However, products that already contained the material were allowed to remain on the market and you can still find many of these items still in use today. Prior to regulation, friable asbestos materials were very common.
You could find friable asbestos in products like the thermal insulation for pipes, the insulation for a water heater, joint compounds, ceiling tiles, different types of plasters and wallboards. As mentioned above, many of these uses have been eliminated, but many older homes will still have products that contain a friable asbestos material.
If being friable means that something crumbles easily, then when something is described as non-friable, then that means that it is a material that does not crumble easily. Now, that is a good simple understanding of the difference between friable and non-friable asbestos, but there is more to it than that.
From a legal standpoint, the difference is that friable asbestos is regulated while non-friable is not and because of this, you can still find non-friable asbestos materials still in production today. The only cases in which non-friable ACMs are regulated is when the material has been eroded, processed in a way that could release the asbestos or if the material is likely to be subject to conditions that could cause it to crumble or turn to powder.
From a practical standpoint, the difference is that non-friable asbestos contains some type of bonding agent that contains the asbestos. The reason that these materials are still allowed on the market is because there is a reduced threat of the asbestos being released from the material and posing a threat to humans. However, there is still the potential for exposure with a non-friable ACM.
During a remodeling job, the materials can get crushed, broken or destroyed. If this happens, the asbestos can be released from the material and pose a threat.
However, asbestos is also highly dangerous to health. If asbestos is disturbed or damaged then the fibres it contains are released into the air and can be inhaled — leading to lung disease, breathing problems and cancer in the long-run.
For this reason, the use of asbestos was banned in the UK in But what makes asbestos so dangerous to health? One of the key factors to consider is the friability of the asbestos. See our fact file below to learn more about friable asbestos:. Our Asbestos Awareness Course is a Category A course designed for anyone whose job role may expose them to asbestos. Friability is the tendency for asbestos containing materials ACMs to break down, chip or crumble under pressure or as a result of abrasion.
These materials can easily be crumbled or reduced to a powder by touch. Friable asbestos is asbestos that is more prone to damage and can easily be broken, and that will release inhalable asbestos fibres into the air as a result. Non-friable asbestos is asbestos that is more resistant to damage and abrasion, so is less likely to release harmful fibres into the air.
All products are also known as asbestos-containing material. Friable asbestos products are generally quite loose and, when dry, can be crumbled into fine material or dust with light pressure, such as crushing with your hand. If disturbed, friable asbestos products are dangerous because the asbestos fibres can get into the air very easily, and may be inhaled by people living or working in the area.
Non-friable asbestos products that have been damaged or badly weathered including hail damage , may also become friable. Friable asbestos products have been commonly used in commercial and industrial settings since the late 's for fireproofing, soundproofing and insulation.
Some friable products were also used in houses and may still be found in houses built before Non-friable asbestos products are solid, rigid and non-friable, and cannot be crumbled, pulverised or reduced to powder by hand pressure. The asbestos fibres are tightly bound in the product and are not normally released into the air.
Common names for non-friable asbestos cement products are 'fibro', 'asbestos cement' and 'AC sheeting'.
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