Asbestos Insulation

[BCFFFV]

I've been sitting here watching W5 on TV. Tonight they are doing a report on ZONOLITE insulation. Apparantly, there are hundreds of thousands of Canadian homes that have used this product. It contains aspestos and looks pretty dangerous.

Here is a website I found:
http://www.asbestosnetwork.com/exposure/ex_firefighters.htm

Just another example of how dangerous our job can be without even realizing it.

[FLASHOVER05]

Oh ya! love that asbestos and that new lead based paint

[BCFFFV]

According to the report the dust has sharp asbestos fibres that imbed themselves in your lungs for life. Scary.....something to think about.

[Toxic]

Vermiculite is the lastest asbestos containing building material to gain fame. In reality any building built before 1985 probably has asbestos in it in one form or another. Things that we take for granted in the fire service as being safe to hack up can contain asbestos. Plaster and drywall mud are good examples. To get some idea of what is out there I would reccommend looking at this reference guide that we put together a while back.

http://www.umanitoba.ca/campus/health_and_safety/asbestos/acm%20booklet/ACM%20Glossary%20Booklet%20R-031030%20FINAL-%20Complete.pdf

We also have a link to some info on vermicullite located here:

http://www.umanitoba.ca/campus/health_and_safety/asbestos/

Asbestos is found in old vermiculite as a contaminant. Vermiculite is mined product and the new stuff is asbestos free. Problem is that in the old days vermic came from the Libby mine in Montana. Veins of vermiculite and asbestos would run side by side in Libby so cross contamination would occur. You can take a sample of vermiculite insulation in an attic, have it analysed and find that it contains no asbestos. Meanwhile 6 inches away a sample might come back positive.

Basically here is my 2 cents as a firefighter and a health and safety professional who deals with asbestos issues on a daily basis. When it comes to firefighting, asbestos and other carcinogens...they are part of the job that is unavoidable. Presumtive legislation reflects this. We must use our BA's and consider decontaminating guys who have been covered in plaster our other suspect material, including carcinogenic stuff like heavy smoke from things like plastics. I don't think that we are at a point where we need to set up formal hazmat decons after every fire but maybe hosing a guy down with an inch and half to clean him up before he takes off his BA off is. Leave that bad stuff at the fire scene instead of taking it back to hall.

Issuing half face cartridge type respirators could also be a cheap alternative to protect guys doing fire investigations or for lengthy overhauls. I will admit that my BA goes by the wayside towards the end of overhaul.

I'll say it again...one day I am going to prepare a seminar on firefighter hygiene. It might not be popular with the old school guys...

[ThFyrWthn]

Guys, please don’t take asbestos exposure lightly. Is there a lot of it out there still? Yes.

Here’s an online asbestos awareness course and some more info…

http://www.pp.okstate.edu/ehs/modules/asbestos/index.htm

http://www.pp.okstate.edu/ehs/links/asbestos.htm

Great post Toxic. I wholeheartedly agree. I think your “firefighter hygiene” seminar is very much needed. I’m sure most guys would have to agree that having an “old school” attitude in these instances will likely lead to a premature death.

[Punctualdeer]

Yes, we should take the subject seriously. But for now the only thing to do is to whear our apparatus the most longer time as possible to the end off fire.

[smoke286]

I was at an industrial disease conference last month. It was stated that there are still Asbestos ceiling and floor tiles being installed in new buildings

[Toxic]

Hello all,

I am putting together a short seminar for some career firefighters on the hazards of asbestos. I'm wondering how much awareness there is out there on this issue. Is this part of anyones training?

So far I've kept things pretty basic. If there is some awareness out there already I may have to go further in dept, or there may be no need.

Thanks.

[ABFF37]

Asbestos eh? Hmmmm...I had a little bit of talk about it in my HAZMAT course in recruit training more than two years ago...and I have never heard anything more about it from the firefighter perspective. Guess I had better do some readingLOL:)

AB

[colin911]

Asbestos eh? Hmmmm...I had a little bit of talk about it in my HAZMAT course in recruit training more than two years ago...and I have never heard anything more about it from the firefighter perspective. Guess I had better do some readingLOL:)

AB
Same goes for me too ... not much info since training.

[BillyBlazes]

We are tought that the only problem with asbestos is that it is an inhalation hazard. Wear your SCBA and problem is solved.

[Toxic]

Have a meeting with one of the guys from the training branch today. Should be interesting.

Billy: you're right. It is only a hazard if you inhale it. The concerns that I have centre around the old do you wear your BA when overhauling. I think cross contamination is probably the bigger issue. How many guys decon after taking down a ceiling or cutting a plaster wall?

[BCFFFV]

If you do a search under asbestos I had started a thread earlier this year I believe. It's pretty dangerous stuff.

[Toxic]

I was at an industrial disease conference last month. It was stated that there are still Asbestos ceiling and floor tiles being installed in new buildings

I don't think that is correct, at least not in Manitoba. There are some misleading labels on some floor and ceiling tiles coming out of Quebec though. We received a few calls on these. the warning is actually in regards to removing the old tiles not installing the new ones. The French instuction are clear on this but the translation to English was not. Pays off being bilingual sometimes...LOL

You will however still find asbestos in some uses such as gaskets and heavy duty clutches. Most cities in Canada also have miles of old asbestos pipe supplying drinking water.

[Toxic]

Thanks BCFFFV. I had forgotten about that post even though I replied to it...LOL It's here: http://www.firehall.com/forum/showthread.php?p=25854#post25854

From what I've read here and my meeting yesterday it sounds like there is a need for some basic awareness training. I'll post something here after the first couple of sessions...

[ehetu]

Asbestos inhalation is insidious...loose fibres can stick to your bunker gear, migrate to your civies and be brought home. The fibres are small and lodge themselves deep into your lungs. Damage is not evident until you, or your kids, have long forgotten whether or not you were ever exposed to it.

Asbestos in insulation is often encountered during overhaul...it can also be encountered in more recent construction when the asbestos is embedded in concrete-like structures prevalent in community centres, schools, etc built in the 70s and 80s I think. This asbestos is harmless unless it's broken up...then the particles start to float around.

SCBAs will protect...but how many FFs use SCBAs during overhaul?

But seriously folks...it's been said...but don't mess around with asbestos. Your lungs won't forgive you. Make sure your dept provides you with face masks and appropriate filters.

Edmond
Chelsea FD

[Toxic]

Well we ran this training for the Winnipeg Fire Department and it went really well. I think there was some real value in what we presented. The fellow from the training branch is looking at setting up a GOG to deal with decontaminating guys that have been covered wigh stuff like asbestos containing plaster.