|  | Public Health Safety | Environmental Health

Asbestos Labeling Requirements

Asbestos is used in building materials, packaging and other products because of its heat-resistant properties. Because airborne asbestos fibers can cause severe health problems when inhaled into the lungs, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established regulations for the use and labeling of asbestos.

  1. What To Label

    • Warning labels must be attached to "all raw materials, scrap, waste, debris and other products containing asbestos fibers, or to their containers," according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The term "asbestos" comprises chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite asbestos, anthophyllite asbestos, actinolite asbestos, and any of these minerals that has been chemically treated or altered.

    How To Label

    • All asbestos warning labels must include the following information, printed in large, bright letters and placed in highly visible locations:

      DANGER!

      CONTAINS ASBESTOS FIBERS

      AVOID CREATING DUST

      CANCER AND LUNG DISEASE HAZARD

    Where To Label

    • Labels or signs must be placed in building areas where people are likely to be exposed to asbestos. The most common sources of asbestos exposure are industries that mine or manufacture asbestos products, the construction industry, damaged buildings that have asbestos-containing products such as insulation or floor tiling, and the areas surrounding these buildings.

    Exceptions

    • Asbestos does not need to be labeled if it is present in concentrations lower than 1 percent, or if it has been modified by a bonding agent or other material, and it can be proved that no fibers will be released in handling, storage or transportation of the material.

Environmental Health - Related Articles