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OSHA Definition of Asbestos-Containing Material

The U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) provides definitions of asbestos and also defines two types of material that businesses and industries must evaluate for dangers. Asbestos is a dangerous material and can cause a variety of illnesses and diseases, including asbestosis, which causes severe lung damage, and mesothelioma, a type of cancer affecting lung and abdominal membranes. Depending on the type of material involved, different precautions and remedial steps must be taken to protect people and workers at the site where the asbestos is located.

  1. What is Asbestos?

    • Asbestos is a type of fiber-like mineral that is heat- and corrosion-resistant. Asbestos is also a flame-retardant. There are several different types of asbestos occurring naturally. It can also be chemically altered and prepared for use in manufacturing. It was widely used in building, construction and insulation materials subject to heat and damage from chemicals. It was discovered that asbestos itself is dangerous, mainly because small pieces of the substance can break off and float in the air, being inhaled or ingested by those working around the substance. OSHA's specific definition of asbestos is any material containing "chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite asbestos, anthophyllite asbestos, actinolite asbestos, and any of these minerals that have been chemically altered."

    Asbestos-Containing Material

    • Asbestos-containing material (ACM) is any material with more than 1 percent asbestos, according to OSHA standards. Many of the typical uses of asbestos would fall into this category. Asbestos-containing materials might include insulation, fire-retardant applications, floor tiles and roofing products. If this material is confirmed present and leaking fibers into the air, the full range of remediation, possibly including complete removal, may be required by OSHA.

    Presumed Asbestos-Containing Material

    • Presumed asbestos-containing materials (PACM) include surfacing material, such as soundproofing applications that were sprayed on, a common industrial practice until the 1980s, and thermal insulation which OSHA calls thermal system insulation (TSI) and defines as: "ACM applied to pipes, fittings, boilers, breeching, tanks, ducts or other structural components to prevent heat loss or gain." If these materials are suspected to be present, they must be examined to determine whether they have asbestos-containing material of more than 1 percent.

    Solutions

    • If ACM is determined to be present, immediate steps to remove the hazard are required. If PACM is present, the owner of the property in question can attempt to show that the presumption is incorrect. To rebut the presumption, a property owner can have a complete building inspection done by an inspector certified in asbestos examination or by having samples taken of the specific items in question, such as pipe insulation. If the sampling or inspection shows the materials contain less than 1 percent asbestos, then the material is not ACM and no further action is required. If the items are found to contain more than 1 percent asbestos, they must be treated as containing asbestos.

    Contamination Precautions

    • Asbestos contamination must be taken seriously. While companies and other organizations like school boards have the opportunity to show that asbestos may not be a danger in facilities or operations they own, when in doubt, it makes sense to have a full examination of the possible contamination as soon as possible.

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