF is starting to be highly regulated in the states as the dust is very bad for you when cutting/routing it and I'd not be surprised if it is eventually regarded in much the same way as asbestos is now. I have swallowed an awful lot of MDF dust over the years, as has probably every construction worker going. Feckin hate the stuff with a passion. Cement dust is no better, I'm sensitised to it now after decades of road-sawing - que coughing fits, nose bleeds etc. Lovely.

starbelgrade

ninja900 wrote: »

There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos, it's a carcinogen. Risk goes up with exposure, but no level or period of exposure has zero risk.

That's like saying there's no safe level of exposure to cigarette smoke or car fumes.

Of course risk goes up with exposure, but in small doses, neither are likely to kill you.

Unless you read the Daily Mail.

Pottler

starbelgrade wrote: »

That's like saying there's no safe level of exposure to cigarette smoke or car fumes.

Of course risk goes up with exposure, but in small doses, neither are likely to kill you.

Unless you read the Daily Mail.

also depends what you are doing with it - cutting it with power tools is a big no-no as is pretty much anything which raises dust - it's just nasty sh1te full stop. I no longer allow any of my lads buy insulation rolls made out of anything except earthwool and advise anyone else who will listen to do the same. Fiberglass insulation is lethal tack and I have banned it from any job we do - if they have to remove it from an existing structure its a full white overall/proper mask /goggles and gloves job as far as I'm concerned. I feckin hate the stuff and will not inflict it on anyone else.