Asbestos

Asbestos was used in thousands of building products until the 1980s, and much of it is still in place today. When it’s disturbed, microscopic fibers float in the air, get breathed deep into the lungs, and can cause asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma decades later. There is no known safe level of exposure.

• Construction
• General Industry
• Maintenance
• Demolition

What asbestos is

Asbestos is a group of natural minerals that form long, thin, strong fibers. It doesn’t burn, resists heat and chemicals, and was cheap, so it was added to insulation, cement, flooring, roofing, brakes and many other products. The most common type in U.S. buildings is chrysotile (white asbestos). Amosite (brown) and crocidolite (blue) were also used, especially in insulation.

Asbestos-containing materials (ACM) are divided into two groups:

• Friable: can be crumbled, pulverized or reduced to powder by hand pressure when dry, such as pipe insulation, sprayed fireproofing and popcorn ceilings. These release fibers easily and are the most dangerous.
• Non-friable: fibers are locked in a binder, such as vinyl floor tile, asbestos cement siding and roofing. They’re lower risk when intact, but sanding, grinding, cutting, breaking or burning them releases fibers.

What it does to your body

Because these diseases show up so long after exposure, people don’t feel anything at the time. That’s why asbestos rules focus on preventing exposure completely, not on how you feel. If you’ve worked around asbestos, tell your doctor, and if you smoke, quitting greatly lowers your lung cancer risk.

Where you might find it

Any building built before 1981 may contain asbestos, and some products were made or installed later. Common places include:

You can’t tell if something contains asbestos by looking at it. The only way to know is to have a sample tested by an accredited laboratory, usually by polarized light microscopy (PLM).

Presumed asbestos-containing material (PACM)

Under OSHA, thermal system insulation and sprayed or troweled surfacing material in buildings built in 1980 or earlier must be treated as asbestos-containing unless it’s tested and shown not to be. Asphalt and vinyl flooring installed in 1980 or earlier is also presumed to contain asbestos.

Building and facility owners must find out whether ACM and PACM are present before work starts, and tell employers and workers where it is. Employers must tell their workers before they work in those areas.

The OSHA rule for workers

• Permissible exposure limit (PEL): 0.1 fiber per cubic centimeter of air, averaged over 8 hours.
• Excursion limit: 1.0 fiber per cubic centimeter, averaged over 30 minutes.
• Employers must assess exposures, set up regulated areas with signs and limited access, use wet methods and HEPA vacuums, provide respirators and protective clothing, provide decontamination areas, and keep records.
• Banned work practices include dry sweeping, using compressed air to clean, and sanding asbestos-containing flooring.
• A competent person must supervise asbestos work in construction, inspect the work area and make sure controls are working.

The four classes of construction asbestos work

Workers in Class I, II and III work, and anyone exposed above the PEL for 30 or more days a year, must get medical surveillance paid for by the employer. Many states also require a state license or certification for asbestos workers, supervisors and contractors. See Asbestos Licenses & Training.

Other laws you’ll hear about

• EPA asbestos NESHAP: requires an asbestos inspection before demolition or renovation of most buildings other than small homes, written notice to the state before demolitions and large removals, and rules for removing and disposing of asbestos.
• AHERA: requires public and private K–12 schools to inspect for asbestos, keep management plans and use accredited people.
• Asbestos ban: in 2024, EPA finalized a ban on ongoing uses of chrysotile asbestos, the last type still imported into the U.S., with phase-outs for some industrial uses. Parts of the rule have faced legal challenges. The ban doesn’t remove asbestos already in buildings.
• State and local rules often go further: licensing, notification fees, rules for homes, and disposal requirements.

All of these are explained in Asbestos Laws Explained and Asbestos Rules by State.

If you find suspect material

1. Stop work if you uncover material that might be asbestos and wasn’t identified in the survey.
2. Don’t disturb it further. Don’t break, sand, drill, scrape, sweep or vacuum it with a regular vacuum.
3. Keep people away and tell your supervisor or the building owner.
4. A trained, accredited inspector must sample it and have it tested.
5. If it’s asbestos, only trained and (where required) licensed workers with proper respirators, containment and decontamination may remove, repair or enclose it.

How abatement is done (overview)

• Survey and plan: an accredited inspector identifies ACM; a project designer may write specifications.
• Notify: the contractor files required notices with the state or local agency, often 10 working days before work starts.
• Contain: the work area is sealed with plastic sheeting, HVAC is shut down, and negative air machines with HEPA filters keep air flowing into the work area.
• Remove wet: material is kept wet, removed carefully, and double-bagged or wrapped in leak-tight, labeled containers.
• Decontaminate: workers exit through a decontamination unit with a shower, and equipment is cleaned.
• Clear: the area is inspected and air samples are taken before containment comes down.
• Dispose: waste goes to a landfill approved to accept asbestos, with shipping records.

Last updated: October 1, 2026