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Asbestos and Roof Maintenance

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When it comes to the dangers of asbestos exposure, there are two primary groups at risk.  The group that could be at risk but at a lower probability of experiencing exposure to asbestos fibers are occupants of the building where asbestos is installed.  Workers or visitors to a public building or occupants in a home where asbestos has been used in the construction of the building are near the installation of the asbestos for longer periods of time. 
But asbestos that is used as insulation is enclosed in approved outer shielding that assures that the asbestos fibers will not become airborne and pose a risk to people using that building.  The risk of inhalation of asbestos fibers is only a reality if the insulation is breached so that broken insulation would cause the asbestos to become a threat.

The chances that asbestos will break open in an installed situation are quite small.  The group that is at greater risk are construction workers who install, remove or work near asbestos insulation.  These are situations where a lot of activity is going on near the insulation, which puts it at greater risk of breaking open.  This is why asbestos was banned for use in new building installation in 1985.  


The legal system has done what it had to do to stop the use of asbestos in new buildings.  But between 1950 and 1985, millions of buildings including public buildings, office buildings and homes were built with asbestos materials as part of the construction specifications.  So we have to think ahead when we employ workers to perform repairs or improvements to those buildings if you are responsible for the ongoing use of such a building.

Roof repairs, replacement or maintenance is a classic situation where the possibility of asbestos exposure should be guarded against.  If you know you have asbestos insulation in the attic of your or a business you operate, the proper ongoing care of the roof is even more crucial that if the asbestos were not there.  If the roof is damaged and the elements are allowed to go through to affect the idle asbestos insulation, hair, falling roof pieces or other natural causes could break open the insulation spilling the asbestos fibers into the air.  The people who work or live in that building would never know that they were inhaling asbestos fibers, which is the way asbestos related lung diseases are caused.

Just as important as good roof maintenance is the care you make sure gets taken when roof repair workers begin to work on that surface.  If they are working directly over a large installation of old asbestos insulation, the potential for a breach of the insulation out protection goes up dramatically.  All it would take would be one dropped hammer into the insulation and you will have a very dangerous asbestos problem.

Be sure you inform roof workers of this hazard so they can take proper care.  There are ways you can add another layer of protection by building an enclosure around the asbestos installation to protect is from damage during times of routine roof maintenance.  You can have the asbestos removed and the insulation replaced as well but that is very expensive and the risks of broken asbestos insulation creating a health problem are far higher during such a project.  

By thinking through the best way to keep your roof in good repair and to do so safely in light if the presence of asbestos is going to take some good advice from construction professionals who have dealt with this kind of thing before.  That is good advice to seek out and to follow so you reduce the chance that anyone, workers or family, ever get exposed to the dangers of asbestos related lung disease.
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